Judges 8
King James Version
8 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
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 Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
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.
Judges 8
Amplified Bible
Zebah and Zalmunna Routed
8 And the men of [the tribe of] Ephraim said to Gideon, “What is this thing that you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight with Midian?” And they quarreled with him vehemently. 2 But he said to them, “What have I done now [that is so significant] in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning (leftovers) of the grapes of [your tribe of] Ephraim better than the vintage (entire harvest) of [my clan of] Abiezer? 3 God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger toward him subsided when he made this statement.
4 So Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over [the river], he and the three hundred men who were with him—exhausted, yet [still] pursuing [the enemy]. 5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me since they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.” 6 But the leaders of Succoth said, “Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 Gideon said, “For that [response], when the Lord has handed over Zebah and Zalmunna to me, I will thrash your bodies with the thorns and briars of the wilderness.” 8 He went from there up to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So Gideon said also to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies, about fifteen thousand [fighting] men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen. 11 Gideon went up by the route of those who lived in tents to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their camp when the camp was unsuspecting. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and terrified the entire army.
13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. 14 He captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And the youth wrote down for him [the names of] the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 He came to the men of Succoth and said, “Look here, Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’” 16 He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he [a]punished the men of Succoth. 17 He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18 Then Gideon said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” And they replied, “They were like you, each one of them resembled the son of a king.” 19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 So [to humiliate them] Gideon said to Jether his firstborn, “Stand up, and kill them!” But the youth did not draw his sword, because he was afraid, for he was still [just] a boy. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself and strike us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent amulets that were on their camels’ necks.
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule [as king] over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have rescued us from the hand of Midian.” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “I would make a request of you, that each one of you give me an earring from his spoil.” For the Midianites had gold earrings, because they were [b]Ishmaelites [who customarily wore them]. 25 They answered, “We will certainly give them to you.” And they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was [c]seventeen hundred shekels of gold, apart from the crescent amulets and pendants and the purple garments which were worn by the kings of Midian, and apart from the chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made [all the golden earrings into] an ephod [a sacred, high priest’s garment], and put it in his city of Ophrah, and all Israel [d]worshiped it as an idol there, and [e]it became a trap for Gideon and his household.
Forty Years of Peace
28 So Midian was subdued and humbled before the sons of Israel, and they no longer lifted up their heads [in pride]. And the land was at rest for forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 Jerubbaal (Gideon) the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons born to him, because he had many wives. 31 And his [f]concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech. 32 Gideon the son of Joash died at a good advanced age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the Israelites again played the prostitute with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. 34 And the Israelites did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side; 35 nor did they show kindness to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done for Israel.
Footnotes
- Judges 8:16 Or taught them humility. The Hebrew is uncertain.
- Judges 8:24 A general term for the descendants of Keturah, the woman Abraham married after Sarah’s death (Gen 25:1); synonymous with Midianite.
- Judges 8:26 I.e. about 40 lbs. of gold.
- Judges 8:27 Lit played the prostitute with.
- Judges 8:27 The reason Gideon chose to make the golden ephod is unclear, but the fact that he did so, and that it became an object of worship for Israel, casts a shadow over his otherwise remarkable accomplishments.
- Judges 8:31 Perhaps originally one of Gideon’s slaves, this woman became a type of secondary wife who lived at home with her family and was visited on occasion by her husband.
Jueces 8
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Derrota de Zeba y Zalmuna
8 Entonces los hombres de Efraín le dijeron: «¿Qué es esto que nos has hecho, al no llamarnos cuando fuiste a pelear contra Madián(A)?». Y lo criticaron duramente. 2 Pero él les dijo: «¿Qué he hecho yo ahora en comparación con ustedes? ¿No es mejor el rebusco de Efraín que la vendimia de Abiezer? 3 Dios ha entregado en manos de ustedes a los jefes de Madián, Oreb y Zeeb; ¿y qué pude hacer yo en comparación con ustedes?». Entonces se aplacó la ira[a] de ellos contra él cuando dijo esto[b].
4 Gedeón y los 300 hombres que iban con él llegaron al Jordán y lo cruzaron, cansados, pero continuando la persecución(B). 5 Entonces Gedeón dijo a los hombres de Sucot(C): «Les ruego que den pan[c] a la gente que me sigue, porque están cansados, y estoy persiguiendo a Zeba y a Zalmuna, reyes de Madián». 6 Pero los jefes de Sucot dijeron: «¿Están ya las manos[d] de Zeba y Zalmuna en tu poder[e] para que demos pan a tu ejército(D)?». 7 Gedeón respondió: «Muy bien[f], cuando el Señor haya entregado en mi mano a Zeba y a Zalmuna(E), trillaré[g] las carnes de ustedes con espinos y cardos del desierto».
8 De allí subió Gedeón a Peniel(F), y les habló de la misma manera; y los hombres de Peniel le respondieron tal como los de Sucot le habían contestado. 9 Y habló también a los hombres de Peniel: «Cuando yo vuelva sano y salvo[h], derribaré esta torre(G)». 10 Ahora bien, Zeba y Zalmuna estaban en Carcor, y sus ejércitos[i] con ellos, unos 15,000 hombres, los que habían quedado de todo el ejército[j] de los hijos del oriente. Porque los que habían caído eran 120,000 hombres que sacaban espada(H).
