22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; athe Lord shall rule over you.”

24 Yet Gideon said to them, “I would 1request of you, that each of you give me 2an earring from his spoil.” (For they had gold earrings, because they were aIshmaelites.)

25 They said, “We will surely give them.” So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil.

26 The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels’ necks.

27 Gideon made it into aan ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

Forty Years of Peace

28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Then aJerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.

30 Now Gideon had aseventy sons who 1were his direct descendants, for he had many wives.

31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he 1named him Abimelech.

32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, athat the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made bBaal-berith their god.

34 Thus the sons of Israel adid not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;

35 anor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel.