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v1
The men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?” ^[Hebrew “Midianite”] And they quarreled with him severely.
v2
And he said to them, “What I have done now in comparison with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?
v3
God has given into your hand the commanders of Midian, Oreb, and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” And their anger ^[Literally “spirit”] against him subsided when he said that. ^[Literally “he said this thing/word”]
v4
Then Gideon came to the Jordan, crossing it with the three hundred men who were with him, weary and pursuing.
v5
He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, ^[Literally “at my feet”] for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
v6
The officials of Succoth said, “Is the hand ^[Or “palm”] of Zebah and Zalmunna in your hand now, that we should give bread to your army?“
v7
Gideon said, “Well then, when Yahweh gives Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will trample your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness.”
v8
He went from there to Penuel, and he spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth answered.
v9
And he said also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, ^[Literally “in peace”] I will tear down this tower.”
v10
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men remained from the entire army ^[Or “camp”] of the people of the east; those that fell in battle were one hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen. ^[Literally “sword-drawing men”]
v11
And Gideon went up the route of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked the army ^[Or “camp”] when it was off its guard. ^[Or “unsuspecting”]
v12
And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he routed ^[Or “he frightened” or “he threw into panic”] the entire army. ^[Or “camp”]
v13
Then Gideon son of Jehoash returned from the battle by way of ^[Literally “from”] the ascent of Heres. ^[Or “pass of Heres”]
v14
He captured a young man from Succoth ^[Literally “from the men of Succoth”] and questioned him. The young man listed ^[Or “wrote down”] for him the commanders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.
v15
He came to the men of Succoth, and he said, “Here is Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Is the palm ^[Or “hand”] of Zebah and Zalmunna in your hand now, that we should give food to your weary men?‘“
v16
He took the elders of the city and the thorn bushes and briers of the wilderness, and he trampled ^[Literally “he taught,” but see v. 7] the men of Succoth with them.
v17
He broke down the tower of Penuel, and he killed the men of the city.
v18
And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What type were the men whom you killed at Tabor?” And they said, “They were like you; ^[Literally, “like you, like them”] each one of them had the appearance of the sons of the king.”
v19
He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had kept them alive I would not kill you.”
v20
And he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up, kill them.” But the boy did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a boy.
v21
Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up yourself, and strike us, for as is the man, so is his power.” ^[Or “strength”] So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
v22
The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your sons, and your sons’ son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.
v23
But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; Yahweh will rule over you.”
v24
And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you, ^[Literally “Let me ask from you a request”] that each of you give to me an ornamental ring from his plunder.” (They had ornamental rings of gold, because they were Ishmaelites.)
v25
They said, “We will gladly give them,” and they spread out a garment, and everyone threw there an ornamental ring of his plunder.
v26
The weight of the ornamental rings of gold that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, apart from the crescents, pendants, and purple garments that were on the kings of Midian, and apart from the pendants that were on the necks of their camels.
v27
Gideon made an ephod out of it, and he put it in his town in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves to it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
v28
And Midian was subdued before the Israelites, ^[Literally “sons/children of Israel”] and they did not again lift up their head, and the land rested for forty years in the days of Gideon.
v29
Jerub-Baal son of Joash lived in his own house.
v30
Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, ^[Literally “from his own loins”] for he had many wives.
v31
His concubine who was in Shechem also bore for him a son, and he named him ^[Literally “he set his name”] Abimelech.
v32
And Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age, and he was buried in the tomb of Jehoash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. ^[Hebrew “Abiezrite”]
v33
And it happened, as soon as Gideon died, the Israelites ^[Literally “sons/children of Israel”] returned and prostituted themselves after the Baals, and they made for themselves Baal-Berith as god.
v34
The Israelites ^[Literally “sons/children of Israel”] did not remember Yahweh their God, who had delivered them from the hand of their enemies from all around,
v35
nor did they show favor ^[Or “loyalty”] to the house of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in accordance with all the good that he did for Israel.