¹ And the men^◦* of Ephraim said to^▵ him, What is this thing which thou hast done to us, that thou calledst not for us, when thou wentest^◦ to fight·​·against Midian? And they strove with him firmly.

² And he said to^▵ them, What have I done now as you have done? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

³ God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was· I ·able to do as you^◦ have done? Then their spirit slackened from upon him when he spoke this word.

⁴ And Gideon came to Jordan, crossing·​·over it, he and the three hundred men^◦ that were with him, faint but pursuing.

⁵ And he said unto the men^◦ of Succoth, Give, I pray^◦ you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow at my feet, for they be faint, and I^▵ am pursuing after Zebach and Tsalmunna, the kings of Midian.

⁶ And the princes of Succoth said, are the palms of Zebach and Tsalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thine army?

⁷ And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah has given Zebach and Tsalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with^◦ the thorns of the wilderness and with^◦ briers^◦.

⁸ And he went·​·up thence to Penuel and spoke to^▵ them according·​·to this, and the men^◦ of Penuel answered him as^◦ the men^◦ of Succoth had answered.

⁹ And he said also to the men^◦ of Penuel, saying, When I^◦ return in peace, I will tear·​·down this tower.

¹⁰ And Zebach and Tsalmunna were in Karkor and their camp with them, about^◦ fifteen thousand, all that remained from all the camp of the sons of the east; and those that had fallen were a hundred and twenty thousand men^◦ who drew^▵ sword.

¹¹ And Gideon went·​·up by the way of the inhabitants of the tents from the east to Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the camp; but the camp was secure^*.

¹² And Zebach and Tsalmunna fled, and he pursued after them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebach and Tsalmunna, and caused all the camp to be·​·frightened.

¹³ And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle before the going·​·up of the sun^◦.

¹⁴ And he captured a lad of the men^◦ of Succoth, and asked him; and he described to^▵ him the princes of Succoth and her elders, seventy and seven men^◦.

¹⁵ And he came unto^▵ the men^◦ of Succoth and said, Behold Zebach and Tsalmunna, with whom you reproached me, saying, Are the palms of the hands of Zebach and Tsalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men^◦ that are faint?

¹⁶ And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers^◦, and with them he made the men^◦ of Succoth know.

¹⁷ And he tore·​·down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men^◦ of the city.

¹⁸ And he said unto^▵ Zebach and unto^▵ Tsalmunna, How were the men^◦ whom you killed at Tabor? And they said, As^▵ thou^◦, as^▵ they, each one according·​·to the form^◦ of the sons of a king.

¹⁹ And he said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Jehovah lives, if^◦ you had let· them ·live, I would not kill you.

²⁰ And he said to Jether his firstborn, Arise, kill them. And the boy drew^▵ not his sword, for he feared, for he was yet a boy.

²¹ And Zebach and Tsalmunna said, Arise thou^◦ and fall·​·upon us, for as the man^◦ is, so his might. And Gideon arose and killed Zebach and Tsalmunna, and he took the crescents which were on^◦ the necks of their camels.

²² And the men^◦ of Israel said to^▵ Gideon, Rule thou over^◦ us, both^◦ thou^◦, and^◦ thy son, and^◦ the son of thy son; for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian.

²³ And Gideon said, I^◦ will not rule over^◦ you, neither shall my son rule over^◦ you; Jehovah shall rule over^◦ you.

²⁴ And Gideon said to them, I would ask an asking from you, that you would give to me, each man^◦ the earring of his spoil. For they had gold earrings, for they were Ishmaelites.

²⁵ And they said, Giving, we will give them. And they spread raiment and did cast in it each·​·man^◦ the earring of his spoil.

²⁶ And the weight of the earrings of gold that he asked was a thousand and seven hundred^* of gold; besides the crescents and the pendants and the crimson garments, which^▵ were on the kings of Midian, and besides the anaqs^* that were on^◦ the necks of their camels.

²⁷ And Gideon made it into^◦ an ephod, and placed^◦ it in his city, in Ophrah; and all Israel went thither committing·​·harlotry after it, and it was for a snare to Gideon and to his house.

²⁸ And Midian was humbled before the sons of Israel, and they lifted not their heads again. And the land was·​·quiet forty years in the days of Gideon.

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

³⁰ And Gideon had^◦ seventy sons who went·​·out from his thigh; for he had^◦ many wives.

³¹ And his concubine, who was in Shechem, gave·​·birth to a son for him, and he set his name as Abimelech.

³² And Gideon the son of Joash died with good gray·​·hairs, and was buried in the burying·​·place of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

³³ And it was, when Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel turned·​·back and committed·​·harlotry after Baalim, and made^▫ Baal-berith their god.

³⁴ And the sons of Israel remembered not Jehovah their God, who had rescued them out of the hand of all their enemies all around.

³⁵ And they did not do mercy with the house of Jerubbaal, Gideon, according·​·to all the goodness which he had done with Israel.