Judges 8

MSTC^{(i) 1} And the men of Ephraim said unto him, "Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?" And they chode with him a good. ² And he said unto them, "What deed have I done like unto yours: are not the clusters of Ephraim better than the wine harvest of Abiezer? ³ God hath delivered into your hands the lords of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do like as you have done?" And then their spirits abated from off him, when he had said that. ⁴ And then Gideon came to Jordan and passed over, both he and the three hundred men that were with him, very faint and yet followed the chase. ⁵ And he said unto the men of Succoth, "Give I pray you cakes of bread unto the people that follow me: for they be fainty, that I may follow after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian." ⁶ And the lords of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hands that we should give bread unto thy company?" ⁷ And Gideon said, "Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, I will tear the flesh of you with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers." ⁸ And he went thence to Phanuel, and spake unto them likewise. And the men of Phanuel answered him as did the men of Succoth. ⁹ And he said also unto the men of Phanuel, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower." ¹⁰ Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor and their hosts with them, upon a fifteen thousand, which were all that were left of all the hosts of them of the east. And they that were slain were a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew swords. ¹¹ And Gideon went through them that dwell in tabernacles on the east side of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host did cast no perils. ¹² Zebah and Zalmunna fled. But he followed after them, and took the two kings of the Midianites, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host. ¹³ And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, the sun being yet up, and caught a lad of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him. ¹⁴ And he wrote him, of the lords and elders of Succoth: seventy seven men. ¹⁵ Then he came unto the men of Succoth and said, "Behold, Zebah and Zalmunna, with which ye cast me in the teeth saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy fainty men?'" ¹⁶ And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and all to tear them therewith. ¹⁷ And he brake down the tower of Phanuel and slew the men of the city. ¹⁸ And then said unto Zebah and Zalmunna, "What manner men were they which ye slew at Tabor?" And they answered, "The likeness of thee and them is all one, even after the fashion of the children of a king." ¹⁹ And he said, "They were my brethren, even my mother's children. And as truly as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved their lives, I would not slay you." ²⁰ And he said unto Jether his eldest son, "Up, and slay them." But the lad drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet 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 them: and he took away the chains that were on their camels' necks. ²² Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, "Reign over us, both thou, thy son and thy son's son, for thou hast delivered us out of the hands of the Midianites." ²³ And Gideon said unto them, "I will not reign over you, neither shall my children reign over you, but the LORD shall reign over you." ²⁴ Neverthelater, Gideon said unto them, "I would desire a certain request of you: even that you would give me, every man, the earrings of his prey." For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites. ²⁵ And they said, "We will do it." And they spread a mantle and did cast thereinto every man the earrings of his prey. ²⁶ And the weight of the golden earrings was a thousand and seven hundred sicles of gold, beside brooches, ouches and garments of scarlet that were of the kings of Midian, and beside the chains, that were about their camels' necks. ²⁷ And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city Ophrah. And all Israel went a whoring after him there, which thing was the ruin of Gideon's house. ²⁸ Thus were the Midianites brought low before the children of Israel, so that they lift up their heads no more. And 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 seventy sons of his body begotten, for he had many wives. ³¹ And his concubine that dwelt in Shechem bare him a son also, whose name he called Abimelech. ³² And Gideon the son of Joash died, when he was of a good age, and was buried in the burial of Joash his father, even in Ophrah that pertained unto the father of the Abiezrites. ³³ But as soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned away and went a whoring after Baal, and made Baalberith their God, ³⁴ and thought not on the LORD their God which had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side. ³⁵ Neither showed they mercy on the house of Jerubbaal, otherwise called Gideon, according to all the goodness which he showed them.