Judges 8:21-32

New International Version

²¹ Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments^(A) off their camels’ necks.

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^(B) over you.” ²⁴ And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring^(C) from your share of the plunder.^(D)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites^(E) 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^(F) that were on their camels’ necks. ²⁷ Gideon made the gold into an ephod,^(G) which he placed in Ophrah,^(H) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare^(I) to Gideon and his family.^(J)

Gideon’s Death

²⁸ Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head^(K) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace^(L) forty years.

²⁹ Jerub-Baal^(M) son of Joash^(N) went back home to live. ³⁰ He had seventy sons^(O) of his own, for he had many wives. ³¹ His concubine,^(P) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.^{(Q) 32} Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age^(R) and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.