Judges, 8

1. Now the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, 'What do you mean by treating us like this, not summoning us when you went to fight Midian?' And they reproached him bitterly.

1. And the men of E'phraim said to him, "What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight with Mid'ian?" And they upbraided him violently.

2. He replied, 'What have I achieved, compared with you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim's grapes better than the vintage of Abiezer?

2. And he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of E'phraim better than the vintage of Abi-e'zer?

3. God delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the chieftains of Midian, into your power. What was I able to do, in comparison with what you have done?' At these words, their anger with him died down.

3. God has given into your hands the princes of Mid'ian, Oreb and Zeeb; what have I been able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger against him was abated, when he had said this.

4. Gideon reached the Jordan and crossed it, but he and his three hundred companions were exhausted with the pursuit.

4. And Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint yet pursuing.

5. So he said to the men of Succoth, 'Please give my followers some loaves of bread, since they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna the kings of Midian.'

5. So he said to the men of Succoth, "Pray, give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmun'na, the kings of Mid'ian."

6. The headmen of Succoth replied, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your grasp, that we should give bread to your army?'

6. And the officials of Succoth said, "Are Zebah and Zalmun'na already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?"

7. 'Very well,' retorted Gideon, 'when Yahweh has put Zebah and Zalmunna into my power, I shall tear your flesh off with desert-thorn and thistles.'

7. And Gideon said, "Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmun'na into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers."

8. From there he went up to Penuel and asked the men of Penuel the same thing; they replied as those of Succoth had done.

8. And from there he went up to Penu'el, and spoke to them in the same way; and the men of Penu'el answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

9. And to those of Penuel he made a similar retort, 'When I return victorious, I shall destroy this tower.'

9. And he said to the men of Penu'el, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."

10. Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all that was left of the entire army of the sons of the East. Of men bearing arms, a hundred and twenty thousand had fallen.

10. Now Zebah and Zalmun'na were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword.

11. Gideon approached them by the tent-dwellers' route, east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the army when it thought itself in safety.

11. And Gideon went up by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jog'behah, and attacked the army; for the army was off its guard.

12. Zebah and Zalmunna fled. He pursued them; he took the two kings of Midian prisoner -- Zebah and Zalmunna -- and the whole army he routed in panic.

12. And Zebah and Zalmun'na fled; and he pursued them and took the two kings of Mid'ian, Zebah and Zalmun'na, and he threw all the army into a panic.

13. After the battle Gideon came back by the Ascent of Heres.

13. Then Gideon the son of Jo'ash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres.

14. He caught a young man, one of the people of Succoth, and questioned him, and the latter wrote down the names of the headmen and elders of Succoth for him -- seventy-seven men.

14. And he caught a young man of Succoth, and questioned him; and he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men.

15. Gideon son of Joash then went to the people of Succoth and said, 'Here you see Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me and said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your grasp, that we should give bread to your exhausted troops?" '

15. And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmun'na, about whom you taunted me, saying, `Are Zebah and Zalmun'na already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are faint?'"

16. He then seized the elders of the town and, taking desert-thorn and thistles, tore the men of Succoth to pieces.

16. And he took the elders of the city and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth.

17. He destroyed the tower of Penuel and slaughtered the townsmen.

17. And he broke down the tower of Penu'el, and slew the men of the city.

18. He then said to Zebah and Zalmunna, 'The men you killed at Tabor -- what were they like?' They replied, 'They looked like you. Every one of them carried himself like the son of a king.'

18. Then he said to Zebah and Zalmun'na, "Where are the men whom you slew at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they, every one of them; they resembled the sons of a king."

19. Gideon replied, 'They were my brothers, the sons of my own mother; as Yahweh lives, if you had spared their lives I would not kill you.'

19. And he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother; as the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not slay you."

20. To Jether his eldest son he said, 'Stand up and kill them!' But the boy did not draw his sword; he dared not; he was still only a lad.

20. And he said to Jether his first-born, "Rise, and slay them." But the youth did not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.

21. Zebah and Zalmunna then said, 'Stand up yourself, and strike us down; for as a man is, so is his strength.' Then Gideon stood up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna; and he took the crescents from round their camels' necks.

21. Then Zebah and Zalmun'na said, "Rise yourself, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmun'na; and he took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.

22. The men of Israel said to Gideon, 'Rule over us, you, your son and your grandson, since you have rescued us from the power of Midian.'

22. Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also; for you have delivered us out of the hand of Mid'ian."

23. But Gideon replied, 'I will not rule you, neither will my son. Yahweh shall rule you.'

23. Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you."

24. Gideon went on, however, 'Let me make you one request. Each of you give me one ring out of his booty' -- for the vanquished had had gold rings, being Ishmaelites.

24. And Gideon said to them, "Let me make a request of you; give me every man of you the earrings of his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ish'maelites.)

25. 'We shall give them gladly,' they replied. So he spread out his cloak, and on it each of them threw a ring from his booty.

25. And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a garment, and every man cast in it the earrings of his spoil.

26. The weight of the gold rings which he had asked for amounted to seventeen hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescents and the earrings and purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars round their camels' necks.

26. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the crescents and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Mid'ian, and besides the collars that were about the necks of their camels.

27. From this Gideon made an ephod and set it up in his town, in Ophrah. All Israel, following his example, prostituted themselves to it, and it was a snare for Gideon and his family.

27. And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah; and all Israel played the harlot after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.

28. Thus Midian was humbled before the Israelites. He did not raise his head again, and the country had peace for forty years, as long as Gideon lived.

28. So Mid'ian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

29. So Jerubbaal son of Joash went to live at home.

29. Jerubba'al the son of Jo'ash went and dwelt in his own house.

30. Gideon had seventy sons begotten by him, for he had many wives.

30. Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives.

31. His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, to whom he gave the name Abimelech.

31. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abim'elech.

32. Gideon son of Joash died after a happy old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of Abiezer.

32. And Gideon the son of Jo'ash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Jo'ash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiez'rites.

33. After Gideon's death, the people of Israel again began to prostitute themselves to the Baals, taking Baal-Berith for their god.

33. As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and played the harlot after the Ba'als, and made Ba'al-be'rith their god.

34. The Israelites no longer remembered Yahweh their God, who had rescued them from all the enemies round them.

34. And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side;

35. And to the family of Jerubbaal -- Gideon -- they showed no faithful gratitude for all the good which it had done for Israel.

35. and they did not show kindness to the family of Jerubba'al (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.