Read the Bible

¹ And the men of Ephraim said to him, What is this thing you have done to us, not to call us when you went out to fight against Midian? And they contended with him sharply.

² And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

³ God has given the rulers of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, into your hand. And what was I able to do like you? Then their spirit was abated toward him when he said this word.

⁴ And Gideon came to the Jordan, he crossing over, and three hundred who were with him, being weary, yet pursuing.

⁵ And he said to the men of Succoth, Please give loaves of bread to the people at my feet, for they are weary; and I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.

⁶ And the rulers of Succoth said, Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?

⁷ And Gideon said, Because of this, when Jehovah has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I shall thresh your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

⁸ And he went up from there to Penuel, and spoke to them in this same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

⁹ And he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come back in peace, I will break down this tower.

¹⁰ And Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the army of the sons of the east. And those who fell were a hundred and twenty thousand men drawing sword.

¹¹ And Gideon went up the way of those who live in tents, on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army; for the army was at ease.

¹² And Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he chased them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. And he caused all the army to tremble.

¹³ And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle, at the ascent of Mount Heres.

¹⁴ And he captured a young man of the men of Succoth, and questioned him; and he wrote out to him the rulers of Succoth, and its elders, seventy seven men.

¹⁵ And he came in to the men of Succoth, and said, Behold, Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand that we should give bread to your weary men?

¹⁶ And he took the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness, and the briers, and taught the men of Succoth with them.

¹⁷ And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city.

¹⁸ And he said to Zebah and to Zalmunna, How were the men whom you killed in Tabor? And they said, As you are , so they; each one as a king's son in appearance.

¹⁹ And he said, They were my brothers, sons of my mother. As Jehovah lives, if you had kept them alive, I would not have killed you.

²⁰ And he said to his first-born, Jether, Rise up, kill them. But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, for he was still a youth.

²¹ And Zebah and Zalmunna said, You rise up and fall on us, for as the man, so is his might. And Gideon rose up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the moon crescents which were on the necks of their camels.

²² And the men of Israel said to Gideon, rule over us, both you and your son, and your son's son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.

²³ And Gideon said to them, I shall not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; Jehovah shall rule over you.

²⁴ And Gideon said to them, Let me ask of you a request, that each man give to me a ring from his plunder; for they had gold rings, because they were Ishmaelites.

²⁵ And they said, We will certainly give. And they spread out a garment and each threw a ring from their plunder there.

²⁶ And the weight of the rings of gold which he asked was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, apart from the ornaments, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian; also apart from the necklaces on the necks of their camels.

²⁷ And Gideon made an ephod of it, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah. And all Israel went whoring after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

²⁸ And Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads any more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

²⁹ And Jerubbaal the son of Joash departed and lived in his own house.

³⁰ And seventy sons were born to Gideon, coming out of his loins; for he had many wives.

³¹ And his concubine in Shechem bore a son to him, she also; and he called his name Abimelech.

³² And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the burial place of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

³³ And it happened, when Gideon was dead, the sons of Israel rebelled and went whoring after the Baals, and appointed Baal-berith for a god for themselves.

³⁴ And the sons of Israel did not remember Jehovah their God who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies all around;

³⁵ nor did they act with kindness on the house of Jerubbaal, Gideon, according to all the good which he did with Israel.