²² Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and also your grandson—because you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

²³ But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. Only the Lord will rule over you.” ²⁴ But Gideon also said to them, “Let me ask you for one thing: that each man give me an earring from his plunder.” (The enemy wore gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

²⁵ They answered, “All right, we will give them to you.” Then they spread out a garment, and each man among them threw in an earring from his plunder. ²⁶ The weight of the gold earrings that he had requested was seventeen hundred shekels.^[a] This was in addition to the crescents, the pendants, and the purple clothing that had been worn by the kings of Midian, and the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. ²⁷ Gideon made the gold into a sacred breastplate.^[b] He set it up in his town of Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves to it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.