Judges 8 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Gideon Pursues Zebah and Zalmunna

1 Then the men ^H376 of Ephraim ^H669 said ^H559 to him, “What ^H4100 is this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 you have done ^H6213 to us, not calling ^H7121 us when ^H3588 you went ^H1980 to fight ^H3898 against Midian ^H4080?” And they strongly ^H2394 contended ^H7378 with him.

2 But he said ^H559 to them, “What ^H4100 have I done ^H6213 now ^H6258 in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning ^H5955 of the grapes of Ephraim ^H669 better ^H2896 than ^H4480 the grape ^H1210 harvest ^H1210 of Abiezer ^H44? 3 God ^H430 has given ^H5414 the princes ^H8269 of Midian ^H4080, Oreb ^H6159 and Zeeb ^H2062, into your hands ^H3027; and what ^H4100 was ^H3201 I able ^H3201 to do ^H6213 in comparison with you?” Then ^H227 their [fn]anger ^H7307 toward ^H4480 H5921 him subsided ^H7503 when he spoke ^H1696 this word.

4 Then Gideon ^H1439 and the 300 ^H7969 H3967 men ^H376 who ^H834 were with him came ^H935 to the Jordan ^H3383 and crossed ^H5674 over ^H5674, weary ^H5889 yet pursuing ^H7291. 5 And he said ^H559 to the men ^H376 of Succoth ^H5523, “Please ^H4994 give ^H5414 loaves ^H3603 of bread ^H3899 to the people ^H5971 who ^H834 are following ^H7272 me, for they are weary ^H5889, and I am pursuing ^H7291 Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759, the kings ^H4428 of Midian ^H4080.” 6 But the princes ^H8269 of Succoth ^H5523 said ^H559, “[fn]Are the hands ^H3709 of Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759 already ^H6258 in your hands ^H3027, that we should give ^H5414 bread ^H3899 to your army ^H6635?” 7 And Gideon ^H1439 said ^H559, “Thus ^H3651, when Yahweh ^H3068 has given ^H5414 Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759 into my hand ^H3027, then I will [fn]thrash ^H1758 your [fn]bodies ^H1320 with the thorns ^H6975 of the wilderness ^H4057 and with briers ^H1303.” 8 So he went ^H5927 up ^H5927 from there ^H8033 to [fn]Penuel ^H6439 and spoke ^H1696 similarly ^H2088 to them; and the men ^H376 of Penuel ^H6439 answered ^H6030 him just ^H834 as the men ^H376 of Succoth ^H5523 had answered ^H6030. 9 So he spoke ^H559 also ^H1571 to the men ^H376 of Penuel ^H6439, saying ^H559, “When I return ^H7725 safely ^H7965, I will tear ^H5422 down ^H5422 this ^H2088 tower ^H4026.”

10 Now Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759 were in Karkor ^H7174, and their camps ^H4264 with them, about 15,000 ^{H2568 H6240 H505} men, all ^H3605 who were left ^H3498 of the entire ^H3605 camp ^H4264 of the sons ^H1121 of the east ^H6924; for the fallen ^H5307 were 120,000 ^{H3967 H6242 H505} men ^H376 who drew ^H8025 the sword ^H2719. 11 And Gideon ^H1439 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 by the way ^H1870 of those who dwelt ^H7931 in tents ^H168 on the east ^H6924 of Nobah ^H5025 and Jogbehah ^H3011 and struck ^H5221 the camp ^H4264 when the camp ^H4264 was [fn]unsuspecting ^H983. 12 Then Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759 fled ^H5127. And he pursued ^H7291 them and captured ^H3920 the two ^H8147 kings ^H4428 of Midian ^H4080, Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759, and he threw ^H2729 the whole ^H3605 camp ^H4264 into ^H2729 utter fright ^H2729.

13 Then Gideon ^H1439 the son ^H1121 of Joash ^H3060 returned ^H7725 from the battle ^H4421 [fn]by the ascent ^H4608 of Heres ^H2776. 14 And he captured ^H3920 a youth ^H5288 from the men ^H376 of Succoth ^H5523 and questioned ^H7592 him. So the youth wrote ^H3789 down ^H3789 for him the princes ^H8269 of Succoth ^H5523 and its elders ^H2205, seventy-seven ^H7657 men ^H376. 15 Then he came ^H935 to the men ^H376 of Succoth ^H5523 and said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009 Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759, about whom ^H834 you reproached ^H2778 me, saying ^H559, ‘[fn]Are the hands ^H3709 of Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759 already ^H6258 in your hand ^H3027, that we should give ^H5414 bread ^H3899 to your men ^H376 who are weary ^H3287?’” 16 Then he took ^H3947 the elders ^H2205 of the city ^H5892 as well as thorns ^H6975 of the wilderness ^H4057 and briers ^H1303, and with them he [fn]taught ^H3045 the men ^H376 of Succoth ^H5523 a lesson ^H3045. 17 And he tore ^H5422 down ^H5422 the tower ^H4026 of Penuel ^H6439 and killed ^H2026 the men ^H376 of the city ^H5892.

