ULT JDG Chapter 8

◄ JDG 8 ► ║ ═ ©

8 And the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this thing you have done to us, not calling to us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him in strength. 2 But he said to them, “What have I now done like you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God has given into your hand the commanders of Midian, Oreb, and Zeeb! So what was I able to do like you?” Then their spirit abated toward him, upon him speaking this word.

4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan. Crossing over, he and the 300 men who were with him were weary, but pursuing. 5 And he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are at my feet, for they are weary, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 But the leaders of Succoth said, “Is the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we are giving bread to your army?” 7 So Gideon said, “Therefore, in the giving of Yahweh of Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and briers.” 8 Then he went up from there to Penuel, and he spoke to them like this, but the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said also to the men of Penuel, saying, “In my returning in peace, I will tear down this tower.”

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor and their camps were with them, about 15, 000, all of the ones remaining from all of the camp of the sons of the east, and the ones having fallen were 120, 000 men drawing the sword. 11 Then Gideon went up the road of the ones lodged in tents, from the east to Nobah and Jogbehah. And he struck the camp, and the camp was in security. 12 Then Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but he pursued after them, and he captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. And he made all of the camp tremble.

13 Then Gideon, the son of Joash, returned from the battle through the Ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a youth from the men of Succoth and he questioned him. And he wrote for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, 77 men. 15 Then he went to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold, Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Is the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we are giving bread to your weary men?’ ” 16 And took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he taught the men of Succoth with them. 17 Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18 Then he said to Zebah and to Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?” And they said, “As you are, so they were. Each was like the form of the sons of the king.” 19 And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother! The life of Yahweh, if you had let them live, I would not have killed you.” 20 Then he said to Jether his firstborn, “Arise, kill them!” But the youth did not draw his sword, for he feared, for he was still a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Arise yourself and strike us! For like a man is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son and the son of your son, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you myself, and my son will not rule over you. Yahweh will rule over you.” 24 But Gideon said to them, “Let me request a request from you, that a man give to me an earring of his spoil.” For earrings of gold were to them, for they were Ishmaelites. 25 And they said, “Giving, we will give.” And they spread out a cloak, and a man threw an earring of his spoil there. 26 Now the weight of the earrings of gold that he requested was 1,700 gold, apart from the ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes that were on the kings of Midian and apart from the chains that were on the necks of their camels. 27 Then Gideon made it into an ephod and placed it in his city, in Ophrah, and all of Israel whored after it there. And it was for a snare to Gideon and to his house. 28 So Midian was subdued to the face of the sons of Israel, and they did not continue to lift their head. And the land rested forty years in the days of Gideon. 29 And Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his house.

30 Now to Gideon were 70 sons coming from his thigh, for many wives were to him. 31 And his concubine, who was in Shechem, bore to him, she too, a son, and he made his name Abimelek. 32 And Gideon, the son of Joash, died in good old age, and he was buried in the tomb of Joash his father at Ophrah of the Abiezerite.

33 Now it happened, when Gideon died, that the sons of Israel turned and whored after the Baals. And they made for themselves Baal-Berith as a god. 34 And the sons of Israel did not remember Yahweh, their God, the one having delivered them from the hand of all of their enemies from around. 35 And they did not do covenant faithfulness with the house of Jerubbaal, Gideon, according to all of the good that he did with Israel.

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