THE BOOK OF
JUDGES
Judges 8 ©
The Ephraimites murmur against Gideon, but are appeased by him, v. 1, etc. He pursues the two kings of the Midianites beyond the Jordan, where those of Succoth and Penuel spitefully refuse to refresh his men, 4. He falls upon, and takes captive the two kings of the Midianites, and scatters the rest of their army, 11. Returning back he punishes those of Succoth and Penuel, 13. Puts the two kings to death, Zebah and Zalmunna, 18. Refuses to rule over Israel, 22. Demands a present of the spoil, and makes thereof a scandalous ephod, and places it at Ophrah, 24. Gideon’s children, wives, death, and burial, 30. Israel revolts again from God, and is ungrateful to Gideon’s family, 33.
AND the men of Ephraima1said unto him, Why hast thou served us 2thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chideb with him sharply.
And he said unto them, What have I done now in 3comparison of you? Is not the 4gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of 5Abi-ezer?
God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and 6what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their 7anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
¶And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet 8pursuing them.
And he said unto the men of 9Succoth, Give, I pray you, 10loaves of bread unto the people that 11follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
¶And the princes of Succoth 12said, 13Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your 14flesh with the thorns of the 15wilderness and with briers.
¶And he went up thence to 16Penuel, and spake unto 17them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this 18tower.
¶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 19fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that 20drew sword.
¶And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in 21tents on the east of 22Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was 23secure.c
And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and tookd the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and 24discomfited all the host.
¶And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle 25before the sun was up,
And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he 26described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraide me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he 27taught the men of Succoth.
And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and 28slew the men of the city.
¶Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at 29Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
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.
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.
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. Andf Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the 30ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
¶Then the 31men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, 32both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
And Gideon said unto them, 33I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
¶And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the 34earrings of his prey. (For 35they had golden earrings, because they were 36Ishmaelites.)
And they answered, We will 37willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred 38shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and 39collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
And Gideon made an 40ephod thereof, and 41put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a 42whoring after it: which thing became a 43snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
¶Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they 44lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years 45in the days of Gideon.
¶And 46Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and 47dwelt in his own house.
And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his 48body begotten: for he had many wives.
And his 49concubine that was in 50Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he 51called 52Abimelech.
¶And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good 53old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the 54Abi-ezrites.
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 55Baal-berith their god.
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:
56Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.