New Living Translation

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1Then the people of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us this way? Why didn’t you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?” And they argued heatedly with Gideon.

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.

2But Gideon replied, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t even the leftover grapes of Ephraim’s harvest better than the entire crop of my little clan of Abiezer?

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?

3God gave you victory over Oreb and Zeeb, the commanders of the Midianite army. What have I accomplished compared to that?” When the men of Ephraim heard Gideon’s answer, their anger subsided.

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.

4Gideon then crossed the Jordan River with his 300 men, and though exhausted, they continued to chase the enemy.

4Gideon and the 300 men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted but still in pursuit.

5When they reached Succoth, Gideon asked the leaders of the town, “Please give my warriors some food. They are very tired. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

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."

6But the officials of Succoth replied, “Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your army.”

6But the princes of Succoth asked, "Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hands that we should give bread to your army?"

7So Gideon said, “After the LORD gives me victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will return and tear your flesh with the thorns and briers from the wilderness.”

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!"

8From there Gideon went up to Peniel and again asked for food, but he got the same answer.

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.

9So he said to the people of Peniel, “After I return in victory, I will tear down this tower.”

9He also told the men of Penuel, "When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower!"

10By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with about 15,000 warriors—all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed.

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.

11Gideon circled around by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, taking the Midianite army by surprise.

11Gideon traveled on the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked their army while the army was unsuspecting.

12Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings, fled, but Gideon chased them down and captured all their warriors.

12Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them. He captured these two kings of Midian and routed the entire army.

13After this, Gideon returned from the battle by way of Heres Pass.

13Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the Ascent of Heres.

14There he captured a young man from Succoth and demanded that he write down the names of all the seventy-seven officials and elders in the town.

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.

15Gideon then returned to Succoth and said to the leaders, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. When we were here before, you taunted me, saying, ‘Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your exhausted army.’”

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?"

16Then Gideon took the elders of the town and taught them a lesson, punishing them with thorns and briers from the wilderness.

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.

17He also tore down the tower of Peniel and killed all the men in the town.

17He also tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “The men you killed at Tabor—what were they like?” “Like you,” they replied. “They all had the look of a king’s son.”

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."

19“They were my brothers, the sons of my own mother!” Gideon exclaimed. “As surely as the LORD lives, I wouldn’t kill you if you hadn’t killed them.”

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."

20Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, for he was only a boy and was afraid.

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.

21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Be a man! Kill us yourself!” So Gideon killed them both and took the royal ornaments from the necks of their camels. Gideon’s Sacred Ephod

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.

22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Be our ruler! You and your son and your grandson will be our rulers, for you have rescued us from Midian.”

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."

23But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD will rule over you!

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."

24However, I do have one request—that each of you give me an earring from the plunder you collected from your fallen enemies.” (The enemies, being Ishmaelites, all wore gold earrings.)

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.

25“Gladly!” they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each one threw in a gold earring he had gathered from the plunder.

25They said, "We agree to give them." So they spread out a mantle, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it.

26The weight of the gold earrings was forty-three pounds, not including the royal ornaments and pendants, the purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, or the chains around the necks of their camels.

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.

27Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.

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.

28That is the story of how the people of Israel defeated Midian, which never recovered. Throughout the rest of Gideon’s lifetime—about forty years—there was peace in the land.

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.

29Then Gideon son of Joash returned home.

29Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) son of Joash went back to live at his house.

30He had seventy sons born to him, for he had many wives.

30Gideon had 70 sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives.

31He also had a concubine in Shechem, who gave birth to a son, whom he named Abimelech.

31His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

32Gideon died when he was very old, and he was buried in the grave of his father, Joash, at Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer.

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.

33As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god.

33When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.

34They forgot the LORD their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them.

34The Israelites did not remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the power of the enemies around them.

35Nor did they show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon), despite all the good he had done for Israel.

35They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.