Judges 8:22-27

Christian Standard Bible

Gideon’s Legacy

²² Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us,^(A) you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian.”

²³ But 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 Then he said to them, “Let me make a request of you: Everyone give me an earring from his plunder.” Now the enemy had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.

²⁵ They said, “We agree to give them.” So they spread out a cloak, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it. ²⁶ The weight of the gold earrings he requested was forty-three pounds^[a] of gold, in addition to the crescent ornaments and ear pendants, the purple garments on the kings of Midian, and the chains on the necks of their camels. ²⁷ Gideon made an ephod^(B) from all this and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. Then all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.