8:1 And the men of Ephraim said to Gedeon,
What [is] this [that] thou hast done to us, in that thou didst not call us
when thou wentest to fight with Madiam? and they chode with him sharply.
8:2 And he said to them, What have I now done in comparison of you? [is] not
the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
8:3 Yehovah has delivered into your hand the princes of Madiam, Oreb and
Zeb; and what could I do in comparison of you? Then was their spirit calmed
toward him, when he spoke this word.
8:4 And Gedeon came to Jordan, and went over, himself and the three hundred
with him, hungry, yet pursuing.
8:5 And he said to the men of Socchoth, Give, I pray you, bread to feed this
people that follow me; because they are faint, and behold, I am following
after Zebee and Salmana, kings of Madiam.
8:6 And the princes of Socchoth said, [Are] the hands of Zebee and Salmana
now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy host?
8:7 And Gedeon said, Therefore when Yehovah gives Zebee and Salmana into my
hand, then will I tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and the
Barkenim.
8:8 And he went up thence to Phanuel, and spoke to them likewise: and the
men of Phanuel answered him as the men of Socchoth [had] answered him.
8:9 And Gedeon said to the men of Phanuel, When I return in peace, I will
break down this tower.
8:10 And Zebee and Salmana [were] in Carcar, and their host [was] with them,
about fifteen thousand, all that were left of all the host of the aliens;
and they that fell [were] a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew the
sword.
8:11 And Gedeon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, eastward of
Nabai and Jegebal; and he smote the host, and the host was secure.
8:12 And Zebee and Salmana fled; and he pursued after them, and took the two
kings of Madiam, Zebee and Salmana, and discomfited all the army.
8:13 And Gedeon the son of Joas returned from the battle, down from the
battle of Ares.
8:14 And he took prisoner a young lad of the men of Socchoth, and questioned
him; and he wrote to him the names of the princes of Socchoth and of their
elders, seventy-seven men.
8:15 And Gedeon came to the princes of Socchoth, and said, Behold Zebee and
Salmana, about whom ye reproached me, saying, [Are] the hands of Zebee and
Salmana now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men that are
faint?
8:16 And he took the elders of the city with the thorns of the wilderness
and the Barkenim, and with them he tore the men of the city.
8:17 And he overthrew the tower of Phanuel, and slew the men of the city.
8:18 And he said to Zebee and Salmana, Where [are] the men whom ye slew in
Thabor? and they said, As thou, so [were] they, according to the likeness of
the son of a king.
8:19 Ad Gedeon said, They were my brethren and the sons of my mother: [as]
Yehovah lives, if ye had preserved them alive, I would not have slain you.
8:20 And he said to Jether his first-born, Rise and slay them; but the lad
drew not his sword, for he was afraid, for he was yet very young.
8:21 And Zebee and Salmana said, Rise thou and fall upon us, for thy power
[is] as that of a man; and Gedeon arose, and slew Zebee and Salmana: and he
took the round ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
8:22 And the men of Israel said to Gedeon, Rule, [my] lord, over us, both
thou, and thy son, and thy son's son; for thou hast saved us out of the hand
of Madiam.
8:23 And Gedeon said to them, I will not rule, and my son shall not rule
among you; Yehovah shall rule over you.
8:24 And Gedeon said to them, I will make a request of you, and do ye give
me every man an earring out of his spoils: for they had golden earrings, for
they were Ismaelites.
8:25 And they said, We will certainly give them: and he opened his garment,
and each man cast therein an earring of his spoils.
8:26 And the weight of the golden earrings which he asked, was a thousand
and seven hundred pieces of gold, besides the crescents, and the chains, and
the garments, and the purple cloths that were on the kings of Madiam, and
besides the chains that were on the necks of their camels.
8:27 And Gedeon made an ephod of it, an set it in his city in Ephratha; and
all Israel went thither a whoring after it, and it became a stumbling-block
to Gedeon and his house.
8:28 And Madiam, was straitened before the children of Israel, and they did
not lift up their head any more; and the land had rest forty years in the
days of Gedeon.
8:29 And Jerobaal the son of Joas went and sat in his house.
8:30 And Gedeon had seventy sons begotten of his body, for he had many
wives.
8:31 And his concubine was in Sychem, and she also bore him a son, and gave
him the name Abimelech.
8:32 And Gedeon son of Joas died in his city, and he was buried in the
sepulchre of Joas his father in Ephratha of Abi-Esdri.
8:33 And it came to pass when Gedeon was dead, that the children of Israel
turned, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made for themselves a covenant
with Baal that he should be their god.
8:34 And the children of Israel remembered not Yehovah their Elohim who had
delivered them out of the hand of all that afflicted them round about.
8:35 And they did not deal mercifully with the house of Jerobaal, (the same
is Gedeon) according to all the good which he did to Israel. |
8:1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him,
Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest
to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
8:2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not
the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
8:3 Elohim hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb:
and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated
toward him, when he had said that.
8:4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred
men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
8:5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread
unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after
Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
8:6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now
in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
8:7 And Gideon said, Therefore when Yehovah hath delivered Zebah and
Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the
wilderness and with briers.
8:8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the
men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
8:9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in
peace, I will break down this tower.
8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, 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.
8:11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east
of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.
8:12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the
two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
8:13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
8:14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and
he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even
threescore and seventeen men.
8:15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and
Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and
Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are
weary?
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 Succoth.
8:17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
8:18 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; each one
resembled the children of a king.
8:19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the
Yehovah liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
8:20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth
drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
8:21 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.
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 Midian.
8:23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my
son rule over you: Yehovah shall rule over you.
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 Ishmaelites.)
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.
8:26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand
and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple
raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were
about their camels' necks.
8:27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in
Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a
snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
8:28 Thus was Midian 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.
8:29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
8:30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had
many wives.
8:31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose
name he called Abimelech.
8:32 And 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 Abiezrites.
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 Baalim, and made Baalberith
their god.
8:34 And the children of Israel remembered not Yehovah their Elohim, who had
delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
8:35 Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon,
according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel. |