Wisdom’s Call

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)

Intelligibility in Worship

14 Follow the way of love^(A) and eagerly desire^(B) gifts of the Spirit,^(C) especially prophecy.^{(D) 2} For anyone who speaks in a tongue^[a](E) does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them;^(F) they utter mysteries^(G) by the Spirit. ³ But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening,^(H) encouraging^(I) and comfort. ⁴ Anyone who speaks in a tongue^(J) edifies^(K) themselves, but the one who prophesies^(L) edifies the church. ⁵ I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,^[b] but I would rather have you prophesy.^(M) The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,^[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.^(N)

⁶ Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation^(O) or knowledge^(P) or prophecy or word of instruction?^{(Q) 7} Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? ⁸ Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?^{(R) 9} So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. ¹¹ If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me.^{(S) 12} So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit,^(T) try to excel in those that build up^(U) the church.

¹³ For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.^{(V) 14} For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,^(W) but my mind is unfruitful. ¹⁵ So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit,^(X) but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing^(Y) with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. ¹⁶ Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer,^[d] say “Amen”^(Z) to your thanksgiving,^(AA) since they do not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.^(AB)

¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹ But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.^(AC)

²⁰ Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children.^(AD) In regard to evil be infants,^(AE) but in your thinking be adults. ²¹ In the Law^(AF) it is written:

²² Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy,^(AH) however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. ²³ So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?^{(AI) 24} But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, ²⁵ as the secrets^(AJ) of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”^(AK)

Good Order in Worship

²⁶ What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?^(AL) When you come together, each of you^(AM) has a hymn,^(AN) or a word of instruction,^(AO) a revelation, a tongue^(AP) or an interpretation.^(AQ) Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.^{(AR) 27} If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. ²⁸ If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

²⁹ Two or three prophets^(AS) should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.^{(AT) 30} And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. ³¹ For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. ³² The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.^{(AU) 33} For God is not a God of disorder^(AV) but of peace^(AW)—as in all the congregations^(AX) of the Lord’s people.^(AY)

³⁴ Women^[f] should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak,^(AZ) but must be in submission,^(BA) as the law^(BB) says. ³⁵ If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.^[g]

³⁶ Or did the word of God^(BC) originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? ³⁷ If anyone thinks they are a prophet^(BD) or otherwise gifted by the Spirit,^(BE) let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.^{(BF) 38} But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.^[h]

³⁹ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager^(BG) to prophesy,^(BH) and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly^(BI) way.