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The Book of Judges 8

8 The men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this thing you have done to us, not summoning us when you went to fight against Midian?” Then they complained forcefully against him. 2 He said to them, “What have I done now according to you? Are not the grape gleanings from Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has given over the princes of Midian into your hand, Oreb and Zeeb! So what was I able to do compared to you?” Then their spirit concerning him abated when he was speaking this word.

4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan, crossing over, he and the three hundred men who were with him. They were weary, yet they continued pursuing. 5 Then he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give round loaves of bread to the people who are at my feet, for they are weary, yet I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 The princes of Succoth replied, “Is the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand that we should give bread to your army?” 7 So Gideon declared, “Assuredly when Yahweh has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and briers.” 8 Then he went up from there to Penuel and also spoke to them in this manner, but the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So he declared also to the men of Peniel saying, “When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower.”

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor and their troops were with them, about fifteen thousand, all the remaining out of all of the camp of the sons of the east, for the fallen were one hundred twenty thousand men drawing a sword. 11 Then Gideon went up the road of those dwelling in the tents, from the east to Nobah and Jogbehah. He struck the camp, when the camp was feeling secure. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but he pursued after them and he captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. Thus he caused all of the camp to tremble in terror.

13 Then Gideon, the son of Joash, returned from the battle, going through the ascent of Heres. 14 He captured a young man out of the men of Succoth and he interrogated him. He wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 Then he came to the men of Succoth and he said, “Look at Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me saying, ‘Is the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand that we should give bread to your weary men.’ ” 16 He took the elders of the city and the thorns of the wilderness and the briers, and he made the men of Succoth undergo them. 17 Then he tore down the tower of Peniel and he killed the men of the city.

18 Next he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What sort were the men who you killed at Tabor?” They replied, “As you are, so were they. Each one was as the form of the sons of the king.” 19 So he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if only you had let them live, I would not have killed you.” 20 Then he said to Jether his firstborn, “Arise, kill them!” But the young man did not pull out his sword because he was afraid, for he was still a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Arise yourself and fall upon us! Truly like a man with his own power.” So Gideon rose up and he killed Zebah and Zalmunna. He also took the crescent-shaped 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 even the son of your son, because you have delivered us out of the hand of Midian.” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you myself, neither will my son rule over you. Yahweh will rule over you.” 24 Then Gideon said to them, “Let me ask a request of you, that each man give me the earring from his spoil.” For they had earrings of gold because they were Ishmaelites. 25 They replied, “We will surely give them.” So they spread out the garment and each man threw the earring from his spoil onto there. 26 Now the weight of the earrings of gold that he requested was one thousand seven hundred pieces of gold, besides that of the crescent-shaped ornaments, the pendants, the dyed purple garments that were upon the kings of Midian, and besides that of the collars that were around 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 pursued adulterously after it there. It became as a snare for Gideon and for his house. 28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel and they did not continue to raise up their heads. So the land was tranquil forty years during the days of Gideon.

29 Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons coming forth from his loins, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine, who was in Shechem, even she bore him a son, and he made his name Abimelech. 32 Gideon, the son of Joash, died at a good old age and he was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezerite.

33 Now it happened that when Gideon had died, the sons of Israel turned back again and pursued adulterously after the Baals. They made Baal-Berith for themselves as a god. 34 The sons of Israel did not remember Yahweh, their God, the one who had delivered them from the hand of all of their enemies all around. 35 They did not show lasting loyalty with the house of Jerubbaal, Gideon, in accordance with all of the good that he did within Israel.

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