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Judges 8
New International Version
Judges 8
New International Version
Zebah and Zalmunna
8 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(A) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(B)”(C) And they challenged him vigorously.(D)
2 But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?(E) 3 God gave Oreb and Zeeb,(F) the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.
4 Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan(G) and crossed it. 5 He said to the men of Sukkoth,(H) “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out,(I) and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna,(J) the kings of Midian.”
6 But the officials of Sukkoth(K) said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread(L) to your troops?”(M)
7 Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna(N) into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”
8 From there he went up to Peniel[a](O) and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 9 So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”(P)
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.(Q) 11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah(R) and Jogbehah(S) and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.
13 Gideon son of Joash(T) then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.(U) 14 He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth,(V) the elders(W) of the town. 15 Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?(X)’” 16 He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson(Y) by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 17 He also pulled down the tower of Peniel(Z) and killed the men of the town.(AA)
18 Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?(AB)”
“Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”
19 Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives,(AC) if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” 20 Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.
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(AD) 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(AE) over you.” 24 And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring(AF) from your share of the plunder.(AG)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites(AH) 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,[b] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains(AI) that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(AJ) which he placed in Ophrah,(AK) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(AL) to Gideon and his family.(AM)
Gideon’s Death
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head(AN) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace(AO) forty years.
29 Jerub-Baal(AP) son of Joash(AQ) went back home to live. 30 He had seventy sons(AR) of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine,(AS) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.(AT) 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age(AU) 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.(AV) They set up Baal-Berith(AW) as their god(AX) 34 and did not remember(AY) 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(AZ) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.(BA)
Footnotes
- Judges 8:8 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel; also in verses 9 and 17
- Judges 8:26 That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms
Judges 8
New Catholic Bible
Judges 8
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 8
Gideon’s Second Campaign. 1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you treated us this way? Why did you not summon us when you went out to fight against the Midianites?” And they rebuked him severely. 2 He answered them, “What have I ever done that could be compared to what you have done? Are not the gleanings of the grapes in Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the princes of Midian, into your hands. What was I able to do compared with what you did?” Their anger against him calmed down when he said that.
4 Gideon and the three hundred men with him came to and crossed over the Jordan, exhausted, but still in pursuit. 5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Give some bread to the men who are with me, for they are weary, and I am chasing after Zebah and Zal-munna, the kings of Midian.” 6 The princes of Succoth asked, “Do you already have the hands[a] of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your soldiers?” 7 Gideon answered, “For this, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will tear at your flesh with desert thorns and briars.”
8 He went up to Penuel and said the same thing to them. The men of Penuel answered him the same way that the men of Succoth had, 9 so he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come back again in peace, I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and they had their armies with them, fifteen thousand men. These were all that were left from the armies of the easterners, for some one hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen. 11 Gideon went up by the nomad route to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah and he fell upon the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled away, and he chased after the two kings of Midian and captured them. Zebah, Zalmunna and their entire army were routed.
13 Gideon, the son of Joash, then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres. 14 He captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him. He wrote down the names of the seventy-seven princes and elders of Succoth for him. 15 He came to the men of Succoth and said, “Look at Zebah and Zalmunna, the ones about whom you taunted me when you said, ‘Are Zebah and Zalmunna in your hands now that we should give bread to your weary men?’ ” 16 He picked out the elders of the city, and he taught the men of Succoth a lesson with desert thorns and briars. 17 He also smashed down the tower of Penuel and he killed the men of the city.
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?” They replied, “Each one of them looked like you, like the son of a king.” 19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear to God, if you had spared them, I would not kill you.”
20 Then he said to Jether,[b] his firstborn, “Stand up, kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword because he was afraid; he was still quite young. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up yourself and fall upon us! It takes the courage of a man.” So Gideon stood up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the ornaments off the necks of their camels.
22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you, and your son, and your grandson, for you have delivered us out of the hands of Midian.” 23 But Gideon said to them, “Neither I nor my son will rule over you. The Lord will rule over you!”
24 Gideon continued, “I do have one request to make of you. Let each man give me an earring from his share of the plunder.” (They had gold earrings, for they were Ishmaelites.)[c] 25 They answered, “We would be glad to give them to you.” They spread out a garment, and each man threw his earrings from the plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the golden earnings he had asked for was one thousand, seven hundred golden shekels, not counting the ornaments, the necklaces, the purple garments that had been worn by the kings of Midian, and the chains that had been on the necks of their camels.
27 Gideon had the gold made into an ephod[d] which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. All of Israel prostituted itself by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household. 28 This is how Midian was subjected to the Israelites, so that they did not lift up their heads again. During Gideon’s lifetime there was peace in the land, for forty years.
29 Abimelech, Son of Gideon. Jerubbaal went to his home and lived there. 30 Gideon had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine[e] who lived in Shechem also had a son who was called Abimelech. 32 Gideon, the son of Joash, lived to a good old age, and he was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites turned again and prostituted themselves after the Baals. They set up Baal-berith[f] as their god 34 and the Israelites forgot that the Lord, their God, had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies who surrounded them. 35 They also failed to respect the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all of the good things that he had done for Israel.
Footnotes
- Judges 8:6 Have the hands: in biblical times, those who were victorious in battle would cut off the hands of those slain in battle for trophies.
