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Judges 8
King James Version
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.
Domarboken 8
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015
Domarboken 8
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015
Slutlig seger över midjaniterna
8 (A) Men Efraims män sade till Gideon: ”Varför gjorde du så här mot oss och kallade inte på oss när du drog ut till strid mot midjaniterna?” Och de gick skarpt till rätta med honom. 2 (B) Han svarade dem: ”Vad har jag gjort i jämförelse med er? Är inte Efraims efterskörd[a] bättre än Abiesers vinbärgning? 3 Det var i er hand som Gud gav de midjanitiska furstarna Oreb och Seeb. Vad har jag kunnat göra i jämförelse med er?” När han talade så, lade sig deras upprördhet mot honom.
4 Gideon kom till Jordan, och han gick över tillsammans med de trehundra man som var med honom. De var trötta av förföljandet. 5 Därför sade han till Suckots män: ”Ge några brödkakor åt folket som följer mig. De är utmattade, och jag förföljer Seba och Salmunna, de midjanitiska kungarna.” 6 Men ledarna i Suckot svarade: ”Har du då redan Seba och Salmunna i din hand, eftersom vi skulle ge bröd åt din här?” 7 Gideon svarade: ”När Herren ger Seba och Salmunna i min hand, ska jag tröska sönder ert kött med ökentörnen och tistlar.” 8 Så fortsatte han därifrån upp till Penuel och sade samma sak, och Penuels män gav honom samma svar som männen i Suckot. 9 Då sade han också till männen i Penuel: ”När jag kommer välbehållen tillbaka ska jag riva ner det här tornet.”
10 Men Seba och Salmunna befann sig i Karkor och hade med sig sina härar, omkring 15 000 man, allt som fanns kvar av österlänningarnas här. De stupade utgjorde nämligen 120 000 man beväpnade med svärd. 11 (C) Gideon drog upp på karavanvägen öster om Noba och Jogbeha och överföll hären, som hade trott sig vara i säkerhet. 12 Seba och Salmunna flydde, men han följde efter dem och tog de två midjanitiska kungarna Seba och Salmunna till fånga och skingrade hela hären.
13 När Gideon, Joashs son, vände tillbaka från striden, ner från Hereshöjden, 14 grep han en ung man, en av Suckots män. Gideon frågade ut honom, och den unge mannen skrev ner namnen på ledarna och de äldste i Suckot, sjuttiosju män. 15 När Gideon kom till Suckots män sade han: ”Här är nu Seba och Salmunna, som ni hånade mig för och sade: Har du redan Seba och Salmunna i din hand, eftersom vi skulle ge bröd åt dina utmattade män?” 16 Därefter lät han gripa stadens äldste och tog ökentörnen och tistlar och lät Suckots män få känna av dem. 17 Tornet i Penuel rev han ner och dödade männen i staden.
18 Sedan frågade han Seba och Salmunna: ”Hurdana var männen som ni dödade på Tabor?” De svarade: ”De liknade dig, var och en såg ut som en kungason.” 19 Gideon sade: ”Då var det mina bröder, min mors söner. Så sant Herren lever: Hade ni låtit dem leva, skulle jag inte ha dödat er.”
20 Sedan sade han till Jeter, sin förstfödde: ”Gå fram och döda dem.” Men han drog inte sitt svärd, för han var rädd. Han var ju bara en pojke. 21 (D) Då sade Seba och Salmunna: ”Kom fram själv och hugg ner oss! Som mannen är, så är hans styrka.” Då gick Gideon fram och dödade Seba och Salmunna. Han tog också månsmyckena som deras kameler hade runt halsen.
Gideon vägrar att bli kung
22 Israeliterna sade till Gideon: ”Härska över oss, du och din son och din sonson, för du har frälst oss ur midjaniternas hand.” 23 Men Gideon svarade dem: ”Jag kommer inte att härska över er, och min son ska heller inte härska över er. Herren ska härska över er.”
24 Gideon sade vidare till dem: ”En sak vill jag be er om: Att ni var och en ger mig öronringarna[b] ni har fått som byte.” Midjaniterna bar nämligen öronringar av guld eftersom de var ismaeliter. 25 De svarade: ”Dem ger vi dig gärna.” De bredde ut en mantel, och var och en kastade där de öronringar han hade fått som byte. 26 Och guldringarna som han hade begärt vägde 1 700 siklar[c] i guld, detta förutom de halsprydnader, örhängen och purpurröda kläder som de midjanitiska kungarna hade burit och förutom kedjorna som hade suttit kring halsen på deras kameler. 27 (E) Gideon lät göra en efod[d] av detta och satte upp den i sin stad Ofra. Hela Israel höll sig trolöst till den, och den blev en snara för Gideon och hans hus.
28 (F) Så blev Midjan kuvat under Israels barn och lyfte inte mer sitt huvud. Och landet hade ro i fyrtio år, så länge Gideon levde.
Gideon dör
29 Men Jerubbaal, Joashs son, återvände hem och stannade där. 30 Gideon hade sjuttio egna söner, för han hade många hustrur. 31 Han hade också en bihustru i Shekem, och även hon födde honom en son som han gav namnet Abimelek. 32 Och Gideon, Joashs son, dog i hög ålder och blev begravd i sin far Joashs grav i det abiesritiska Ofra.
33 (G) Men när Gideon hade dött var Israels barn trolösa igen och höll sig till baalerna. De gjorde Baal-Berit[e] till sin gud. 34 Israels barn tänkte inte på Herren sin Gud, som hade befriat dem från alla deras fienders hand runt omkring. 35 (H) Inte heller visade de Jerubbaals, Gideons, hus någon kärlek i gengäld för allt gott som han hade gjort för Israel.
Footnotes
- 8:2 efterskörd Uppsamling av kvarglömda druvor efter den stora huvudskörden (jfr 3 Mos 19:10).
- 8:24 öronringarna Annan översättning: ”den öronring” (även i vers 25).
- 8:26 1 700 siklar Ca 20 kg.
- 8:27 efod Färggrann prästdräkt (2 Mos 28:6f, 39:2f).
- 8:33 Báal-Berít Betyder ”förbundsherren”. Troligen identisk med El-Berit (”förbundsguden”) som nämns i vers 46.
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
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015 (SFB15)
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015, Copyright © 2015 by Svenska Folkbibeln Foundation
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