Judges:8

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* The men of Ephraim said to him , "Why have you treated us this way , that you didn 't call us , when you went to fight with Midian ?" They rebuked him sharply . * He said to them , "What have I now done in comparison with you ? Isn 't the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer ? * God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian , Oreb and Zeeb ! What was I able to do in comparison with you ?" Then their anger was abated toward him , when he had said that . * Gideon came to the Jordan , and passed over , he , and the three hundred men who were with him , faint , yet pursuing . * He said to the men of Succoth , "Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me ; for they are faint , and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna , the kings of Midian ." * The princes of Succoth said , "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand , that we should give bread to your army ?" * Gideon said , "Therefore when Yahweh has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand , then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers ." * He went up there to Penuel , and spoke to them in the same way ; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered . * He spoke also to the men of Penuel , saying , "When I come again in peace , I will break down this tower ." * Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor , and their armies with them , about fifteen thousand men , all who were left of all the army of the children of the east ; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword . * Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah , and struck the army ; for the army was secure . * Zebah and Zalmunna fled ; and he pursued after them ; and he took the two kings of Midian , Zebah and Zalmunna , and confused all the army . * Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres . * He caught a young man of the men of Succoth , and inquired of him : and he described for him the princes of Succoth , and its elders , seventy-seven men . * He came to the men of Succoth , and said , "See Zebah and Zalmunna , concerning whom you taunted me , saying , 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand , that we should give bread to your men who are weary ?'" * He took the elders of the city , and thorns of the wilderness and briers , and with them he taught the men of Succoth . * He broke down the tower of Penuel , and killed the men of the city . * Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna , "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor ?" They answered , "They were like you . Each one resembled the children of a king ." * He said , "They were my brothers , the sons of my mother . As Yahweh lives , if you had saved them alive , I would not kill you ." * He said to Jether his firstborn , "Get up , and kill them !" But the youth didn 't draw his sword ; for he was afraid , because he was yet a youth . * Then Zebah and Zalmunna said , "Rise and fall on us ; for as the man is , so is his strength ." Gideon arose , and killed Zebah and Zalmunna , and took the crescents that were on their camels ' necks . * Then the men of Israel said to Gideon , "Rule over us , both you , and your son , and your son 's son also ; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian ." * Gideon said to them , "I will not rule over you , neither shall my son rule over you . Yahweh shall rule over you ." * Gideon said to them , "I would make a request of you , that you would give me every man the earrings of his spoil ." (For they had golden earrings , because they were Ishmaelites .) * They answered , "We will willingly give them ." They spread a garment , and every man threw the earrings of his spoil into it . * The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold , besides the crescents , and the pendants , and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian , and besides the chains that were about their camels ' necks . * Gideon made an ephod of it , and put it in his city , even in Ophrah : and all Israel played the prostitute after it there ; and it became a snare to Gideon , and to his house . * So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel , and they lifted up their heads no more . The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon . * Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house . * Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body ; for he had many wives . * His concubine who was in Shechem , she also bore him a son , and he named him Abimelech . * Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age , and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father , in Ophrah of the Abiezrites . * It happened , as soon as Gideon was dead , that the children of Israel turned again , and played the prostitute after the Baals , and made Baal Berith their god . * The children of Israel didn 't remember Yahweh their God , who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side ; * neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal , Gideon , according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel .

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