-
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.
02 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?
03 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.
04 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over,
he, and the three hundred men that were with him,
faint, yet pursuing them.
05 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.
06 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?
07 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.
08 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.
09 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel,
saying, When I come again in peace, I will break
down this tower.
10 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.
11 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.
12 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.
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from
battle before the sun was up,
14 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.
15 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?
16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns
of the wilderness and briers, and with them he
taught the men of Succoth.
17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew
the men of the city.
18 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.
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19 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.
20 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.
21 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.
22 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.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule
over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the
Lord shall rule over you.
24 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.)
25 And they answered, We will willingly give
them. And they spread a garment, and did cast
therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26 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.
27 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.
28 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.
29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt
in his own house.
30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his
body begotten: for he had many wives.
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she
also bare him a son, whose name he called
Abimelech.
32 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.
33 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.
34 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:
35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of
Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the
goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.
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