1 Now the men of Ephraim said to him, Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites? And they strongly complained against him.2 So he said to them, What have I done now in comparison to you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?3 God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison to you? Then their anger toward him subsided when he spoke those words.4 And when Gideon came to the Jordan, he and the three hundred men with him crossed over, exhausted but still pursuing.5 And he said to the men of Succoth, Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.6 And the rulers of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?7 And Gideon said, Therefore, when Jehovah has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thresh your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!8 And he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.9 So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the army of the sons of the east; for one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen.11 And Gideon went up by the way of those who dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah; and he struck the army while the camp felt secure.12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle at sunrise.14 And he seized a young man of the men of Succoth and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the rulers of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.15 And he came to the men of Succoth and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you have taunted me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he gave knowledge to the men of Succoth.17 And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.18 And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor? And they answered, As you are, so were they; each one with the appearance of the son 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 have killed you.20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, Rise up and kill them! But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.21 So Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise up yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength. So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, both you and your son, and your son’s son also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.23 And Gideon said to them, I shall not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; Jehovah shall rule over you.24 And Gideon said to them, I would make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder. For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.25 And they answered, We will extend to give them. And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder.26 And the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple garments which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks.27 And Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel committed adultery with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.28 Thus Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the land was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.30 And Gideon had seventy sons proceeding from his loins, for he had many wives.31 And his concubine in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned back and committed adultery with the Baals, and established Baal-Berith as their god.34 Thus the children of Israel did not remember Jehovah their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies all around;35 nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) according to all the good he had done for Israel.

1 And the men of Effraym seiden to hym, What is this thing, which thou woldist do, that thou clepidist not vs, whanne thou yedist to batel ayens Madian? And thei chidden strongli, and almest diden violence.2 To whiche he answeride, `What sotheli siche thing myyte Y do, what maner thing ye diden? Whethir a reisyn of Effraym is not betere than the vindagis of Abiezer?3 And the Lord bitook in to youre hondis the princes of Madian, Oreb and Zeb. What sich thing myyte Y do, what maner thing ye diden? And whanne he hadde spoke this thing, the spirit of hem restide, bi which thei bolneden ayens hym.4 And whanne Gedeon hadde come to Jordan, he passide it with thre hundrid men, that weren with hym; and for weerynesse thei myyten not pursue hem that fledden.5 And he seide to the men of Socoth, Y biseche, yyue ye looues to the puple, which is with me; for thei failiden greetli, that we moun pursue Zebee and Salmana, kyngis of Madian.6 The princes of Socoth answeriden in scorne, In hap the pawmes of the hondis of Zebee and of Salmana ben in thin hond, and therfor thou axist, that we yyue looues to thin oost.7 To whiche he seide, Therfor, whanne the Lord schal bitake Zebee and Salmana in to myn hondis, and whanne Y schal turne ayen ouercomere in pees, Y schal to-reende youre fleischis with the thornes and breris of deseert.8 And he stiede fro thennus, and cam in to Phanuel; and he spak lijk thingis to men of that place, to whom also thei answeriden, as the men of Socoth hadden answerid.9 And so he seide to hem, Whanne Y schal turne ayen ouercomere in pees, Y schal distrie this tour.10 Forsothe Zebee and Salmana restiden with al her oost; for fiftene thousynde men leften of alle the cumpenyes of the `puplis of the eest, whanne an hundrid and twenti thousynde of `fiyteris and of men drawynge out swerd weren slayn.11 And Gedeon stiede bi the weye of hem that dwelliden in tabernaclis at the eest coost of Nobe and of Lethoa, and smoot the `tentis of enemyes, that weren sikur, and supposiden not ony thing of aduersite.12 And Zebee and Salmana fledden, whiche Gedeon pursuede and took, whanne al `the oost of hem was disturblid.13 And he turnede ayen fro batel bifor the `risyng of the sunne,14 and took a child of the men of Socoth; and he axide hym the names of the princes and eldere men of Socoth; and he descryuede seuene and seuenti men in noumbre.15 And he cam to Socoth, and seide to hem, Lo Zebee and Salmana! of whiche ye vpbreideden me, and seiden, In hap the hondis of Zebee and of Salmana ben in thin hondis, and therfor thou axist, that we yyue looues to men, that ben weeri and failiden.16 Therfor Gedeon took the eldere men of the citee, and thornes and breris of deseert, and he to-rente with tho, and al to-brak the men of Socoth; also he destriede the tour of Phanuel,17 whanne the dwelleris of the citee weren slayn.18 And he seide to Zebee and Salmana, What maner men weren thei, whiche ye killiden in Thabor? Whiche answeriden, Thei weren lijk thee, and oon of hem was as the sone of a kyng.19 To whiche he seide, Thei weren my britheren, the sones of my modir; the Lord lyueth, if ye hadden saued hem, Y `nolde sle you.20 And he seide to Jepther, his firste gendrid sone, Rise thou, and sle hem. Which drow not swerd; for he dredde, for he was yit a child.21 And Zebee and Salmana seiden, Ryse thou, and falle on vs; for thou art bi the age and strengthe of man. Gedeon roos, and killide Zebee and Salmana, and took the ournementis, and bellis, with whiche the neckis of kyngis camels ben wont to be maad fair.22 And alle the men of Israel seiden to Gedeon, Be thou lord of vs, thou, and thi sone, and the sone of thi sone; for thou deliueridist vs fro the hond of Madian.23 To whiche he seide, Y schal not be lord of you, nethir my sone schal be lord on you, but the Lord schal be lord.24 And he seide to hem, Y axe oon axyng of you, yyue ye to me the eere ryngis of youre prey; for Ismaelitis weren wont to haue goldun eere ryngis.25 Whiche answeriden, We schulen yyue moost gladli. And thei spredden forth a mentil on the erthe, and castiden forth therynne `eere ryngis of the prey;26 and the weiyte of `eere ryngis axid was a thousynde and seuene hundrid siclis of gold, with out ournementis and brochis and cloth of purpur, whiche the kyngis of Madian weren wont to vse, and outakun goldun bies of camels.27 And Gedeon made therof ephot, that is, a preestis cloth, `and propir cloth of the hiyeste preest, and he puttide it in his citee Ephra; and al Israel diden fornycacioun, `that is ydolatrye, ther ynne; and it was maad to Gedeon and to al his hows in to fallyng.28 Forsothe Madian was maad low bifor the sones of Israel, and thei myyten no more reise nollis; but the lond restide fourti yeer, in whiche Gedeon was souereyn.29 And so Jerobaal, sone of Joas, yede, and dwellide in his hows;30 and he hadde seuenti sones, that yeden out of his thiy, for he hadde many wyues.31 Forsothe a concubyn, `that is, secoundarie wijf, of hym, whom he hadde in Sichem, gendride to hym a sone, Abymelech bi name.32 And Gedeon, sone of Joas, diede in good elde, and was biried in the sepulcre of Joas, his fadir, in Ephra, of the meynee of Ezri.33 Forsothe aftir that Gedeon was deed, the sones of Israel turneden awey `fro Goddis religioun, and diden fornycacioun, `that is, idolatrie, with Baalym; and thei smytiden boond of pees with Baal, that he schulde be to hem in to God,34 nether thei hadden mynde of her Lord God, that delyuerede hem fro the hond of alle her enemyes `bi cumpas;35 nether thei diden merci with the hous of Gerobaal Gedeon, bi alle the goodis whiche he `hadde do to Israel.