1
And the men of Ephraimsaid unto him, Why hast thouserved us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
3
God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian,Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had saidthat.
5
And he said unto the men of Succoth,Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuingafterZebah and Zalmunna,kings of Midian.
7
And Gideonsaid, Therefore when the LORD hath deliveredZebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
10
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen*thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twentythousandmen that drewsword.
14
And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen*men.
15
And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should givebread unto thy men that are weary?
18
Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna,What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each oneresembled the children of a king.
21
Then Zebah and Zalmunnasaid, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideonarose, and slewZebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels'necks.
22
Then the men of Israelsaid unto Gideon,Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son'sson also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
24
And Gideonsaid unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had goldenearrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
26
And the weight of the goldenearrings that he requested was a thousand and sevenhundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purpleraiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels'necks.
27
And Gideonmade an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoringafter it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28
Thus was Midiansubduedbefore the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietnessfortyyears in the days of Gideon.
33
And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoringafterBaalim, and madeBaalberith their god.