Judges 8

1And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they did chide with him sharply.

1Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, 'Why have you treated us this way? Why didn't you call us when you first went to fight against Midian?' And they criticized him very harshly.

2And he said unto them, What have I now done in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

2But Gideon replied, 'What have I accomplished compared to you? Isn't the leftovers of Ephraim’s harvest better than the entire grape crop of Abiezer?'

3God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

3'God has handed over the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, to you. What was I able to do that compares with that?' When they heard this, their anger toward him cooled down.

4And Gideon came to the Jordan, andpassed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

4Gideon and his three hundred men reached the Jordan River and crossed over. They were exhausted, but they kept up the pursuit.

5And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.

5He said to the men of Succoth, 'Please give some loaves of bread to the troops following me. They are worn out, and I am still chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.'

6And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

6But the officials of Succoth replied, 'Do you already have Zebah and Zalmunna in your power? Why should we give bread to your army?'

7And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

7Gideon said, 'Fine! When the LORD has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briars.'

8And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them in like manner; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

8From there he went up to Penuel and made the same request, but the men of Penuel gave him the same answer as the men of Succoth.

9And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

9He warned the men of Penuel, 'When I return in victory, I will tear down this tower.'

10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the host of the children of the east; for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men. These were all who were left of the eastern armies, for one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers had already been killed.

11And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.

11Gideon traveled up the road used by nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked the camp while the army thought they were safe.

12And Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued after them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

12Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but Gideon pursued them and captured them, throwing their entire army into a panic.

13And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres.

13Then Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by way of the Pass of Heres.

14And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy and seven men.

14He captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down the names of the seventy-seven officials and elders of Succoth for him.

15And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom ye did taunt me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

15Then Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, 'Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, the ones you mocked me about when you asked, "Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands that we should give bread to your exhausted men?"'

16And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

16He took the elders of the city and punished the men of Succoth by using desert thorns and briars to teach them a lesson.

17And he brake down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

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

18Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.

18Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, 'What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?' They answered, 'They were like you; each one looked like the son of a king.'

19And he said, They were my brethren, the sons of my mother: as Jehovah liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

19Gideon said, 'They were my brothers, my own mother’s sons! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had spared them, I would not kill you now.'

20And he said unto Jether his first-born, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

20He said to Jether, his oldest son, 'Get up and kill them!' But the boy did not draw his sword because he was young and afraid.

21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels’ necks.

21Zebah and Zalmunna said, 'Come, do it yourself! A man is judged by his own strength.' So Gideon stepped forward and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from their camels' necks.

22Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also; for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Midian.

22After this, the Israelites said to Gideon, 'Rule over us! You, your son, and your grandson, because you rescued us from the power of Midian.'

23And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah shall rule over you.

23But Gideon told them, 'I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.'

24And Gideon said unto them, I would make a request of you, that ye would give me every man the ear-rings of his spoil. (For they had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

24Then Gideon said, 'I do have one request: each of you give me a gold earring from the loot you took.' (The enemy had worn gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

25And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the ear-rings of his spoil.

25'We will gladly give them,' they replied. So they spread out a cloak, and every man threw a gold earring from his loot onto it.

26And the weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels’ necks.

26The weight of the gold earrings he requested was about forty-three pounds, not counting the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple robes worn by the Midianite kings, or the chains from their camels' necks.

27And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel played the harlot after it there; and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

27Gideon used the gold to make a sacred vest, which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All Israel was unfaithful to God by worshiping it there, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.

28So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

28In this way, Midian was defeated by the Israelites and did not cause trouble again. The land was peaceful for forty years during Gideon’s lifetime.

29And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

29Jerubbaal (Gideon) son of Joash went home to live.

30And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten; for he had many wives.

30Gideon had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives.

31And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

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

32And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, 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 in Ophrah, which belonged to the Abiezrites.

33And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and played the harlot after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.

33As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites turned away and began worshiping the Baals again, making Baal-berith their god.

34And the children of Israel remembered not Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;

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

35neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.

35They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerubbaal (Gideon) despite all the good things he had done for Israel.