Judges 8
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1Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian?" And they challenged him vigorously.1The men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done this to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?" And they argued with him violently.
2But he answered them, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?2So he said to them, "What have I done now compared to you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?
3God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?" At this, their resentment against him subsided.3God handed over to you Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian. What was I able to do compared to you?" When he said this, their anger against him subsided.
4Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it.4Gideon and the three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted but still in pursuit.
5He said to the men of Sukkoth, "Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."5He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give some loaves of bread to the troops under my command, because they are exhausted, for I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."
6But the officials of Sukkoth said, "Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?"6But the princes of Succoth asked, "Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hands that we should give bread to your army?"
7Then Gideon replied, "Just for that, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers."7Gideon replied, "Very well, when the LORD has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will tear your flesh with thorns and briers from the wilderness!"
8From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had.8He went from there to Penuel and asked the same thing from them. The men of Penuel answered just as the men of Succoth had answered.
9So he said to the men of Peniel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower."9He also told the men of Penuel, "When I return safely, I will tear down this tower!"
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and with them was their army of about fifteen thousand men, who were all those left of the entire army of the Qedemites. Those who had been killed were one hundred twenty thousand armed men.
11Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the unsuspecting army.11Gideon traveled on the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked their army while the army felt secure.
12Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.12Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them. He captured these two kings of Midian and routed the entire army.
13Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.13Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the Ascent of Heres.
14He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth, the elders of the town.14He captured a youth from the men of Succoth and interrogated him. The youth wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.
15Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, 'Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?'"15Then he went to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You taunted me about them, saying, 'Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your power that we should give bread to your exhausted men?'"
16He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers.16So he took the elders of the city, and he took some thorns and briers from the wilderness, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them.
17He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.17He also tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?" "Men like you," they answered, "each one with the bearing of a prince."18He asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?" "They were like you," they said. "Each resembled the son of a king."
19Gideon replied, "Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you."19So 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."
20Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, "Kill them!" But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.20Then he said to Jether, his firstborn, "Get up and kill them." The youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a youth.
21Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, do it yourself. 'As is the man, so is his strength.'" So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels' necks.21Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Get up and strike us down yourself, for a man is judged by his strength." So Gideon got up, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
22The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us--you, your son and your grandson--because you have saved us from the hand of Midian."22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian."
23But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you."23But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you."
24And he said, "I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)24Then he said to them, "Let me make a request of you: Everyone give me an earring from his plunder." Now the enemy had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.
25They answered, "We'll be glad to give them." So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it.25They said, "We agree to give them." So they spread out a cloak, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it.
26The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels' necks.26The weight of the gold earrings he requested was forty-three pounds of gold, in addition to the crescent ornaments and ear pendants, the purple garments on the kings of Midian, and the chains on the necks of their camels.
27Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.27Gideon made an ephod from all this and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. Then all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
28Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon's lifetime, the land had peace forty years.28So Midian was subdued before the Israelites, and they were no longer a threat. The land had peace for forty years during the days of Gideon.
29Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live.29Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) son of Joash went back to live at his house.
30He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives.30Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives.
31His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.31His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
32Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.32Then Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god33When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves by worshiping the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.
34and did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.34The Israelites did not remember the LORD their God who had rescued them from the hand of the enemies around them.
35They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.35They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.
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The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Judges 7
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