Judges 8
Modern English Version
Zebah and Zalmunna
8 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What have you done to us by not calling us to go and wage war against Midian?” They argued heatedly with him.
2 He said to them, “What have I done now compared to you? Are not the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim better than the harvest of Abiezer? 3 It was into your hands that God gave the Midianite commanders, Oreb and Zeeb. What was I able to do compared to you?” When Gideon said this, their anger against him cooled down.
4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted but still pursuing. 5 He said to the men of Sukkoth, “Please give some loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”
6 The officials of Sukkoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands that we should give bread to your army?”
7 So Gideon said, “Because of this, when the Lord gives Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will tear your bodies with desert thorns and briers.”
8 He went up from there to Peniel and spoke to them in the same way. The men of Peniel answered him just as the men of Sukkoth had. 9 So he also said to the men of Peniel, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies, about fifteen thousand survivors; they were all who were left of all the army of the Kedemites, for one hundred twenty thousand arms-bearing men had fallen. 11 Gideon went up on the route of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the camp while the army was off guard. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and Gideon chased after them. He captured Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, and the entire army was terrified.
13 Gideon son of Joash returned from battle by the Pass of Heres. 14 He captured a young man from among the men of Sukkoth and asked him to write the names of the leaders and elders of Sukkoth, seventy-seven men. 15 Then he came to the men of Sukkoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me. You said, ‘Have you subjugated Zebah and Zalmunna that we should give bread to your weary army?’ ” 16 He took the city elders and disciplined the men of Sukkoth with thorns and briers of the wilderness. 17 He tore down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the city.
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?”
They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like the son of a king.”
19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had allowed them to live, I would not kill you.” 20 Gideon said to his firstborn Jether, “Rise and kill them!” Yet the young man did not draw his sword because he was afraid, for he was still a young man.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “You get up and attack us, for a man is judged by his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna and took the crescent-shaped ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
Gideon’s Ephod
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you, and your son, and your grandson, for you have saved us from the hands of Midian.”
23 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 Gideon continued, “I have a request to make of you, that each man would give me an earring from his spoils.” (Their enemy had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 They said, “We will certainly give them.” So they spread out a cloak, and each man threw a ring of his spoils there. 26 The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was seventeen hundred gold shekels.[a] This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, and purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, as well as the chains hanging on the necks of their camels. 27 Gideon used these things to make an ephod. He put it in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves to it there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
28 The Midianites were humbled before the children of Israel and did not lift their heads high again. The land had peace for forty years in the days of Gideon.
The Death of Gideon
29 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went to his house and lived there. 30 Gideon had seventy sons, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine who lived in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelek. 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age, and he was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 After Gideon died, the children of Israel turned again to prostitute themselves with the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god. 34 The children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of their enemies around them, 35 and they did not keep faith with the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon), for all the good he had done for Israel.
Footnotes
- Judges 8:26 About 43 pounds, or 20 kilograms.
Judges 8
New King James Version
Gideon Subdues the Midianites
8 Now (A)the men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?” And they reprimanded him sharply.
2 So he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the [a]gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than [b]the vintage of (B)Abiezer? 3 (C)God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their (D)anger toward him subsided when he said that.
4 When Gideon came (E)to the Jordan, he and (F)the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit. 5 Then he said to the men of (G)Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”
6 And the leaders of Succoth said, (H)“Are[c] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that (I)we should give bread to your army?”
7 So Gideon said, “For this cause, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, (J)then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!” 8 Then he went up from there (K)to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I (L)come back in peace, (M)I will tear down this tower!”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of (N)all the army of the people of the East; for (O)one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen. 11 Then Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of (P)Nobah and Jogbehah; and he [d]attacked the army while the camp felt (Q)secure. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he (R)took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.
13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres. 14 And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you (S)ridiculed me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?’ ” 16 (T)And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he [e]taught the men of Succoth. 17 (U)Then he tore down the tower of (V)Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18 And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at (W)Tabor?”
So they answered, “As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king.”
19 Then he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them!” But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.
21 So Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and (X)killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
Gideon’s Ephod
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, (Y)“Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have (Z)delivered us from the hand of Midian.”
23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; (AA)the Lord shall rule over you.” 24 Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to [f]make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, (AB)because they were Ishmaelites.
25 So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. 26 Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks. 27 Then Gideon (AC)made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, (AD)Ophrah. And all Israel (AE)played the harlot with it there. It became (AF)a snare to Gideon and to his house.
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. (AG)And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
Death of Gideon
29 Then (AH)Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 30 Gideon had (AI)seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives. 31 (AJ)And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 32 Now Gideon the son of Joash died (AK)at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, (AL)in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 So it was, (AM)as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again (AN)played the harlot with the Baals, (AO)and made Baal-Berith their god. 34 Thus the children of Israel (AP)did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 (AQ)nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.
Footnotes
- Judges 8:2 Few grapes left after the harvest
- Judges 8:2 The whole harvest
- Judges 8:6 Lit. Is the palm
- Judges 8:11 Lit. struck
- Judges 8:16 disciplined
- Judges 8:24 Lit. request a request
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
