Gideon pacifieth the Ephraimites.

1 ¶ And the menº of Ephraimº saidºª unto² him, Why² hast thou¹ servedºª us thus,¹² that thou calledstºª us not,² when² thou wentestºª to fightºª with the Midianites?º And they did chideºª with² him sharply.º 2 And he saidºª unto² them, What² have I doneºª now² in comparison of you? [Is] not² the gleaning¹ of the grapes² of Ephraimº betterº than the vintageº² of Abiezer?º 3 Godº hath deliveredºª into your handsº² the princesº of Midian,º² Orebº and Zeeb:º and what² was I ableºª to doºª in comparison of you? Then² their angerº was abatedºª toward²² him, when he had said¹² that.¹ª²

Succoth and Penuel refuse to relieve Gideon's army.

4 ¶ And Gideonº cameºª to Jordan,º [and] passed over,ºª he,² and the threeº hundredº menº that² [were] with² him, faint,º yet pursuingºª [them]. 5 And he saidºª unto the men¹² of Succoth,º Give,ºª I pray you,² loavesº of breadº unto the peopleº that² followº me; for² they² [be] faint,º and I² am pursuingºª afterº Zebahº and Zalmunna,º kingsº of Midian.º

6 ¶ And the princesº of Succothº said,ºª [Are] the handsº of Zebahº and Zalmunnaº now² in thine hand,º that² we should giveºª breadº unto thine army?º 7 And Gideonº said,ºª Therefore² when the LORDº hath deliveredºª² Zebahº and Zalmunnaº into mine hand,º then I will tearºª² your fleshº with² the thornsº of the wildernessº and with² briers.º

8 ¶ And he went upºª thence²² to Penuel,º and spakeºª unto² them likewise:º and the men¹² of Penuelº answeredºª him as² the men¹² of Succothº had answeredºª [him]. 9 And he spakeºª also² unto the men¹² of Penuel,º saying,ºª When I come againºª in peace,º I will break downºª² this² tower.º

Zebah and Zalmunna are taken.

10 ¶ Now Zebahº and Zalmunnaº [were] in Karkor,º and their hostsº with² them, about fifteenºº thousandº [men], all² that were leftºª of all²² the hostsº of the childrenº of the east:º for there fellºª an hundredº and twentyº thousandº menº that drewºª sword.º

11 ¶ And Gideonº went upºª by the wayº of them that dweltºª in tentsº on the eastº² of Nobahº and Jogbehah,º and smoteºª² the host:º for the hostº was² secure.º 12 And when Zebahº and Zalmunnaº fled,ºª he pursuedºª afterº them, and tookºª² the twoº kingsº of Midian,º² Zebahº and Zalmunna,º and discomfitedºª all² the host.º

Succoth and Penuel are destroyed.

13 ¶ And Gideonº the sonº of Joashº returnedºª from² battleº beforeº² the sunº [was up], 14 And caughtºª a young manº of the men¹²² of Succoth,º and enquiredºª of him: and he describedºª unto² him² the princesº of Succoth,º and the eldersº thereof, [even] threescore and seventeenºº men.º 15 And he cameºª unto² the men¹² of Succoth,º and said,ºª Behold² Zebahº and Zalmunna,º with whom² ye did upbraidºª me, saying,ºª [Are] the handsº of Zebahº and Zalmunnaº now² in thine hand,º that² we should giveºª breadº unto thy men¹² [that are] weary?º 16 And he tookºª² the eldersº of the city,º and thornsº of the wildernessº and briers,º and with them he taughtºª² the men¹² of Succoth.º 17 And he beat downºª the towerº of Penuel,º and slewºª² the men¹² of the city.º

Gideon revengeth his brethren's death on Zebah and Zalmunna.

18 ¶ Then saidºª he unto² Zebahº and Zalmunna,º What¹ manner² of men¹² [were they] whom² ye slewºª at Tabor?º And they answered,ºª As thouº [art], so [were] they; each oneº resembledº the childrenº of a king.º 19 And he said,ºª They² [were] my brethren,º [even] the sonsº of my mother:º [as] the LORDº liveth,º ifº ye had saved them alive,ºª² I would not² slayºª you. 20 And he saidºª unto Jetherº his firstborn,º Up,ºª [and] slayºª them. But the youthº drewºª not² his sword:º for² he feared,ºª because² he [was] yet² a youth.º 21 Then Zebahº and Zalmunnaº said,ºª Riseºª thou,² and fallºª upon us: for² as the manº [is, so is] his strength.º And Gideonº arose,ºª and slewºª² Zebahº and Zalmunna,º and took awayºª² the ornamentsº that² [were] on their camels'º necks.º

He refuseth government.

22 ¶ Then the menº of Israelº saidºª unto² Gideon,º Ruleºª thou over us, both² thou,² and² thy son,º and thy son'sº sonº also:² for² thou hast deliveredºª us from the handº² of Midian.º 23 And Gideonº saidºª unto² them, I² will not² ruleºª over you, neither² shall my sonº ruleºª over you: the LORDº shall ruleºª over you.

His ephod cause of idolatry.

24 ¶ And Gideonº saidºª unto² them, I would desireºª a requestº of² you, that ye would giveºª me every manº the earringsº of his prey.º (For² they had goldenº earrings,º because² they² [were] Ishmaelites.)º 25 And they answered,ºª We will willingly¹ª giveºª [them]. And they spreadºª² a garment,º and did castºª therein² every manº the earringsº of his prey.º 26 And the weightº of the goldenº earringsº that² he requestedºª was² a thousandº and sevenº hundredº [shekels] of gold;º beside²² ornaments,º and collars,º and purpleº raimentº that [was] on²² the kingsº of Midian,º and beside²² the chainsº that² [were] about their camels'º necks.º 27 And Gideonº madeºª an ephodº thereof, and putºª it in his city,º [even] in Ophrah:º and all² Israelº went thither a whoringºª² afterº it: which thing became² a snareº unto Gideon,º and to his house.º

Midian subdued.

28 ¶ Thus was Midianº subduedºª beforeº the childrenº of Israel,º so that they lifted upºª their headsº no² more.ºª And the countryº was in quietnessºª fortyº yearsº in the daysº of Gideon.º

29 ¶ And Jerubbaalº the sonº of Joashº went¹ª² and dweltºª in his own house.º 30 And Gideonº had² threescore and tenº sonsº of his bodyº begotten:ºª for² he had² manyº wives.º 31 And his concubineº that² [was] in Shechem,º she² also² bareºª him a son,º² whose nameº he calledºª Abimelech.º

32 ¶ And Gideonº the sonº of Joashº diedºª in a goodº old age,º and was buriedºª in the sepulchreº of Joashº his father,º in Ophrahº of the Abiezrites.º

The Israelites' idolatry and ingratitude.

33 And it came to pass,² as soon as² Gideonº was dead,ºª that the childrenº of Israelº turned again,ºª and went a whoringºª afterº Baalim,º and madeºª Baalberithº their god.º 34 And the childrenº of Israelº rememberedºª not²² the LORDº their God,º who had deliveredºª² them out of the handsº² of all² their enemiesºª on every side:º² 35 Neither² shewedºª they kindnessº to² the houseº of Jerubbaal,º [namely], Gideon,º according to all² the goodnessº which² he had shewedºª unto² Israel.º