- Judges 8:20 Jether: Gideon’s firstborn was wise to reject his father’s request to kill the kings. His fear kept him from doing something that could have distinguished him but his youth made him an unacceptable assailant before the enemy.
- Judges 8:24 Ishmaelites: traders whose name is derived from the tribe that descended from Ishmael, son of Abraham (Gen 16). The traders in their caravans (including the men) liked to wear earrings.
- Judges 8:27 Ephod: either a kind of idol or, more probably, an ephod used in divination (see Ex 28:4) as in 1 Sam 2:28, although here it draws the people to illicit worship.
- Judges 8:31 Concubine: a woman who was inferior to her husband’s primary wife.
- Judges 8:33 Baal-berith: Canaanite god worshiped as “lord of the covenant,” and in Jdg 9:46 referred to as El-berith, “god of the covenant.”
Judges 8
New King James Version
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
士師記 8
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
士師記 8
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
基甸擒殺米甸二王
8 後來，以法蓮人對基甸說：「你攻打米甸人時為什麼不召我們去？你為什麼這樣對待我們？」他們與他激烈地爭論起來。
2 基甸說：「我怎能比得上你們呢？以法蓮人摘剩的葡萄豈不比我們亞比以謝族收穫的葡萄更好嗎？ 3 上帝把兩名米甸人的首領俄立和西伊伯交在了你們手中，我所做的有哪一件能與這事相比呢？我怎能比得上你們呢？」基甸這麼一說，他們的怒氣就平息了。
4 基甸率領他的三百人渡過約旦河，雖然疲憊不堪，仍緊追敵人。 5 基甸對疏割的人說：「我們在追趕西巴和撒慕拿兩個米甸王，十分疲憊，請給我的軍隊一些餅吃。」
6 疏割的首領卻說：「你還沒有抓到西巴和撒慕拿，我們憑什麼給你的軍隊餅吃？」
7 基甸說：「好吧，耶和華把西巴和撒慕拿交在我們手中後，我必回來用荒野的荊棘抽打你們。」
8 基甸又去毗努伊勒提出同樣的請求，也遭到拒絕。 9 基甸對那裡的人說：「我凱旋歸來時，必拆毀你們的這座城樓。」
10 那時，西巴和撒慕拿率領東方各族的殘餘軍隊一萬五千人駐紮在加各，因為已經有十二萬刀兵被殺。 11 基甸取道挪巴和約比哈東邊遊牧者走的路，出其不意地突襲米甸人。 12 米甸二王西巴和撒慕拿逃跑，基甸追上去擒住他們，擊潰他們全軍。
13 約阿施的兒子基甸從戰場返回，經過希列斯山坡時， 14 抓住一個疏割的青年，問他疏割的首領和長老是誰，他就寫下疏割七十七位首領和長老的名字。 15 基甸到了疏割，對那裡的人說：「你們曾經譏笑我說，『你還沒有抓到西巴和撒慕拿，我們憑什麼給你疲憊的軍隊餅吃？』看！西巴和撒慕拿在這裡！」 16 說完，就捉住城中的長老，用荒野的荊棘抽打他們。 17 他又去拆毀毗努伊勒的城樓，殺了城裡的人。
18 基甸問西巴和撒慕拿：「你們在他泊山殺的人是什麼樣子？」他們回答說：「他們長得像你，都像王子一樣。」
19 基甸說：「他們是我同母所生的兄弟，我憑永活的耶和華起誓，如果你們當初不殺他們，今天我就不殺你們了。」 20 於是，基甸對長子益帖說：「你殺死他們。」但益帖年紀小，心中害怕，不敢動手。
21 西巴和撒慕拿對基甸說：「你親自動手吧！這是男子漢做的事。」基甸便親手殺了他們，拿走了他們駱駝頸上的月牙飾物。
基甸造以弗得
22 以色列人對基甸說：「你從米甸人手中救了我們，請你和你的子孫統治我們。」
23 基甸回答說：「我和我子孫都不統治你們，統治你們的是耶和華。 24 但我有一個要求，請你們把搶來的耳環都給我。」原來米甸人屬於以實瑪利族，都戴金耳環。
25 他們欣然同意，便鋪開一件外衣，各自把搶來的金耳環都放在上面， 26 重約二十公斤。此外，還有米甸王的月牙飾物、耳墜、紫袍以及駱駝頸上的金鏈。 27 基甸用這些金子造了一件以弗得聖衣，放在自己的家鄉俄弗拉。後來，以色列人拜那件以弗得，玷污自己，使基甸及其全家陷入網羅。
28 這樣，米甸人被以色列人征服了，從此一蹶不振。基甸在世之日，以色列境內安享太平四十年。
基甸去世
29 約阿施的兒子耶路·巴力返回家鄉居住。 30 他有許多妻子，生了七十個兒子。 31 他的妾住在示劍，也給他生了一個兒子，他給孩子取名叫亞比米勒。 32 約阿施的兒子基甸年高壽終，葬在亞比以謝族的俄弗拉，在他父親約阿施的墳墓裡。
33 基甸剛去世，以色列人便又與眾巴力苟合，奉巴力·比利土為他們的神明， 34 忘記了他們的上帝耶和華曾經從四圍的仇敵手中拯救他們， 35 也沒有因耶路·巴力——基甸的功績而厚待他的家人。
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.