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Judges 8:22-9:6
New International Version
Judges 8:22-9:6
New International Version
Gideon’s Ephod
22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule(A) over you.” 24 And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring(B) from your share of the plunder.(C)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites(D) to wear gold earrings.)
25 They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,[a] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains(E) that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(F) which he placed in Ophrah,(G) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(H) to Gideon and his family.(I)
Gideon’s Death
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head(J) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace(K) forty years.
29 Jerub-Baal(L) son of Joash(M) went back home to live. 30 He had seventy sons(N) of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine,(O) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.(P) 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age(Q) and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.(R) They set up Baal-Berith(S) as their god(T) 34 and did not remember(U) the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35 They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal(V) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.(W)
Abimelek
9 Abimelek(X) son of Jerub-Baal(Y) went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, 2 “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.(Z)”
3 When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” 4 They gave him seventy shekels[b] of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,(AA) and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels,(AB) who became his followers. 5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers,(AC) the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham,(AD) the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.(AE) 6 Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo(AF) gathered beside the great tree(AG) at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.
Footnotes
- Judges 8:26 That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms
- Judges 9:4 That is, about 1 3/4 pounds or about 800 grams
Judges 8:22-9:6
King James Version
Judges 8:22-9:6
King James Version
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called 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.
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.
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:
35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.
9 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
3 And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
New International Version (NIV) 
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