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.