Judges 8

Zebah and Zalmunna Routed

1Then the menH376 of EphraimH669 saidH559 to 1Gideon, “2WhatH4100 is thisH2088 thingH1697 that you have doneH6213 to us, not callingH7121 upon us whenH3588 you wentH1980 to fightH3898 against MidianH4080?” And they quarreledH7378 with him vehementlyH2394. 2But he saidH559 to them, “WhatH4100 have I doneH6213 nowH6258 in comparison with you? Is the gleaningH5955 of the grapes of EphraimH669 not betterH2896 thanH4480 the vintageH1210 of AbiezerH44? 3GodH430 has handedH5414H3027 overH5414 to you the leadersH8269 of MidianH4080, OrebH6159 and ZeebH2062; and whatH4100 wasH3201 I ableH3201 to doH6213 in comparison with you?” ThenH227 their 3angerH7307 towardH4480H5921 him subsidedH7503 when he saidH1696 4that.

4Then GideonH1439 and the threeH7969 hundredH3967 menH376 whoH834 were with him cameH935 5to the JordanH3383 and crossedH5674 overH5674, exhaustedH5889 yet still pursuingH7291. 5And he saidH559 to the menH376 of 6SuccothH5523, “PleaseH4994 giveH5414 loavesH3603 of breadH3899 to the peopleH5971 whoH834 are 7followingH7272 me, for they are exhaustedH5889, and I am pursuingH7291H310 ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, the kingsH4428 of MidianH4080.” 6But the leadersH8269 of SuccothH5523 saidH559, “89Are the handsH3709 of ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 alreadyH6258 in your handH3027, that we should giveH5414 breadH3899 to your armyH6635?” 7So GideonH1439 saidH559, “For thisH3651 answer, 10when the LordH3068 has handedH5414H3027 overH5414 to me ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, I will 11thrashH1758 your 12bodiesH1320 with the thornsH6975 of the wildernessH4057 and with briersH1303.” 8Then he wentH5927 upH5927 from thereH8033 to 1314PenuelH6439 and spokeH1696 similarlyH2088 to them; and the menH376 of PenuelH6439 answeredH6030 him justH3512 asH3512 the menH376 of SuccothH5523 had answeredH6030. 9So he saidH559 alsoH1571 to the menH376 of 15PenuelH6439, “When I returnH7725 safelyH7965, 16I will tearH5422 downH5422 thisH2088 towerH4026.”

10Now ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 were in KarkorH7174, and their 17armiesH4264 with them, about fifteenH2568H6240 thousandH505 men, allH3605 who were leftH3498 of the entireH3605 18armyH4264 of the 19peopleH1121 of the eastH6924; 20for the fallenH5307 were 120,000H3967H6242H505 21swordsmenH376H8025H2719. 11GideonH1439 wentH5927 upH5927 by the wayH1870 of those who livedH7931 in tentsH168 to the eastH6924 of NobahH5025 and JogbehahH3011, and he 22attackedH5221 the campH4264 when the campH4264 was unsuspectingH983. 12When ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 fledH5127, he pursuedH7291H310 them and capturedH3920 the twoH8147 kingsH4428 of MidianH4080, ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, and routedH2729 the entireH3605 23armyH4264.

13Then GideonH1439 the sonH1121 of JoashH3060 returnedH7725 from the battleH4421 24by the ascentH4608 of HeresH2776. 14And he capturedH3920 a youthH5288 from 25SuccothH5523 and questionedH7592 him. Then the youth wroteH3789 downH3789 for him the leadersH8269 of SuccothH5523 and its eldersH2205, seventy-sevenH7657 menH376. 15And he cameH935 to the menH376 of SuccothH5523 and saidH559, “BeholdH2009 ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, about whomH834 you tauntedH2778 me, sayingH559, ‘2627Are the handsH3709 of ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 alreadyH6258 in your handH3027, that we should giveH5414 breadH3899 to your menH376 who are wearyH3287?’” 16Then he tookH3947 the eldersH2205 of the cityH5892, and thornsH6975 of the wildernessH4057 and briersH1303, and he 28disciplinedH3045 the menH376 of SuccothH5523 with them. 1729And he toreH5422 downH5422 the towerH4026 of PenuelH6439 and killedH2026 the menH376 of the cityH5892.

