Judges, 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.

1. The people of Ephraim said to Gideon, "Why didn't you call us when you went to fight against Midian?" They argued with him violently.

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?

2. He said to them, "What have I done in comparison with what you have done? Are not the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

3. God 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.

3. Yahweh has given the leaders of Midian - Oreb and Zeeb - into your hands. What have I been able to do in comparison with what you have done?" After hearing this, their anger lessened.

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

4. Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted and hungry.

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.

5. So he said to the people of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the army that follows me, for they are exhausted and hungry, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."

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?

6. But the elders of Succoth answered, "Have you by chance already restrained the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna? Why should we give bread to your army?"

7. And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

7. Gideon answered them, "Well, when Yahweh has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will skin your flesh with the thorns and thistles of the desert."

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. From there he went up to Penuel and made the same request. But they answered him as those of Succoth had.

9. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

9. So Gideon said, "When I return victorious, I will tear 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 all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

10. Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the people of the East; a hundred and twenty thousand warriors had died!

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.

11. Gideon went up by the road of the nomads, east of Nobah and Yogbehah, and fell upon Zebah and Zalmunna and their army.

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.

12. Zebah and Zalmunna fled. He pursued them, took the two as prisoners and scattered all their army.

13. And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun [was up],

13. After the battle, Gideon, the son of Joash, returned through the slope of Heres.

14. And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, [even] threescore and seventeen men.

14. He caught a young man of the people of Succoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.

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?

15. Gideon went to the people of Succoth and said to them, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna about whom you mocked me by saying: Have you by chance already restrained the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna for us to give bread to your hungry troops?"

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.

16. So he took the elders of the town and punished the people of Succoth with thorns and thistles of the desert.

17. And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

17. He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the inhabitants of the town.

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.

18. Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What did the men whom you killed at Tabor look like?" They answered, "They looked like you, they looked like sons of kings."

19. And he said, They [were] my brethren, [even] the sons of my mother: [as] the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

19. Gideon answered, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill 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.

20. He said to Yether, his eldest son, "Courage, kill them!" But the youth did not draw his sword; he did not dare do it for he was still very young.

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.

21. So Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his courage." Gideon arose and killed them, and took the ornaments off 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.

22. The Israelites said to Gideon, "Since you have saved us from the Midianites, you shall be our king, and after you, your son and the descendants of your son."

23. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

23. But Gideon answered, "I will not rule over Israel, nor my son, for Yahweh is our king!"

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.)

24. Gideon added, "I will ask something from you. Let each of you give me an earring from your booty." Gideon said this for these Midianites wore gold earrings like all the 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.

25. They answered him, "That we will gladly do." Then Gideon spread out his cloak and every Israelite threw in an earring from his booty.

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.

26. The gold earrings reached one thousand seven hundred pieces of gold; not counting the brooches, the rings, the expensive garments used by the kings of Midian, and the collars of the camels.

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.

27. With this money, Gideon made an idol and put it in his city of Ophrah. People from all Israel began to go to that place, turning away from Yahweh. That was the trap into which Gideon and his family fell.

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.

28. In spite of this, the Midianites were humbled in such a way that peace reigned in Israel for forty years during Gideon's lifetime.

29. And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

29. Gideon returned to Ophrah and remained in his house.

30. And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

30. He had seventy sons of his blood, for he had many wives.

31. And his concubine that [was] in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

31. A woman from the city of Shechem also bore him a son whom he named Abimelech.

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.

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

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.

33. After the death of Gideon, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals and took Baal-Berith as god.

34. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

34. The Israelites no longer remembered Yahweh, their God, who had freed them from the hands of all the enemies who surrounded them.

35. Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, [namely], Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

35. Neither were they grateful to the family of Jerubaal-Gideon for all the good things he had done to Israel.