And the men of Ephraim
said
unto him, Why hast thou
served
us thus
, that thou calledst
us not, when thou wentest
to fight
with the Midianites
? And they did chide
with him sharply
.
And he said unto them, What have I done
now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning
of the grapes of Ephraim
better
than the vintage
of Abiezer
?
God hath delivered
into your hands
the princes
of Midian
, Oreb
and Zeeb
: and what was I able
to do
in comparison of you? Then their anger
was abated
toward him, when he had said
that
.
And Gideon came
to Jordan
, and passed over
, he, and the three
hundred
men
that were with him, faint
, yet pursuing
them .
And he said unto the men
of Succoth
, Give
, I pray you, loaves
of bread
unto the people
that follow
me; for they be faint
, and I am pursuing
after
Zebah
and Zalmunna
, kings
of Midian
.
And the princes of Succoth
said
, Are the hands
of Zebah
and Zalmunna
now in thine hand
, that we should give
bread
unto thine army
?
And Gideon said
, Therefore when the LORD
hath delivered
Zebah
and Zalmunna
into mine hand
, then I will tear
your flesh
with the thorns
of the wilderness
and with briers
.
And he went up thence to Penuel
, and spake
unto them likewise
: and the men
of Penuel
answered
him as the men
of Succoth
had answered
him .
And he spake also unto the men
of Penuel
, saying
, When I come again
in peace
, I will break down
this tower
.
Now Zebah and Zalmunna
were in Karkor
, and their hosts
with them, about fifteen
thousand
men , all that were left
of all the hosts
of the children
of the east
: for there fell
an hundred
and twenty
thousand
men
that drew
sword
.
And Gideon went up
by the way
of them that dwelt
in tents
on the east
of Nobah
and Jogbehah
, and smote
the host
: for the host
was secure
.
And when Zebah and Zalmunna
fled
, he pursued
after
them, and took
the two
kings
of Midian
, Zebah
and Zalmunna
, and discomfited
all the host
.
And Gideon the son
of Joash
returned
from battle
before
the sun
was up ,
And caught a young man
of the men
of Succoth
, and enquired
of him: and he described
unto him the princes
of Succoth
, and the elders
thereof, even threescore and seventeen
men
.
And he came unto the men
of Succoth
, and said
, Behold Zebah
and Zalmunna
, with whom ye did upbraid
me, saying
, Are the hands
of Zebah
and Zalmunna
now in thine hand
, that we should give
bread
unto thy men
that are weary
?
And he took the elders
of the city
, and thorns
of the wilderness
and briers
, and with them he taught
the men
of Succoth
.
And he beat down the tower
of Penuel
, and slew
the men
of the city
.
Then said he unto Zebah
and Zalmunna
, What
manner of men
were they whom ye slew
at Tabor
? And they answered
, As thou
art , so were they; each one
resembled
the children
of a king
.
And he said, They were my brethren
, even the sons
of my mother
: as the LORD
liveth
, if
ye had saved them alive
, I would not slay
you.
And he said unto Jether
his firstborn
, Up
, and slay
them. But the youth
drew
not his sword
: for he feared
, because he was yet a youth
.
Then Zebah and Zalmunna
said
, Rise
thou, and fall
upon us: for as the man
is, so is his strength
. And Gideon
arose
, and slew
Zebah
and Zalmunna
, and took away
the ornaments
that were on their camels
' necks
.
Then the men of Israel
said
unto Gideon
, Rule
thou over us, both thou, and thy son
, and thy son's
son
also: for thou hast delivered
us from the hand
of Midian
.
And Gideon said
unto them, I will not rule
over you, neither shall my son
rule
over you: the LORD
shall rule
over you.
And Gideon said
unto them, I would desire
a request
of you, that ye would give
me every man
the earrings
of his prey
. (For they had golden
earrings
, because they were Ishmaelites
.)
And they answered, We will willingly
give
them . And they spread
a garment
, and did cast
therein every man
the earrings
of his prey
.
And the weight of the golden
earrings
that he requested
was a thousand
and seven
hundred
shekels of gold
; beside ornaments
, and collars
, and purple
raiment
that was on the kings
of Midian
, and beside the chains
that were about their camels
' necks
.
And Gideon made
an ephod
thereof, and put
it in his city
, even in Ophrah
: and all Israel
went thither a whoring
after
it: which thing became a snare
unto Gideon
, and to his house
.
Thus was Midian subdued
before
the children
of Israel
, so that they lifted up
their heads
no more
. And the country
was in quietness
forty
years
in the days
of Gideon
.
And Jerubbaal the son
of Joash
went
and dwelt
in his own house
.
And Gideon had threescore and ten
sons
of his body
begotten
: for he had many
wives
.
And his concubine that was in Shechem
, she also bare
him a son
, whose name
he called
Abimelech
.
And Gideon the son
of Joash
died
in a good
old age
, and was buried
in the sepulchre
of Joash
his father
, in Ophrah
of the Abiezrites
.
And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead
, that the children
of Israel
turned again
, and went a whoring
after
Baalim
, and made
Baalberith
their god
.
And the children of Israel
remembered
not the LORD
their God
, who had delivered
them out of the hands
of all their enemies
on every side
:
Neither shewed they kindness
to the house
of Jerubbaal
, namely , Gideon
, according to all the goodness
which he had shewed
unto Israel
.