18Then he saidH559 to ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, “WhereH375 were the menH376 whomH834 you killedH2026 at TaborH8396?” But they saidH559, “You and they were alikeH3644, each oneH259 30resemblingH8389 the sonH1121 of a kingH4428.” 19And he saidH559, “They were my brothersH251, the sonsH1121 of my motherH517. As the LordH3068 livesH2416, ifH3863 onlyH3863 you had let them liveH2421, I would not killH2026 you.” 20So he saidH559 to JetherH3500 his firstbornH1060, “RiseH6965, killH2026 them.” But the youthH5288 did not drawH8025 his swordH2719, for he wasH3372 afraidH3372, becauseH3588 he was stillH5750 a youthH5288. 21Then ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759 saidH559, “RiseH6965 upH6965 yourselfH859, and attackH6293 us; for as the manH376, so is his strengthH1369.” 31So GideonH1439 aroseH6965 and killedH2026 ZebahH2078 and ZalmunnaH6759, and 32tookH3947 the crescentH7720 amuletsH7720 whichH834 were on their camels’H1581 necksH6677.

22Then the menH376 of IsraelH3478 saidH559 to GideonH1439, “RuleH4910 over us, bothH1571 you and your sonH1121, your son’sH1121 sonH1121 asH1571 wellH1571, for you have savedH3467 us from the handH3027 of MidianH4080!” 23But GideonH1439 saidH559 to them, “I will not ruleH4910 over you, norH3808 shall my sonH1121 ruleH4910 over you; 33the LordH3068 shall ruleH4910 over you.” 24Yet GideonH1439 saidH559 to them, “I would 34requestH7596H7592 of you, that eachH376 of you giveH5414 me 35an earringH5141 from his plunderH7998.” (For they had goldH2091 earringsH5141, becauseH3588 they were 36IshmaelitesH3459.) 25And they saidH559, “We will certainlyH5414 giveH5414 them to you.” So they spreadH6566 outH6566 a garmentH8071, and everyH376 oneH376 of them tossedH7993 an earringH5141 thereH8033 from his plunderH7998. 26The weightH4948 of the goldH2091 earringsH5141 that he requestedH7592 was 1,700H505H7651H3967 shekels of goldH2091, apartH905 from the crescentH7720 amuletsH7720, the earH5188 pendantsH5188, and the purpleH713 robesH899 whichH7945 were on the kingsH4428 of MidianH4080, and apartH905 from the neckH6060 chainsH6060 that were on their camels’H1581 necksH6677. 27GideonH1439 madeH6213 it into 37an ephodH646, and placedH3322 it in his cityH5892, OphrahH6084; but allH3605 IsraelH3478 38committed infidelityH2181 with it thereH8033, and it becameH1961 a snareH4170 to GideonH1439 and his householdH1004.

Forty Years of Peace

28So MidianH4080 was subduedH3665 beforeH6440 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478, and they did not liftH5375 upH5375 their headsH7218 anymoreH3254. And the landH776 wasH8252 undisturbedH8252 for fortyH705 yearsH8141 in the daysH3117 of GideonH1439.

29Then 39JerubbaalH3378 the sonH1121 of JoashH3060 wentH1980 and livedH3427 in his own houseH1004. 30Now GideonH1439 hadH1961 40seventyH7657 sonsH1121 who 41were his directH3409 descendantsH3318, for he hadH1961 manyH7227 wivesH802. 31And his concubineH6370 whoH834 was in ShechemH7927 alsoH1571 boreH3205 him a sonH1121, and he 42namedH8034H7760 him AbimelechH40. 32And GideonH1439 the sonH1121 of JoashH3060 diedH4191 at a goodH2896 oldH7872 ageH7872 and was buriedH6912 in the tombH6913 of his fatherH1 JoashH3060, in OphrahH6084 of the AbiezritesH33.

33Then it cameH1961 aboutH1961, asH3512 soonH3512 asH3512 GideonH1439 was deadH4191, 43that the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 againH7725 44committedH2181 infidelityH2181 with the BaalsH1168, and madeH7760 45Baal-berithH1170 their godH430. 34So the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 46did not rememberH2142 the LordH3068 their GodH430, who had savedH5337 them from the handsH3027 of allH3605 their enemiesH340 on everyH5439 sideH5439; 3547norH3808 did they showH6213 kindnessH2617 to the householdH1004 of JerubbaalH3378 (that is, GideonH1439) in accordance with allH3605 the goodH2899 that he had doneH6213 for IsraelH3478.