1 And the men of Ephraim said to him, What is this thing thou hast done to us, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with Midian? And they disputed with him sharply.2 And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?3 Into your hands hath God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their spirit was appeased toward him, when he said that word.4 And Gideon came to the Jordan, {and} passed over, he and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.5 And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people that follow me, for they are faint; and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.6 And the chief men of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, that we should give bread to thine army?7 And Gideon said, Therefore when Jehovah delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and with briars.8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spoke to them in like manner. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.9 And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their camp with them, about fifteen thousand {men}, all that were left of the whole camp of the children of the east; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the camp; for the camp was at its ease.12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued after them, and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the camp.13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle, from the ascent of Heres.14 And he caught a youth of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the chief men of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy-seven men.15 And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men that are weary?16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.17 And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.18 Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna, What sort of men were they that ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the sons of a king.19 And 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.20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, Arise, slay them! But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall on us; for as is the man, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna; and he took the moons that were on their camels' necks.22 And the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian.23 And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah will rule over you.24 And Gideon said to them, I would desire a request of you: give me every man the earrings of his booty; for they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.25 And they said, We will willingly give {them}. And they spread a garment, and cast therein every man the earrings of his booty.26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand seven hundred {shekels} of gold; besides the moons, and eardrops, and the purple garments that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.27 And Gideon made an ephod of them, and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel went thither a whoring after it; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.28 And 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.29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his house.30 Now Gideon had seventy sons who had come out of his loins, for he had many wives.31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he gave him the name of Abimelech.32 And 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 Abi-ezrites.33 And it came to pass when Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after the Baals, and set up Baal-Berith as their god.34 And the children of Israel remembered not Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side.35 And they shewed no kindness to the house of Jerubbaal-Gideon, according to all the good that he had done to Israel.

