Judges 8
8
1And the men of Ephraim said to him, What is this thing thou hast done to us, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they disputed with him sharply. 2And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? 3Into your hands hath God#GodHebrew: Elohim delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their spirit was appeased toward him, when he said that word.
4And Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing. 5And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that follow me, for they are faint; and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 6And the chief men of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, that we should give bread to thine army? 7And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and with briars. 8And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke to them in like manner. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. 10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their camp with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the whole camp of the children of the east; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the camp; for the camp was at its ease. 12And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued after them, and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the camp. 13And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle, from the ascent of Heres. 14And he caught a youth of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the chief men of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy-seven men. 15And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men that are weary? 16And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna, What sort of men were they that ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the sons of a king. 19And he said, They were my brethren, the sons of my mother. As Jehovah liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 20And he said to Jether his firstborn, Arise, slay them! But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall on us; for as is the man, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna; and he took the moons that were on their camels' necks.
22And the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian. 23And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah will rule over you. 24And Gideon said to them, I would desire a request of you: give me every man the earrings of his booty; for they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites. 25And they said, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and cast therein every man the earrings of his booty. 26And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the moons, and eardrops, and the purple garments that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks. 27And Gideon made an ephod of them, and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel went thither a whoring after it; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house. 28And Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
29And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his house. 30Now Gideon had seventy sons who had come out of his loins, for he had many wives. 31And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he gave him the name of Abimelech. 32And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites. 33And it came to pass when Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after the Baals, and set up Baal-Berith as their god. 34And the children of Israel remembered not Jehovah their God#GodHebrew: Elohim who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side. 35And they shewed no kindness to the house of Jerubbaal-Gideon, according to all the good that he had done to Israel.
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Judges 8: DARBY
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Judges 8
8
Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna
1 # [ch. 12:1; 2 Sam. 19:41] Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely. 2And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not #Isa. 24:13; Jer. 49:9; Obad. 5; Mic. 7:1the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3#ch. 7:24, 25 God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” #[Prov. 15:1]Then their anger#8:3 Hebrew their spirit against him subsided when he said this.
4And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and #ch. 7:6the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5So he said to the men of #Gen. 33:17; Ps. 60:6Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6And the officials of Succoth said, #[1 Kgs. 20:11] “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, #[1 Sam. 25:11]that we should give bread to your army?” 7So Gideon said, “Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, #ver. 16I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8And from there he went up to #Gen. 32:30, 31; 1 Kgs. 12:25Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9And he said to the men of Penuel, #[1 Kgs. 22:27, 28] “When I come again in peace, #ver. 17I will break down this tower.”
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of #See ch. 6:3 the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men #ch. 20:2, 15, 17, 25, 35, 46; 2 Sam. 24:9; 2 Kgs. 3:26; 1 Chr. 21:5who drew the sword. 11And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of #Num. 32:35, 42 Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt #ch. 18:27secure. 12And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them #Ps. 83:11and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic.
13Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, #ver. 6‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’” 16And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. 17#[1 Kgs. 12:25]And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at #[ch. 4:6]Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king.” 19And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. #See Ruth 3:13As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” 20So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon arose and #Ps. 83:11 killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took #ver. 26; Isa. 3:18the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
Gideon’s Ephod
22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; #[1 Sam. 8:7; 10:19; 12:12, 17, 19]the Lord will rule over you.” 24And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, #[Gen. 37:25, 28, 36; 39:1]because they were Ishmaelites.) 25And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels#8:26 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams of gold, besides #ver. 21 the crescent ornaments and #Isa. 3:19the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27And Gideon #ch. 17:5; 18:14, 17; See Ex. 28:6-35 made an ephod of it and put it in his city, #ch. 6:24 in Ophrah. And all Israel #ver. 33; ch. 2:17; Ex. 34:15; Ps. 106:39 whored after it there, and it became a #Ex. 23:33; Deut. 7:16snare to Gideon and to his family. 28So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. #[ch. 3:11; 5:31]And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
The Death of Gideon
29 # ch. 6:32; 7:1 Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30Now Gideon had #ch. 9:2, 5seventy sons, his own offspring,#8:30 Hebrew who came from his own loins for he had many wives. 31And his concubine #ch. 9:1, 2who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32And Gideon the son of Joash died #Gen. 15:15; 25:8; Job 5:26 in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, #ch. 6:24at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 # [ch. 2:19] As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and #See ver. 27 whored after the Baals and made #ch. 9:4, 46Baal-berith their god. 34And the people of Israel #Ps. 78:11, 42; 106:13, 21did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35#See ch. 9:16-18and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.
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