The Book of Judges

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 8 -

Then the men of Ephraim sayde vnto him, Why hast thou serued vs thus that thou calledst vs not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? and they chode with him sharply.

To whom he said, What haue I now done in comparison of you? is not the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better, then the vintage of Abiezer?

God hath deliuered into your handes the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? and when he had thus spoken, then their spirits abated toward him.

And Gideon came to Iorden to passe ouer, hee, and the three hundreth men that were with him, weary, yet pursuing them.

And he said vnto the men of Succoth, Giue, I pray you, morsels of bread vnto the people that follow me (for they be wearie) that I may follow after Zebah, and Zalmunna Kings of Midian.

And the princes of Succoth sayde, Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmunna nowe in thine hads, that we should giue bread vnto thine army?

Gideon then sayde, Therefore when the Lord hath deliuered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, I will teare your flesh with thornes of the wildernes and with breers.

And he went vp thence to Penuel, and spake vnto them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him, as the men of Succoth answered.

And he sayd also vnto the men of Penuel, When I come againe in peace, I will breake downe this towre.

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hostes with them, about fifteene thousande, all that were left of all the hostes of them of the East: for there was slaine an hundreth and twentie thousand men, that drew swordes.

And Gideon went through them that dwelt in Tabernacles on the East side of Nobah and Iogbehah, and smote the hoste: for the hoste was carelesse.

And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, hee followed after them, and tooke the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the hoste.

So Gideon the sonne of Ioash returned from battel, the sunne being yet hie,

And tooke a seruant of the me of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he wrote to him the princes of Succoth and the Elders thereof, euen seuentie and seuen men.

And he came vnto the men of Succoth, and sayd, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, by whome ye vpbrayded me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thine hands, that we should giue bread vnto thy weary men?

Then he tooke the Elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernes and breers, and did teare the men of Succoth with them.

Also he brake downe the towre of Penuel, and slew the men of the citie.

Then saide he vnto Zebah and Zalmunna, What maner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? and they answered, As thou art, so were they: euery one was like the children of a King.

And he said, They were my brethren, euen my mothers children: as the Lord liueth, if ye had saued their liues, I would not slay you.

Then he sayde vnto Iether his first borne sonne, Vp, and slay them: but the boy drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet yong.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna sayd, Rise thou, and fall vpon vs: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and tooke away the ornamentes, that were on their camels neckes.

Gideon’s Ephod

Then the men of Israel sayd vnto Gideon, Reigne thou ouer vs, both thou, and thy sonne, and thy sonnes sonne: for thou hast deliuered vs out of the hand of Midian.

And Gideon sayde vnto them, I will not reigne ouer you, neither shall my childe reigne ouer you, but the Lord shall reigne ouer you.

Againe Gideon sayd vnto them, I would desire a request of you, that you would giue mee euery man the earings of his pray (for they had golden earings because they were Ismaelites)

And they answered, Wee will giue them. And they spred a garment, and did cast therein euery man the earings of his pray.

And the weight of the golden earings that he required, was a thousande and seuen hundreth shekels of golde, beside collers and iewels, and purple rayment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the cheynes that were about their camels neckes.

And Gideon made an Ephod thereof, and put it in Ophrah his citie: and all Israel went a whoring there after it, which was the destruction of Gideon and his house.

Forty Years of Peace

Thus was Midian brought lowe before the children of Israel, so that they lift vp their heads no more: and the countrey was in quietnes fourtie yeeres in the dayes of Gideon.

Then Ierubbaal the sonne of Ioash went, and dwelt in his owne house.

And Gideon had seuentie sonnes begotten of his body: for he had many wiues.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, bare him a sonne also, whose name he called Abimelech.

Gideon’s Death

So Gideon the sonne of Ioash dyed in a good age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Ioash his father in Ophrah, of the father of ye Ezrites.

But when Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned away and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their God.

And the children of Israel remembred not the Lord their God, which had deliuered the out of the hands of all their enemies on euery side.

Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Ierubbaal, or Gideon, according to al the goodnesse which he had shewed vnto Israel.

The men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you treated us this way, that you didn’t call us when you went to fight with Midian?” They rebuked him sharply.

He said to them, “What have I now done in comparison with you? Isn’t the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb! What was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that.

Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

The princes of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?”

Gideon said, “Therefore when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.”

He went up there to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword.

Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army; for the army felt secure.

Zebah and Zalmunna fled and he pursued them. He took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and confused all the army.

Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

He caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he described for him the princes of Succoth, and its elders, seventy-seven men.

He came to the men of Succoth, and said, “See Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’”

He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

He broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city.

Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “They were like you. They all resembled the children of a king.”

He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.”

He said to Jether his firstborn, “Get up and kill them!” But the youth didn’t draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was yet a youth.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “You rise and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels’ necks.

Gideon’s Ephod

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you, your son, and your son’s son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”

Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. The LORD shall rule over you.”

Gideon said to them, “I do have a request: that you would each give me the earrings of his plunder.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

They answered, “We will willingly give them.” They spread a garment, and every man threw the earrings of his plunder into it.

The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels

(a)

of gold, in addition to the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and in addition to the chains that were about their camels’ necks.

Gideon made an ephod out of it, and put it in Ophrah, his city. Then all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

Forty Years of Peace

So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.

Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives.

His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

Gideon’s Death

Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

As soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned again and played the prostitute following the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god.

The children of Israel didn’t remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;

neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel.

Footnotes

(a)8:26 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 1700 shekels is about 17 kilograms or 37.4 pounds.