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.

¹ And the people saw that Moses delayed^◦ to come·​·down from the mountain; and the people assembled to Aaron, and said to^▵ him, Arise, make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man^◦ who made us come·​·up out·​·of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of^◦ him.

² And Aaron said to them, Pull·​·off^◦ the gold earrings which are on^◦ the ears of your women, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.

³ And all the people pulled·​·off^◦ the gold earrings that were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.

⁴ And he took them from their hand, and formed it with a stylus, and made it a molten calf; and they said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which made thee come·​·up out of the land of Egypt.

⁵ And Aaron saw, and he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a festival to jehovah.^*

⁶ And they got·​·up·​·early on the morrow, and offered·​·up burnt·​·offerings, and presented peace·​·offerings; and the people sat·​·down to eat and to drink, and rose·​·up to sport.

⁷ And Jehovah spoke to^▵ Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, whom thou madest to come up out of the land of Egypt, has corrupted itself;

⁸ they have turned·​·aside hastily from the way which I commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which made thee to come up out of the land of Egypt.

⁹ And Jehovah said to Moses, I have seen this people, and behold it is a stiff-necked people;

¹⁰ and thou, permit Me, and My anger will be·​·fierce against^◦ them, and I will consume· them ·all; and I will make thee into a great nation.

¹¹ And Moses implored the faces of Jehovah his God, and said, Why, Jehovah, shall Thine anger be·​·fierce against^◦ Thy people, whom Thou hast brought·​·out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a firm hand?

¹² Why should the Egyptians say, saying, Into evil did He bring· them ·out, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume· them ·all from on the faces of the ground? Turn·​·back from the fierceness of Thine anger, and repent of the evil to Thy people.

¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel Thy servants, to whom Thou promised by Thyself, and didst say to them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land, of which I have said, I will give it to your seed, and they shall inherit it for an age.

¹⁴ And Jehovah repented of the evil of which He spoke to do to His people.

¹⁵ And Moses turned· his ·face and came·​·down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand; the tablets were written on their two crossings, from this side and from that^▵ side they^◦ were written.^*

¹⁶ And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets.

¹⁷ And Joshua heard the voice of the people in their shouting, and he said to Moses, There is a voice of war in the camp.

¹⁸ And he said, It is not^◦ the voice of a cry for victory, and it is not^◦ the voice of a cry of being·​·overcome; it is the voice of a miserable cry^* that I^▵ hear.

¹⁹ And it was, as he came·​·near to the camp, that he saw the calf and the dances; and Moses was·​·fierce with anger, and he cast the tablets out of his hand, and broke them beneath the mountain.

²⁰ And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt· it ·up with fire, and ground it until it was·​·thin, and dispersed it upon the faces of the waters, and made the sons of Israel drink.

²¹ And Moses said to^▵ Aaron, What did this people to thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin on them?

²² And Aaron said, Let not thine anger be·​·fierce, my lord; thou knowest the people, that it is in evil.

²³ And they said to me, Make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man^◦ that made us to come up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him.

²⁴ And I said to them, To whom there is gold, Pull· ye it ·off^◦; and they gave it to me; and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came·​·out.

²⁵ And Moses saw the people, that they were·​·dissolute, for Aaron had made· them ·dissolute to annihilation by those rising·​·up against them;

²⁶ and Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is for Jehovah? Come to me. And all the sons of Levi were gathered·​·together to him.

²⁷ And he said to them, Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel, Set ye every man^◦ his sword upon his thigh, and pass· ye ·through and return from gate to gate in the camp, and kill ye, a man^◦ his brother, and a man^◦ his companion, and a man^◦ his neighbor.

²⁸ And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day up to three thousand men^◦.

²⁹ And Moses said, Fill your hand^* today to Jehovah, for a man^◦ is against^◦ his son, and against^◦ his brother; that He may give a blessing on you today.

³⁰ And it was, on the morrow, that Moses said to the people, You have sinned a great sin; and now I will go·​·up to^▵ Jehovah; perhaps I shall make·​·atonement for^▫ your^◦ sin.

³¹ And Moses returned to Jehovah and said, I pray^◦ Thee! This people has sinned a great sin, and they have made them gods of gold.

³² And now if Thou lift·​·off their sin—; and if not^◦, I pray^◦, wipe me out·​·of Thy book which Thou hast written.

³³ And Jehovah said to^▵ Moses, Whomever^▵ has sinned against^▵ Me, him will I wipe out·​·of My book.

³⁴ And now go, lead the people to^▵ that about which I spoke to thee; behold My angel shall go before thee; and in the day of My visiting I will visit their sin on them.

³⁵ And Jehovah struck the people, because they had made the calf, which Aaron made.