Judges, Chapter 8:
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Verses from Judges, Chapter 8 of the book of Judges in the Bible.
Gideon persecutes two kings
- 1. The Ephraimites confronted Gideon, saying, “Why have you acted this way toward us? Why didn’t you call us to fight against Midian?” And they rebuked him vehemently.
- 2. Gideon replied, “What have I done compared to you? Are not Ephraim's remaining grapes better than Abiezer's entire harvest?
- 3. God delivered the Midianite leaders Oreb and Zeeb into your hands. My actions don’t compare to what you did!” With these words, their indignation against Gideon was calmed.
- 4. Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted, continued the chase, crossing the Jordan.
- 5. In Succoth, Gideon asked the men there: “Please provide bread for my troops; the men are exhausted and I am still pursuing the kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna.”
- 6. But the leaders of Succoth answered, “Haven’t you captured Zeba and Zalmunna yet? Why should we provide bread for your troops?”
- 7. Gideon replied, “If that is so, when the Lord delivers Zeba and Zalmunna into my hands, I will have you punished with thorns and thorns in the desert.”
- 8. From there Gideon went up to Peniel and made the same request to the men of Peniel, but they responded like those of Succoth.
- 9. Then Gideon said to the men of Peniel, “When I return victorious, I will tear down this fortress.”
- 10. Zeba and Zalmuna were in Carcor, together with about fifteen thousand men. They were the only survivors of the armies of the eastern peoples, for one hundred and twenty thousand men armed with swords had been killed.
- 11. Gideon went up the nomad route, east of Nobah and Jogbeah, and attacked the army by surprise.
- 12. Zeba and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but Gideon pursued them and captured them, also defeating the army.
- 13. After the battle, Gideon son of Joash returned by way of Heres.
- 14. He captured a young man from Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote to Gideon the names of the seventy-seven leaders and authorities of the city.
- 15. Gideon went to Succoth and said to the men there, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, for whom you mocked me, saying, 'Haven't you captured them yet? Why should we give bread to your exhausted ones?' “
- 16. Gideon arrested the leaders of the city of Succoth and punished them with thorns and desert thorns.
- 17. Then he overthrew the fortress of Peniel and killed the men of that city.
- 18. Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What were the men you killed at Tabor like?” “They were like you,” they replied, “each of them had the appearance of a prince.”
- 19. Gideon continued: “These men were my brothers, sons of my own mother. I swear by the name of the Lord, if you had spared their lives, I would not have killed you.”
- 20. Gideon turned to Jether, his eldest son, and ordered, “Kill them!” However, Jéter was afraid and did not draw his sword, as he was still very young.
- 21. Then Zeba and Zalmuna said, “Come and kill us yourself, if you dare!” Gideon went forward and killed them, taking the ornaments from their camels' necks.
Gideon's ephod
- 22. The Israelites said to Gideon, “Reign over us, you and your son and your grandson, for you delivered us from the hand of Midian.”
- 23. Gideon answered, “I will not reign over you, nor will my son reign. The Lord will be your king.”
- 24. And he added: “I have a request to make: each of you give me an earring from your share of the spoils” (The Ishmaelites used to wear gold earrings).
- 25. The Israelites agreed: “We will gladly give it to you!” Then they spread out a cloak, and each man threw over it an earring taken from the remains.
- 26. The total weight of the gold earrings reached twenty and a half kilograms, not counting the ornaments, pendants and purple clothes that the kings of Midian wore and the necklaces that were on the necks of their camels.
- 27. With the gold, Gideon made a priest's robe, which he placed in his city, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted themselves, worshiping him as an idol. And this became a trap for Gideon and his family.
Gideon's death
- 28. Midian was subjugated by the Israelites and was unable to recover. During Gideon's lifetime, the land enjoyed peace for forty years.
- 29. Jerubbaal son of Joash returned to his home and settled there.
- 30. He had seventy sons, all born to his own wives, for he had many wives.
- 31. His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech.
- 32. Gideon son of Joash died at an advanced age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
- 33. After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves with the Baals, worshiping them. They elevated Baal-Berite as their god
- 34. and they did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of their enemies around them.
- 35. They also did not show kindness to the family of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, and did not recognize all the good that he had done for Israel.