1 Toe sê die manskappe van Efraim vir hom: Wat is dit wat u ons aangedoen het, dat u ons nie geroep het toe u weggetrek het om teen die Midianiete te veg nie? En hulle het heftig met hom getwis.2 Maar hy sê vir hulle: Wat het ek nou gedoen in vergelyking met julle? Is die na-oes van Efraim nie beter as die wynoes van Abiëser nie?3 God het die vorste van M¡dian, Oreb en Seëb, in julle hand gegee, maar wat kon ek doen in vergelyking met julle? Toe bedaar hulle opgewondenheid teenoor hom nadat hy hierdie woord gespreek het.4 En G¡deon het gekom by die Jordaan, en hy en die drie honderd man wat by hom was, het oorgetrek, moeg en besig om te agtervolg.5 En hy sê aan die manne van Sukkot: Gee tog broodjies vir die manskappe wat op my voetspore volg, want hulle is moeg, en ek is besig om Seba en S lmuna, die konings van die Midianiete, agterna te jaag.6 Maar die vorste van Sukkot vra: Is die handpalm van Seba en van S lmuna nou al in u hand, dat ons aan u leër brood moet gee?7 Toe sê G¡deon: Daarom, as die HERE Seba en S lmuna in my hand gee, sal ek julle vlees met woestyndorings en distels dors.8 En daarvandaan het hy opgetrek na Pnuel en met hulle net so gespreek; maar die manne van Pnuel het hom geantwoord net soos die manne van Sukkot geantwoord het.9 Daarop spreek hy ook met die mense van Pnuel en sê: As ek met vrede terugkom, sal ek hierdie toring omgooi.10 Seba en S lmuna was toe in Karkor, en hul leër by hulle, omtrent vyftien duisend, al wat oor was uit die hele leër van die kinders van die Ooste; maar die gesneuweldes was honderd en twintig duisend man wat die swaard kon uittrek.11 En G¡deon het opgetrek met die pad van die tentbewoners, ten ooste van Nobag en Jogbeha, en hy het die leër verslaan terwyl die leër gerus was.12 En Seba en S lmuna het gevlug, maar hy het hulle agternagejaag en die twee konings van M¡dian, Seba en S lmuna, gevang nadat hy die hele leër uiteengejaag het.13 En toe G¡deon, die seun van Joas, terugkom uit die geveg, van die nek Heres af,14 vang hy 'n seun van die mense van Sukkot en vra hom uit; en die het vir hom die vorste van Sukkot en sy oudstes opgeskrywe, sewe en sewentig man.15 En toe hy by die mense van Sukkot kom, sê hy: Hier is Seba en S lmuna oor wie julle my gesmaad het deur te sê: Is die handpalm van Seba en van S lmuna nou al in u hand, dat ons aan u vermoeide manskappe brood moet gee?16 Daarop neem hy die oudstes van die stad saam met die woestyndorings en die distels, en hy het die manne van Sukkot daarmee 'n les geleer.17 En die toring van Pnuel het hy omgegooi en die manne van die stad gedood.18 En hy het Seba en S lmuna gevra: Wat vir manne was dit wat julle by Tabor gedood het? En hulle antwoord: Soos u, so was hulle: elkeen van gestalte koninklike seuns.19 Daarop sê hy: Dit was my broers, seuns van my moeder. So waar as die HERE leef, as julle hulle laat leef het, sou ek julle nie doodmaak nie.20 En hy sê aan Jeter, sy eersgeborene: Staan op, maak hulle dood! Maar die seun het sy swaard nie uitgetrek nie, omdat hy bang was; want hy was nog 'n seun.21 Toe sê Seba en S lmuna: Staan u self op en val op ons aan, want soos die man is, is sy krag. G¡deon het toe opgestaan en Seba en S lmuna gedood, en die maantjies wat aan die nekke van hulle kamele was, het hy geneem.22 Daarop sê die manne van Israel vir G¡deon: Heers oor ons, u sowel as u seun en u kleinseun, want u het ons verlos uit die hand van die Midianiete.23 Maar G¡deon antwoord hulle: Ek wil nie oor julle heers nie, en ook my seun mag nie oor julle heers nie: die HERE sal oor julle heers.24 Verder het G¡deon vir hulle gesê: Ek wil aan julle 'n versoek doen: Gee nou elkeen vir my die ring uit sy buit! Want hulle het goue ringe gedra, omdat hulle Ismaeliete was.25 Toe sê hulle: Ons wil dit graag gee; en hulle het 'n mantel uitgesprei en elkeen 'n ring van sy buit daarop gegooi.26 En die gewig van die goue ringe wat hy gevra het, was sewentien honderd sikkels goud, behalwe die maantjies en die oorversiersels en purper klere wat die konings van M¡dian gedra het, en behalwe die kettings wat aan die nekke van hulle kamele was.27 En G¡deon het daar 'n skouerkleed van gemaak en dit in sy stad, in Ofra, opgestel; en die hele Israel het dit daar agternagehoereer, en dit het vir G¡deon en sy huis 'n strik geword.28 So moes die Midianiete dan buig voor die kinders van Israel, en hulle het hul hoof nie meer opgetel nie; en die land het in G¡deon se dae veertig jaar lank gerus.29 En Jerubba„l, die seun van Joas, het in sy huis gaan woon.30 En G¡deon het sewentig seuns gehad wat uit sy lende voortgekom het, want hy het baie vroue gehad.31 En sy byvrou wat in Sigem was, het ook vir hom 'n seun gebaar, en hy het hom die naam Abim,leg gegee.32 En G¡deon, die seun van Joas, het gesterf in goeie ouderdom en is begrawe in die graf van sy vader Joas, in Ofra van die Abiësriete.33 Maar net toe G¡deon dood was, het die kinders van Israel weer die Ba„ls agternagehoereer en van Ba„l-Ber¡t vir hulle 'n god gemaak.34 En die kinders van Israel het nie gedink aan die HERE hulle God wat hulle uit die hand van al hul vyande rondom gered het nie.35 En hulle het geen guns bewys aan die huis van Jerubba„l, dit is G¡deon, vir al die goed wat hy aan Israel gedoen het nie.