Judges 8

Ephraim Confronts Gideon

1The men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they argued fiercely with him. 2He said to them, “What have I done now compared with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3God has given into your hand Oreb and Zeeb, the princes of Midian. What was I able to do compared with you?” Then their anger against him subsided when he said this.

Succoth and Penuel Refuse Bread

4Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.” 6The officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” 7Gideon said, “Because of this, when the LORD gives Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and briers.” 8From there he went up to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower.”

Zebah and Zalmunna Captured

10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies were with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who remained of the entire army of the people of the east, for one hundred twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen. 11Gideon went up by the route of those who live in tents, east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army while the army felt secure. 12Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and threw the entire army into panic.

Gideon Punishes Succoth and Penuel

13Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14He captured a young man from the men of Succoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. 15Gideon came to the men of Succoth and said, “Look, Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your exhausted men?’” 16He took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

Gideon Kills the Kings of Midian

18Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were those whom you killed at Tabor?” They said, “They were like you; each one looked like the son of a king.” 19He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had kept them alive, I would not kill you.” 20He said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon rose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

Gideon Refuses Kingship

22The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son, and your son’s son—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.” 24Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites. 25They said, “We will gladly give them.” They spread out a garment, and each man threw into it an earring from his plunder. 26The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple garments that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks. 27Gideon made an ephod from it and placed it in his city, in Ophrah. All Israel prostituted themselves after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his household.

Gideon’s Final Years

28Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. 29Jerubbaal son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30Gideon had seventy sons who came from his own body, for he had many wives. 31His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. 32Gideon son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33As soon as Gideon died, the children of Israel turned again and prostituted themselves after the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god. 34The children of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies around them, 35nor did they show steadfast love to the house of Jerubbaal—that is, Gideon—in return for all the good that he had done for Israel.