The Book of Judges

Jdg 8:1 And the men of E´-phra-im said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Mid´-i-an-ites? And they did chide with him sharply.

Jdg 8:2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of E´-phra-im better than the vintage of A´-bi-e´-zer?

Jdg 8:3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Mid´-i-an, O´-reb and Ze´-eb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

Jdg 8:4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

Jdg 8:5 And he said unto the men of Suc´-coth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´-na, kings of Mid´-i-an.

Jdg 8:6 And the princes of Suc´-coth said, Are the hands of Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´-na now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

Jdg 8:7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´-na into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

Jdg 8:8 And he went up thence to Pe-nu´el, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Pe-nu´-el answered him as the men of Suc´-coth had answered him.

Jdg 8:9 And he spake also unto the men of Pe-nu´-el, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

Jdg 8:10 Now Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´-na were in Kar´-kor, 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.

Jdg 8:11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of No´-bah and Jog´-be-hah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

Jdg 8:12 And when Ze´-bah and Zalmun´-na fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Mid´-i-an, Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´-na, and discomfited all the host.

Jdg 8:13 And Gideon the son of Jo´-ash returned from battle before the sun was up,

Jdg 8:14 And caught a young man of the men of Suc´-coth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Suc´-coth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.

Jdg 8:15 And he came unto the men of Suc´-coth, and said, Behold Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´-na, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´-na now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

Jdg 8:16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Suc´-coth.

Jdg 8:17 And he beat down the tower of Pe-nu´-el, and slew the men of the city.

Jdg 8:18 Then said he unto Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´-na, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Ta´-bor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

Jdg 8:19 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.

Jdg 8:20 And he said unto Je´-ther his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

Jdg 8:21 Then Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´na said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Ze´-bah and Zal-mun´-na, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.

Jdg 8:22 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 Mid´-i-an.

Jdg 8:23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.

Jdg 8:24 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 Ish´-mael-ites.)

Jdg 8:25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.

Jdg 8:26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shek´-els of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Mid´-i-an, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.

Jdg 8:27 And Gideon made an e´-phod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Oph´-rah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

Jdg 8:28 Thus was Mid´-i-an 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.

Jdg 8:29 And Jer-ub-ba´-al the son of Jo´ash went and dwelt in his own house.

Jdg 8:30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

Jdg 8:31 And his concubine that was in She´-chem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called A-bim´-e-lech.

Jdg 8:32 And Gideon the son of Jo´-ash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Jo´-ash his father, in Oph´-rah of the A´-bi–ez´-rites.

Jdg 8:33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Ba´-al-im, and made Ba´-albe´-rith their god.

Jdg 8:34 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:

Jdg 8:35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jer-ub-ba´-al, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.