²² Then the men of Israel asked Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son, and your grandsons—because you have delivered us from Midian’s domination.”

²³ But Gideon told them, “I won’t rule over you and my son won’t rule over you. The Lord will rule you.”

Gideon Falls into Idolatry

²⁴ But Gideon also added, “I would like to ask that each of you give me a ring from his war booty” because, as Ishmaelites, the Midianites^[a] had been wearing gold rings.

²⁵ They responded, “We’ll be happy to give them.” So they laid out a garment, and each of them contributed a ring from his war booty. ²⁶ The weight of the rings that he had asked for was 1,700 gold coins,^[b] not counting the crescent-shaped necklaces, pendants, and purple garments worn by the Midian kings, and also not counting the bands adorning the necks of their camels.

²⁷ Gideon crafted the booty into an ephod^[c] and enshrined it in his home town of Ophrah. Then all of Israel committed spiritual adultery with it there, and it became a snare for Gideon and his household.