1 - And the men of Ephraim say unto him, `What <FI>is<Fi> this thing thou hast done to us--not to call for us when thou didst go to fight with Midian?' and they strive with him severely;
2 - and he saith unto them, `What have I done now like you? are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the harvest of Abi-Ezer?
3 - Into your hand hath God given the heads of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what have I been able to do like you?' Then their temper desisted from off him in his speaking this thing.
4 - And Gideon cometh in unto the Jordan, passing over, he and the three hundred men who <FI>are<Fi> with him--wearied, and pursuing,
5 - and he saith to the men of Succoth, `Give, I pray you, cakes of bread to the people who <FI>are<Fi> at my feet, for they <FI>are<Fi> wearied, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna kings of Midian.'
6 - And the heads of Succoth say, `Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we give to thy host bread?'
7 - And Gideon saith, `Therefore--in Jehovah's giving Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand--I have threshed your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and with the threshing instruments.'
8 - And he goeth up thence <FI>to<Fi> Penuel, and speaketh unto them thus; and the men of Penuel answer him as the men of Succoth answered.
9 - And he speaketh also to the men of Penuel, saying, `In my turning back in peace, I break down this tower.'
10 - And Zebah and Zalmunna <FI>are<Fi> in Karkor, and their camps with them, about fifteen thousand, all who are left of all the camp of the sons of the east; and those falling <FI>are<Fi> a hundred and twenty thousand men, drawing sword.
11 - And Gideon goeth up the way of those who tabernacle in tents, on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smiteth the camp, and the camp was confident;
12 - and Zebab and Zalmunna flee, and he pursueth after them, and captureth the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and all the camp he hath caused to tremble.
13 - And Gideon son of Joash turneth back from the battle, at the going up of the sun,
14 - and captureth a young man of the men of Succoth, and asketh him, and he describeth unto him the heads of Succoth, and its elders--seventy and seven men.
15 - And he cometh in unto the men of Succoth, and saith, `Lo Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye reproached me, saying, Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand that we give to thy men who <FI>are<Fi> wearied bread?'
16 - And he taketh the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness, and the threshing instruments, and teacheth by them the men of Succoth,
17 - and the tower of Penuel he hath broken down, and slayeth the men of the city.
18 - And he saith unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, `How--the men whom ye slew in Tabor?' and they say, `As thou--so they, one--as the form of the king's sons.'
19 - And he saith, `My brethren--sons of my mother--they; Jehovah liveth, if ye had kept them alive--I had not slain you.'
20 - And he saith to Jether his first-born, `Rise, slay them;' and the young man hath not drawn his sword, for he hath been afraid, for he <FI>is<Fi> yet a youth.
21 - And Zebah saith--also Zalmunna--`Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man--his might;' and Gideon riseth, and slayeth Zebah and Zalmunna, and taketh their round ornaments which <FI>are<Fi> on the necks of their camels.
22 - And the men of Israel say unto Gideon, `Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian.'
23 - And Gideon saith unto them, `I do not rule over you, nor doth my son rule over you; Jehovah doth rule over you.'
24 - And Gideon saith unto them, `Let me ask of you a petition, and give ye to me each the ring of his prey, for they have rings of gold, for they <FI>are<Fi> Ishmaelites.'
25 - And they say, `We certainly give;' and they spread out the garment, and cast thither each the ring of his prey;
26 - and the weight of the rings of gold which he asked is a thousand and seven hundred <FI>shekels<Fi> of gold, apart from the round ornaments, and the drops, and the purple garments, which <FI>are<Fi> on the kings of Midian, and apart from the chains which <FI>are<Fi> on the necks of their camels,
27 - and Gideon maketh it into an ephod, and setteth it up in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel go a-whoring after it there, and it is to Gideon and to his house for a snare.
28 - And Midian is humbled before the sons of Israel, and have not added to lift up their head; and the land resteth forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 - And Jerubbaal son of Joash goeth and dwelleth in his own house,
30 - and to Gideon there have been seventy sons, coming out of his loin, for he had many wives;
31 - and his concubine, who <FI>is<Fi> in Shechem, hath born to him--even she--a son, and he appointeth his name Abimelech.
32 - And Gideon son of Joash dieth, in a good old age, and is buried in the burying-place of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrite.
33 - And it cometh to pass, when Gideon <FI>is<Fi> dead, that the sons of Israel turn back and go a-whoring after the Baalim, and set over them Baal-Berith for a god;
34 - and the sons of Israel have not remembered Jehovah their God, who is delivering them out of the hand of all their enemies round about,
35 - neither have they done kindness with the house of Jerubbaal--Gideon--according to all the good which he did with Israel.