11 Gedeón subió por el camino de los que habitaban en tiendas al este de Noba y Jogbeha, y atacó[k] el campamento cuando el campamento estaba desprevenido[l]. 12 Cuando Zeba y Zalmuna huyeron, los persiguió. Capturó a los dos reyes de Madián, Zeba y Zalmuna, y llenó de terror a todo el ejército[m].
13 Después Gedeón, hijo de Joás, volvió de la batalla por la subida a Heres[n]. 14 Y capturó a un joven de[o] Sucot y lo interrogó. Entonces el joven le dio por escrito los nombres de los príncipes de Sucot y de sus ancianos, setenta y siete hombres. 15 Entonces Gedeón fue a los hombres de Sucot y les dijo: «Aquí están Zeba y Zalmuna, acerca de los cuales ustedes me injuriaron, diciendo: “¿Están ya las manos[p] de Zeba y Zalmuna en tu mano para que demos pan a tus hombres que están fatigados(I)?”». 16 Entonces tomó a los ancianos de la ciudad, y espinos del desierto y cardos, y con ellos castigó a[q] los hombres de Sucot. 17 Derribó la torre de Peniel(J) y mató a los hombres de la ciudad.
18 Después dijo a Zeba y a Zalmuna: «¿Qué clase de hombres eran los que ustedes mataron en Tabor?». «Eran como tú», respondieron ellos, «cada uno parecía hijo[r] de rey». 19 «Eran mis hermanos», dijo él, «hijos de mi madre. Vive el Señor, que si los hubieran dejado con vida, yo no les quitaría la vida a ustedes». 20 Y dijo a Jeter su primogénito: «Levántate y mátalos». Pero el joven no sacó la espada porque tenía temor, pues todavía era muchacho. 21 Entonces Zeba y Zalmuna dijeron: «Levántate tú y cae sobre nosotros; porque como es el hombre, así es su fortaleza[s]». Y se levantó Gedeón y mató a Zeba y a Zalmuna(K), y tomó los adornos de media luna que sus camellos llevaban al cuello(L).
Últimos años de Gedeón
22 Los hombres de Israel le dijeron a Gedeón: «Reina sobre nosotros, tú y tus hijos, y también el hijo de tu hijo, porque nos has librado de la mano de Madián». 23 Pero Gedeón les respondió: «No reinaré sobre ustedes, ni tampoco reinará sobre ustedes mi hijo. El Señor reinará sobre ustedes(M)».
24 «Quisiera pedirles[t]», Gedeón les dijo, «que cada uno de ustedes me dé un zarcillo[u] de su botín» (pues tenían zarcillos de oro, porque eran ismaelitas(N)). 25 «De cierto te los daremos», dijeron ellos. Y tendieron un manto, y cada uno de ellos echó allí un zarcillo de su botín.
26 El peso de los zarcillos de oro que él pidió fue de 1,700 siclos (19.4 kilos) de oro, sin contar los adornos de media luna, los pendientes y los vestidos de púrpura que llevaban los reyes de Madián y sin contar los collares que llevaban sus camellos al cuello. 27 Gedeón hizo de ello un efod(O), y lo colocó en Ofra, su ciudad, con el cual todo Israel se prostituyó allí, y esto vino a ser ruina[v] para Gedeón y su casa. 28 Pero Madián fue sometido delante de los israelitas, y ya no volvieron a levantar cabeza. Y el país tuvo descanso por cuarenta años en los días de Gedeón.
29 Entonces Jerobaal(P), hijo de Joás, fue y habitó en su casa. 30 Y tuvo setenta hijos(Q) que fueron sus descendientes directos[w], porque tuvo muchas mujeres. 31 La concubina que tenía en Siquem también le dio un hijo, y le puso por nombre Abimelec. 32 Gedeón, hijo de Joás, murió a una edad avanzada y fue sepultado en el sepulcro de su padre Joás, en Ofra de los abiezeritas.
33 Al morir Gedeón, los israelitas volvieron a prostituirse con los Baales(R) e hicieron a Baal Berit su dios(S). 34 Así que los israelitas se olvidaron del Señor su Dios(T) que los había librado de manos de todos sus enemigos en derredor. 35 Tampoco mostraron bondad a la casa de Jerobaal(U), es decir, Gedeón, conforme a todo el bien que él había hecho a Israel.
Footnotes
- Jueces 8:3 Lit. el espíritu.
- Jueces 8:3 Lit. esta palabra.
- Jueces 8:5 Lit. tortas de pan.
- Jueces 8:6 Lit. ¿Está la palma.
- Jueces 8:6 Lit. tus manos.
- Jueces 8:7 Lit. Porque así.
- Jueces 8:7 U hollaré.
- Jueces 8:9 O en paz.
- Jueces 8:10 O campamentos.
- Jueces 8:10 O campamento.
- Jueces 8:11 Lit. e hirió.
- Jueces 8:11 O seguro.
- Jueces 8:12 O campamento.
- Jueces 8:13 O antes de subir el sol.
- Jueces 8:14 Lit. un joven de los hombres de.
- Jueces 8:15 Lit. ¿Está la palma.
- Jueces 8:16 Lit. hizo que conocieran.
- Jueces 8:18 Lit. como la apariencia de hijos.
- Jueces 8:21 O valentía.
- Jueces 8:24 Lit. pedirles una petición.
- Jueces 8:24 O una nariguera, y así en los vers. 25 y 26.
- Jueces 8:27 Lit. trampa.
- Jueces 8:30 Lit. que vinieron de sus lomos.
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Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation