| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1The men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done this to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?" And they argued with him violently. | 1Later on, the descendants of Ephraim spoke to Gideon. They argued vehemently, "What are you doing to us? You never called us! But you went out to fight Midian!" |
| 2So he said to them, "What have I done now compared to you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? | 2"What have I accomplished compared to you?" he responded. "Isn't what's left from Ephraim's harvest better than the best vintage of Abiezer? |
| 3God handed over to you Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian. What was I able to do compared to you?" When he said this, their anger against him subsided. | 3God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the leaders of Midian, into your control. What was I able to do compared to you?" When he said this, their anger calmed down. |
| 4Gideon and the 300 men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted but still in pursuit. | 4Meanwhile, Gideon and the 300 soldiers with him came to the Jordan, exhausted but continuing their pursuit. |
| 5He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give some loaves of bread to the people who are following me, because they are exhausted, for I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." | 5He told the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the soldiers who are following behind me. They're tired, and I'm pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." |
| 6But the princes of Succoth asked, "Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hands that we should give bread to your army?" | 6But the officials of Succoth replied, "Do you have Zebah and Zalmunna in custody already, so that we should give food to your army?" |
| 7Gideon replied, "Very well, when the LORD has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will trample your flesh on thorns and briers from the wilderness!" | 7So Gideon responded, "Okay then, but when the LORD has turned over Zebah and Zalmunna into my control, I'm going to whip you with thorns and briers from the desert!" |
| 8He went from there to Penuel and asked the same thing from them. The men of Penuel answered just as the men of Succoth had answered. | 8Then he left there to go to Penuel and asked the same thing from them, but the men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth did. |
| 9He also told the men of Penuel, "When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower!" | 9So he responded the same way to the men of Penuel, "When I come back safely, I'm going to tear down this tower." |
| 10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and with them was their army of about 15,000 men, who were all those left of the entire army of the Qedemites. Those who had been killed were 120,000 warriors. | 10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, along with their armies, about 15,000 men who survived from the entire army of the group from the east, since 120,000 swordsmen had already fallen. |
| 11Gideon traveled on the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked their army while the army was unsuspecting. | 11Gideon went up by a caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked their encampment when they were off guard. |
| 12Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them. He captured these two kings of Midian and routed the entire army. | 12When Zebah and Zalmunna escaped, he pursued them, captured those two kings of Midian, and threw the entire army into a panic. |
| 13Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the Ascent of Heres. | 13Then Joash's son Gideon returned from the battle along the Heres Ascent. |
| 14He captured a youth from the men of Succoth and interrogated him. The youth wrote down for him the names of the 77 princes and elders of Succoth. | 14He caught a young man from Succoth and interrogated him. He wrote out for Gideon a list of the 77 officials of Succoth, including its elders. |
| 15Then he went to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You taunted me about them, saying, 'Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your power that we should give bread to your exhausted men?" | 15Then Gideon approached the men of Succoth and announced, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You criticized me about them when you said, 'Do you have Zebah and Zalmunna in custody already, so that we should give food to your weary army?'" |
| 16So he took the elders of the city, and he took some thorns and briers from the wilderness, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. | 16So he took the elders of the city and disciplined the men of Succoth with thorns and briers from the desert. |
| 17He also tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. | 17He also demolished the tower in Penuel and killed the men of the city. |
| 18He asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?"" They were like you," they said. "Each resembled the son of a king." | 18Afterwards, he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What were the men like whom you killed at Tabor?" They answered, "Like you, each one like the son of a king…" |
| 19So he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother! As the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you." | 19Gideon replied, "They were my brothers—sons from my own mother. As the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I wouldn't be killing you." |
| 20Then he said to Jether, his firstborn, "Get up and kill them." The youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a youth. | 20Then he told his firstborn son Jether, "Get up and kill them!" But he was afraid, since he was still only a youngster. |
| 21Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Get up and kill us yourself, for a man is judged by his strength." So Gideon got up, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. | 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna responded, "Get up and attack us yourself, since a man's valor is only as good as the man himself." So Gideon got up, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the crescent-shaped necklaces that adorned the necks of their camels. |
| 22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian." | 22Then the men of Israel asked Gideon, "Rule over us—you, your son, and your grandsons—because you have delivered us from Midian's domination." |
| 23But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you." | 23But Gideon told them, "I won't rule over you and my son won't rule over you. The LORD will rule you." |
| 24Then he said to them, "Let me make a request of you: Everyone give me an earring from his plunder." Now the enemy had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites. | 24But 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 had been wearing gold rings. |
| 25They said, "We agree to give them." So they spread out a mantle, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it. | 25They 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. |
| 26The weight of the gold earrings he requested was about 43 pounds of gold, in addition to the crescent ornaments and ear pendants, the purple garments on the kings of Midian, and the chains on the necks of their camels. | 26The weight of the rings that he had asked for was 1,700 gold coins, 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. |
| 27Gideon made an ephod from all this and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. Then all Israel prostituted themselves with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household. | 27Gideon crafted the booty into an ephod 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. |
| 28So Midian was subdued before the Israelites, and they were no longer a threat. The land was peaceful 40 years during the days of Gideon. | 28Midian remained subjugated to the Israelis, and they didn't so much as raise their heads anymore, so the land was peaceful for 40 years during the lifetime of Gideon. |
| 29Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) son of Joash went back to live at his house. | 29Afterwards, Joash's son Jerubbaal went home and retired. |
| 30Gideon had 70 sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives. | 30Gideon raised 70 sons as his direct descendants, since he had many wives. |
| 31His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. | 31His mistress in Shechem bore him a son whom he named Abimelech. |
| 32Then Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. | 32Later, Joash's son Gideon died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah, which belonged to the descendants of Abiezer. |
| 33When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. | 33Later on, as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelis again committed spiritual adultery with various Canaanite deities and appointed Baal-berith to be their god. |
| 34The Israelites did not remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the power of the enemies around them. | 34The Israelis did not remember the LORD their God, who continually delivered them from the domination of their enemies who surrounded them on every side. |
| 35They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel. | 35And they showed no gracious love to the household of Jerubbaal—also known as Gideon—despite all the good that he had done for Israel. |
|
