| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 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. | 1The Ephraimites said to him, "Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us when you went to fight the Midianites!" They argued vehemently with him. |
| 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? | 2He said to them, "Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim's leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer's harvest! |
| 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. | 3It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?" When he said this, they calmed down. |
| 4Gideon and the 300 men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted but still in pursuit. | 4Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites. |
| 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 said to the men of Succoth, "Give some loaves of bread to the men who are following me, because they are exhausted. I am chasing 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?" | 6The officials of Succoth said, "You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread 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!" | 7Gideon said, "Since you will not help, after the LORD hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh your skin with desert thorns and briers." |
| 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. | 8He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request. The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had. |
| 9He also told the men of Penuel, "When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower!" | 9He also threatened the men of Penuel, warning, "When I return victoriously, I will 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 with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed. |
| 11Gideon traveled on the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked their army while the army was unsuspecting. | 11Gideon went up the road of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. |
| 12Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them. He captured these two kings of Midian and routed the entire army. | 12When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised their entire army. |
| 13Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the Ascent of Heres. | 13Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass of Heres. |
| 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 captured a young man from Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth's officials and city leaders--seventy-seven men in all. |
| 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?" | 15He approached the men of Succoth and said, "Look what I have! Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, 'You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?'" |
| 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. | 16He seized the leaders of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then "threshed" the men of Succoth with them. |
| 17He also tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. | 17He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city's men. |
| 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." | 18He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Describe for me the men you killed at Tabor." They said, "They were like you. Each one looked like a king's son." |
| 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." | 19He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, as surely as the LORD is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill 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. | 20He ordered Jether his firstborn son, "Come on! Kill them!" But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword, because he was still young. |
| 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. | 21Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, "Come on, you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength." So Gideon killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on 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." | 22The men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us--you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian's power." |
| 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." | 23Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over 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. | 24Gideon continued, "I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken." (The Midianites had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) |
| 25They said, "We agree to give them." So they spread out a mantle, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it. | 25They said, "We are happy to give you earrings." So they spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. |
| 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 total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to seventeen hundred gold shekels. This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the 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 used all this to make an ephod, which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family. |
| 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. | 28The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites' fighting spirit was broken. The land had rest for forty years during Gideon's time. |
| 29Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) son of Joash went back to live at his house. | 29Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. |
| 30Gideon had 70 sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives. | 30Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. |
| 31His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. | 31His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also gave 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. | 32Gideon son of Joash died at a very old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. |
| 33When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. | 33After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god. |
| 34The Israelites did not remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the power of the enemies around them. | 34The Israelites did not remain true to the LORD their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. |
| 35They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel. | 35They did not treat the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel. |
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