Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna

1And the men of Ephraim say unto him, ‘What [is] this thing thou hast done to us — not to call for us when thou didst go to fight with Midian?’ and they strive with him severely; 2and he saith unto them, ‘What have I done now like you? are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the harvest of Abi-Ezer? 3Into your hand hath God given the heads of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what have I been able to do like you?’ Then their temper desisted from off him in his speaking this thing.

4And Gideon cometh in unto the Jordan, passing over, he and the three hundred men who [are] with him — wearied, and pursuing, 5and he saith to the men of Succoth, ‘Give, I pray you, cakes of bread to the people who [are] at my feet, for they [are] wearied, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna kings of Midian.’ 6And the heads of Succoth say, ‘Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we give to thy host bread?’ 7And Gideon saith, ‘Therefore — in Jehovah’s giving Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand — I have threshed your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with the threshing instruments.’ 8And he goeth up thence [to] Penuel, and speaketh unto them thus; and the men of Penuel answer him as the men of Succoth answered. 9And he speaketh also to the men of Penuel, saying, ‘In my turning back in peace, I break down this tower.’

10And Zebah and Zalmunna [are] in Karkor, and their camps with them, about fifteen thousand, all who are left of all the camp of the sons of the east; and those falling [are] a hundred and twenty thousand men, drawing sword. 11And Gideon goeth up the way of those who tabernacle in tents, on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smiteth the camp, and the camp was confident; 12and Zebab and Zalmunna flee, and he pursueth after them, and captureth the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and all the camp he hath caused to tremble.

13And Gideon son of Joash turneth back from the battle, at the going up of the sun, 14and captureth a young man of the men of Succoth, and asketh him, and he describeth unto him the heads of Succoth, and its elders — seventy and seven men. 15And he cometh in unto the men of Succoth, and saith, ‘Lo Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye reproached me, saying, Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand that we give to thy men who [are] wearied bread?’ 16And he taketh the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness, and the threshing instruments, and teacheth by them the men of Succoth, 17and the tower of Penuel he hath broken down, and slayeth the men of the city.

18And he saith unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, ‘How — the men whom ye slew in Tabor?’ and they say, ‘As thou — so they, one — as the form of the king’s sons.’ 19And he saith, ‘My brethren — sons of my mother — they; Jehovah liveth, if ye had kept them alive — I had not slain you.’ 20And he saith to Jether his first-born, ‘Rise, slay them;’ and the young man hath not drawn his sword, for he hath been afraid, for he [is] yet a youth. 21And Zebah saith — also Zalmunna — ‘Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man — his might;’ and Gideon riseth, and slayeth Zebah and Zalmunna, and taketh their round ornaments which [are] on the necks of their camels.

Gideon's Ephod

22And the men of Israel say unto Gideon, ‘Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian.’ 23And Gideon saith unto them, ‘I do not rule over you, nor doth my son rule over you; Jehovah doth rule over you.’ 24And Gideon saith unto them, ‘Let me ask of you a petition, and give ye to me each the ring of his prey, for they have rings of gold, for they [are] Ishmaelites.’ 25And they say, ‘We certainly give;’ and they spread out the garment, and cast thither each the ring of his prey; 26and the weight of the rings of gold which he asked is a thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold, apart from the round ornaments, and the drops, and the purple garments, which [are] on the kings of Midian, and apart from the chains which [are] on the necks of their camels, 27and Gideon maketh it into an ephod, and setteth it up in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel go a-whoring after it there, and it is to Gideon and to his house for a snare.

Forty Years of Peace

28And Midian is humbled before the sons of Israel, and have not added to lift up their head; and the land resteth forty years in the days of Gideon.

29And Jerubbaal son of Joash goeth and dwelleth in his own house, 30and to Gideon there have been seventy sons, coming out of his loin, for he had many wives; 31and his concubine, who [is] in Shechem, hath born to him — even she — a son, and he appointeth his name Abimelech.

Gideon's Death

32And Gideon son of Joash dieth, in a good old age, and is buried in the burying-place of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrite.

33And it cometh to pass, when Gideon [is] dead, that the sons of Israel turn back and go a-whoring after the Baalim, and set over them Baal-Berith for a god; 34and the sons of Israel have not remembered Jehovah their God, who is delivering them out of the hand of all their enemies round about, 35neither have they done kindness with the house of Jerubbaal — Gideon — according to all the good which he did with Israel.