18 Then he said ^H559 to Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759, “What ^H375 kind ^H375 of men ^H376 were they whom ^H834 you killed ^H2026 at Tabor ^H8396?” And they said ^H559, “They were like ^H3644 you, each one ^H259 [fn]resembling ^H8389 the son ^H1121 of a king ^H4428.” 19 And he said ^H559, “They were my brothers ^H251, the sons ^H1121 of my mother ^H517. As Yahweh ^H3068 lives ^H2416, if ^H3863 only ^H3863 you had let them live ^H2421, I would not kill ^H2026 you.” 20 So he said ^H559 to Jether ^H3500 his firstborn ^H1060, “Rise ^H6965, kill ^H2026 them.” But the youth ^H5288 did not draw ^H8025 his sword ^H2719, for he was ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 because ^H3588 he was still ^H5750 a youth ^H5288. 21 Then Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759 said ^H559, “Rise ^H6965 up ^H6965 yourself ^H859, and smite ^H6293 us; for as the man ^H376, so is his might ^H1369.” So Gideon ^H1439 arose ^H6965 and killed ^H2026 Zebah ^H2078 and Zalmunna ^H6759 and took ^H3947 the crescent ^H7720 ornaments ^H7720 which ^H834 were on their camels’ ^H1581 necks ^H6677.

Gideon Makes an Ephod

22 Then the men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559 to Gideon ^H1439, “Rule ^H4910 over us, both ^H1571 you and your son ^H1121, also ^H1571 your son’s ^H1121 son ^H1121, for you have saved ^H3467 us from the hand ^H3027 of Midian ^H4080.”

23 But Gideon ^H1439 said ^H559 to them, “I will not rule ^H4910 over you, nor ^H3808 shall my son ^H1121 rule ^H4910 over you; Yahweh ^H3068 shall rule ^H4910 over you.” 24 Yet Gideon ^H1439 said ^H559 to them, “I would [fn]make ^H7592 one request ^H7595 of you, that each ^H376 of you give ^H5414 me [fn]an earring ^H5141 from his spoil ^H7998.” (For they had gold ^H2091 earrings ^H5141 because ^H3588 they were Ishmaelites ^H3459.) 25 And they said ^H559, “We will surely ^H5414 give ^H5414 them.” So they spread ^H6566 out ^H6566 a garment ^H8071, and every ^H376 one ^H376 of them threw ^H7993 an earring ^H5141 there ^H8033 from his spoil ^H7998. 26 And the weight ^H4948 of the gold ^H2091 earrings ^H5141 that he requested ^H7592 was 1,700 ^{H505 H7651 H3967} shekels of gold ^H2091, besides ^H905 H4480 the crescent ^H7720 ornaments ^H7720 and the pendants ^H5188 and the purple ^H713 robes ^H899 which ^H7945 were on the kings ^H4428 of Midian ^H4080, and besides ^H905 H4480 the neck ^H6060 bands ^H6060 that were on their camels’ ^H1581 necks ^H6677. 27 Then Gideon ^H1439 made ^H6213 it into an ephod ^H646 and placed ^H3322 it in his city ^H5892, Ophrah ^H6084, and all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 played ^H2181 the ^H2181 harlot ^H2181 with it there ^H8033, so that it became ^H1961 a snare ^H4170 to Gideon ^H1439 and his household ^H1004. 28 So Midian ^H4080 was subdued ^H3665 before ^H6440 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, and they did not lift ^H5375 up ^H5375 their heads ^H7218 anymore ^H3254. And the land ^H776 was ^H8252 quiet ^H8252 for forty ^H705 years ^H8141 in the days ^H3117 of Gideon ^H1439.

The Death and Burial of Gideon

29 Then Jerubbaal ^H3378 the son ^H1121 of Joash ^H3060 went ^H1980 and lived ^H3427 in his own house ^H1004.

30 Now Gideon ^H1439 had ^H1961 seventy ^H7657 sons ^H1121 who [fn]were his direct ^H3409 descendants ^H3318, for he had ^H1961 many ^H7227 wives ^H802. 31 And his concubine ^H6370 who ^H834 was in Shechem ^H7927 also ^H1571 bore ^H3205 him a son ^H1121, and he [fn]named ^H8034 H7760 him Abimelech ^H40. 32 Then Gideon ^H1439 the son ^H1121 of Joash ^H3060 died ^H4191 at a good ^H2896 old ^H7872 age ^H7872 and was buried ^H6912 in the tomb ^H6913 of his father ^H1 Joash ^H3060, in Ophrah ^H6084 of the Abiezrites ^H33.

33 Then it happened ^H1961, as soon ^H834 as Gideon ^H1439 was dead ^H4191, that the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 turned ^H7725 back ^H7725 and played ^H2181 the ^H2181 harlot ^H2181 with the Baals ^H1168 and made ^H7760 Baal-berith ^H1170 their god ^H430. 34 Thus the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 did not remember ^H2142 Yahweh ^H3068 their God ^H430, who had delivered ^H5337 them from the hands ^H3027 of all ^H3605 their enemies ^H340 on every ^H5439 side ^H5439; 35 nor ^H3808 did they show ^H6213 lovingkindness ^H2617 to the household ^H1004 of Jerubbaal ^H3378 (that is, Gideon ^H1439) in accord with all ^H3605 the good ^H2896 that he had done ^H6213 to Israel ^H3478.