KJV + Strong's Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna 1And the menof Ephraimsaidunto him, Why hast thouservedus thus,that thou calledstus not, when thou wentestto fightwith the Midianites?And they did chidewith him sharply.2And he saidunto them, What have I donenow in comparison of you? [Is] not the gleaningof the grapes of Ephraimbetterthan the vintageof Abiezer?3Godhath deliveredinto your handsthe princesof Midian,Oreband Zeeb:and what was I ableto doin comparison of you? Then their angerwas abatedtoward him, when he had saidthat. 4And Gideoncameto Jordan,[and] passed over,he, and the threehundredmenthat [were] with him, faint,yet pursuing[them].5And he saidunto the menof Succoth,Give,I pray you, loavesof breadunto the peoplethat followme; for they [be] faint,and I am pursuingafterZebahand Zalmunna,kingsof Midian.6And the princesof Succothsaid,[Are] the handsof Zebahand Zalmunnanow in thine hand,that we should givebreadunto thine army?7And Gideonsaid,Therefore when the LORDhath deliveredZebahand Zalmunnainto mine hand,then I will tearyour fleshwith the thornsof the wildernessand with briers.8And he went upthence to Penuel,and spakeunto them likewise:and the menof Penuelansweredhim as the menof Succothhad answered[him].9And he spakealso unto the menof Penuel,saying,When I come againin peace,I will break downthis tower. 10Now Zebahand Zalmunna[were] in Karkor,and their hostswith them, about fifteenthousand[men], all that were leftof all the hostsof the childrenof the east:for there fellan hundredand twentythousandmenthat drewsword.11And Gideonwent upby the wayof them that dweltin tentson the eastof Nobahand Jogbehah,and smotethe host:for the hostwas secure.12And when Zebahand Zalmunnafled,he pursuedafterthem, and tookthe twokingsof Midian,Zebahand Zalmunna,and discomfitedall the host. 13And Gideonthe sonof Joashreturnedfrom battlebeforethe sun[was up],14And caughta young manof the menof Succoth,and enquiredof him: and he describedunto him the princesof Succoth,and the eldersthereof, [even] threescore and seventeenmen.15And he cameunto the menof Succoth,and said,Behold Zebahand Zalmunna,with whom ye did upbraidme, saying,[Are] the handsof Zebahand Zalmunnanow in thine hand,that we should givebreadunto thy men[that are] weary?16And he tookthe eldersof the city,and thornsof the wildernessand briers,and with them he taughtthe menof Succoth.17And he beat downthe towerof Penuel,and slewthe menof the city. 18Then saidhe unto Zebahand Zalmunna,Whatmanner of men[were they] whom ye slewat Tabor?And they answered,As thou[art], so [were] they; each oneresembledthe childrenof a king.19And he said,They [were] my brethren,[even] the sonsof my mother:[as] the LORDliveth,ifye had saved them alive,I would not slayyou.20And he saidunto Jetherhis firstborn,Up,[and] slaythem. But the youthdrewnot his sword:for he feared,because he [was] yet a youth.21Then Zebahand Zalmunnasaid,Risethou, and fallupon us: for as the man[is, so is] his strength.And Gideonarose,and slewZebahand Zalmunna,and took awaythe ornamentsthat [were] on their camels'necks. Gideon's Ephod 22Then the menof Israelsaidunto Gideon,Rulethou over us, both thou, and thy son,and thy son'ssonalso: for thou hast deliveredus from the handof Midian.23And Gideonsaidunto them, I will not ruleover you, neither shall my sonruleover you: the LORDshall ruleover you.24And Gideonsaidunto them, I would desirea requestof you, that ye would giveme every manthe earringsof his prey.(For they had goldenearrings,because they [were] Ishmaelites.)25And they answered,We will willinglygive[them]. And they spreada garment,and did casttherein every manthe earringsof his prey.26And the weightof the goldenearringsthat he requestedwas a thousandand sevenhundred[shekels] of gold;beside ornaments,and collars,and purpleraimentthat [was] on the kingsof Midian,and beside the chainsthat [were] about their camels'necks.27And Gideonmadean ephodthereof, and putit in his city,[even] in Ophrah:and all Israelwent thither a whoringafterit: which thing became a snareunto Gideon,and to his house. Forty Years of Peace 28Thus was Midiansubduedbeforethe childrenof Israel,so that they lifted uptheir headsno more.And the countrywas in quietnessfortyyearsin the daysof Gideon. 29And Jerubbaalthe sonof Joashwentand dweltin his own house.30And Gideonhad threescore and tensonsof his bodybegotten:for he had manywives.31And his concubinethat [was] in Shechem,she also barehim a son,whose namehe calledAbimelech. Gideon's Death 32And Gideonthe sonof Joashdiedin a goodold age,and was buriedin the sepulchreof Joashhis father,in Ophrahof the Abiezrites. 33And it came to pass, as soon as Gideonwas dead,that the childrenof Israelturned again,and went a whoringafterBaalim,and madeBaalberiththeir god.34And the childrenof Israelrememberednot the LORDtheir God,who had deliveredthem out of the handsof all their enemieson every side:35Neither shewedthey kindnessto the houseof Jerubbaal,[namely], Gideon,according to all the goodnesswhich he had shewedunto Israel. |
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