1 N ow the men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?” And they reprimanded him sharply.

And the men of Ephraim said to him, What is this thing thou hast done to us, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they disputed with him sharply.

2 S o he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?

3 G od has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that.

Into your hands hath God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their spirit was appeased toward him, when he said that word.

4 W hen Gideon came to the Jordan, he and the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit.

And Gideon came to the Jordan, passed over, he and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

5 T hen he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”

And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that follow me, for they are faint; and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

6 A nd the leaders of Succoth said, “ Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?”

And the chief men of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, that we should give bread to thine army?

7 S o Gideon said, “For this cause, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!”

And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and with briars.

8 T hen he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke to them in like manner. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

9 S o he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!”

And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

10 N ow Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen.

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their camp with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left of the whole camp of the children of the east; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

11 T hen Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah; and he attacked the army while the camp felt secure.

And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the camp; for the camp was at its ease.

12 W hen Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.

And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued after them, and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the camp.

13 T hen Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres.

And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle, from the ascent of Heres.

14 A nd he caught a young man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.

And he caught a youth of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the chief men of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy-seven men.

15 T hen he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you ridiculed me, saying, ‘ Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?’”

And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men that are weary?

16 A nd 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 took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

17 T hen he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

18 A nd he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” So they answered, “As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king.”

Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna, What sort of men were they that ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the sons of a king.

19 T hen he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”

And he said, They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. Jehovah liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

20 A nd he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them!” But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.

And he said to Jether his firstborn, Arise, slay them! But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

21 S o Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks. Gideon’s Ephod

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall on us; for as is the man, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna; and he took the moons that were on their camels' necks.

22 T hen the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

And the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian.

23 B ut Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.”

And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah will rule over you.

24 T hen Gideon said to them, “I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.

And Gideon said to them, I would desire a request of you: give me every man the earrings of his booty; for they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.

25 S o they answered, “We will gladly give them. ” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder.

And they said, We will willingly give. And they spread a garment, and cast therein every man the earrings of his booty.

26 N ow the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks.

And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand seven hundred of gold; besides the moons, and eardrops, and the purple garments that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.

27 T hen Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

And Gideon made an ephod of them, and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel went thither a whoring after it; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.

28 T hus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon. Death of Gideon

And Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 T hen Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his house.

30 G ideon had seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives.

Now Gideon had seventy sons who had come out of his loins, for he had many wives.

31 A nd his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he gave him the name of Abimelech.

32 N ow Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

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 Abi-ezrites.

33 S o it was, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god.

And it came to pass when Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after the Baals, and set up Baal-Berith as their god.

34 T hus the children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;

And the children of Israel remembered not Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side.

35 n or did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.

And they shewed no kindness to the house of Jerubbaal-Gideon, according to all the good that he had done to Israel.