Judges Chapter 8

Judges Chapter 8
1 Then the men of Ephraim said unto
him, Why hast thou served us thus that
thou callest us not, when thou wentest to
fight with the Midianites? And they
chide with him sharply.
2 To whom he said, What have I now
done in comparison of you? Is not the
gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better,
than the vintage of Abiezer?
3 God hath delivered into your hands 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.
4 And Gideon came to Jordan to pass
over, he, and the three hundred men that
were with him, weary, yet pursuing
them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth,
Give, I pray you, morsels of bread unto
the people that follow me ( for they be
weary) that I may follow after Zebah,
and Zalmunna kings of Midian.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are
the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in
thine hands, that we should give bread
unto thine army?
7 Gideon then said, Therefore when the
Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna
into mine hand, I will tear your flesh
with thorns of the wilderness and with
briers.
8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and
spake unto them likewise, and the men of
Penuel answered him, as the men of
Succoth answered.
9 And he said also unto the men of
Penuel, When I come again in peace, I
will break down this tower.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in
Karkor, and their hosts with them, about
fifteen thousand, all that were left of all
the hosts of them of the east: for there
was slain an hundred and twenty
thousand men, that drew swords. 11 And
Gideon went through them that dwelt in
tabernacles on the east side of Nobah
and Iogbehah, and smote the host: for the
host was careless. 12 And when Zebah
and Zalmunna fled, he followed after
them, and took the two kings of Midian,
Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited
all the host. 13 So Gideon the son of
Joash returned from battle, the sun being
yet high, 14 And took a servant of the
men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and
he wrote to him the princes of Succoth
and the elders thereof, even seventy and
seven men.
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth,
and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna,
by whom ye upbraided me, saying, Are
the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna
already in thine hands, that we should
give bread unto thy weary men?
16 Then he took the elders of the city,
and thorns of the wilderness and briers,
and did tear the men of Succoth with
them.
17 Also he break down the tower of
Penuel, and slew the men of the city. 18
Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna,
What manner of men were they, whom
ye slew at Tabor? And they answered,
As thou art, so were
they: every one was like the children of
a king.
19 And he said, They were my brethren,
even my mother's children: as the Lord
liveth, if ye had saved their lives, I
would not slay you. 20 Then he said unto
Jether his firstborn son, Up, and slay
them: but the boy drew not his sword:
for he feared, because he was yet young.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise
thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is,
so is his strength. And Gideon arose and
slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took
away the ornaments, that were on their
camels' necks.
22 Then the men of Israel said unto
Gideon, Reign thou over us, both thou,
and thy son, and thy son's son: for thou
hast delivered us out of the hand of
Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not
reign over you, neither shall my child
reign over you , but the Lord shall reign
over you.
24 Again Gideon said unto them, I
would desire a request of you, that you
would give me every man the earrings of
his prey (for they had golden earrings
because they were Ismaelites)
25 And they answered, We will give
them. And they spread a garment, and
did cast therein every man the earrings
of his prey.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings
that he required, was a thousand and
seven hundred shekels of gold, beside
collars and jewels, and purple raiment
that was on the kings of Midian, and
beside the chains that were about their
camels' necks.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof,
and put it in Ophrah his city: and all
Israel went a whoring there after it,
which was the destruction of Gideon and
his house.
28 Thus was Midian brought low before
the children of Israel, so that they lift up
their heads no more: and the country was
in quietness forty years in the days of
Gideon.
29 Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash
went, and dwelt in his own house. 30
And Gideon had seventy sons begotten
of his body: for he had many wives.
31 And his concubine that was in
Shechem, bear him a son also, whose
name he called Abimelech.
32 So Gideon the son of Joash died in a
good age, and was buried in the
sepulchre of Joash his father in Ophrah,
of the father of the Ezrites. 33 But when
Gideon was dead, the children of Israel
turned away and went a whoring after
Baalim, and made Baal-berith their God.
34 And the children of Israel
remembered not the Lord their God,
which had delivered the out of the hands
of all their enemies on every side. 35
Neither showed they mercy on the house
of Jerubbaal, or Gideon, according to all
the goodness which he had showed unto
Israel.