8 And athe 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. 2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not bthe gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 cGod 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 †danger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and ethe three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. 5 And he said unto the men of fSuccoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people gthat follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 6 And the princes of Succoth said, hAre the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? 7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, ithen I will †tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8 And he went up thence to jPenuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. 9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, kWhen I come again in peace, lI will break down this tower. 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of mall the hosts of nthe children of the east: for there fell ||an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of oNobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was psecure. 12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and qtook the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and †discomfited all the host.

13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, 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. 15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, rAre the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? 16 rAnd he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he †taught the men of Succoth. 17 sAnd he beat 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 tTabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one †resembled the children of a king. 19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: uas the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 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. 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 vslew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ||ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.

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. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: wthe Lord shall rule over you. 24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the xearrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, ybecause they were Ishmaelites.) 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. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside zornaments, and ||collars, and apurple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the bchains that were about their camels’ necks. 27 And Gideon made an cephod thereof, and put it in his city, even din Ophrah: and all Israel ewent thither a whoring after it: which thing became fa snare unto Gideon, and to his house. 28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. gAnd the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 30 And Gideon had hthreescore and ten sons †of his body begotten: for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine that was in iShechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he †called Abimelech. 32 *And Gideon the son of Joash died jin a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, kin Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites. 33 And it came to pass, las soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and mwent a whoring after Baalim, and made nBaal-berith their god. 34 And the children of Israel oremembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: 35 pNeither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.