²² Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you, your son, and your son’s son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”

²³ Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. Yahweh shall rule over you.” ²⁴ Gideon said to them, “I do have a request: that you would each give me the earrings of his plunder.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

²⁵ They answered, “We will willingly give them.” They spread a garment, and every man threw the earrings of his plunder into it. ²⁶ The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels^[a] of gold, in addition to the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and in addition to the chains that were about their camels’ necks. ²⁷ Gideon made an ephod out of it, and put it in Ophrah, his city. Then all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house.