Gideon pursues the Midianite kings and punishes the towns that refused to help. He refuses to be king but makes an ephod from the gold, which becomes a snare. The land has peace for forty years, and Gideon dies.
1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus , that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites ? And they did chide with him sharply .
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer ?
3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian , Oreb and Zeeb : and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that .
4 And Gideon came to Jordan , and passed over , he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint , yet pursuing them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth , Give , I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint , and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna , kings of Midian .
6 And the princes of Succoth said , Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand , that we should give bread unto thine army ?
7 And Gideon said , Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand , then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers .
8 And he went up thence to Penuel , and spake unto them likewise : and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9 And he spake also unto 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 hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east : for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword .
11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah , and smote the host : for the host was secure .
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled , he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian , Zebah and Zalmunna , and discomfited all the host .
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth , and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth , and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men .
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth , and said , Behold Zebah and Zalmunna , with whom ye did upbraid me, saying , Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand , that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary ?
16 And he took the elders of the city , and thorns of the wilderness and briers , and with them he taught the men of Succoth .
17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel , and slew the men of the city .
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna , What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor ? And they answered , As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king .
19 And he said , They were my brethren , even the sons of my mother : as the LORD liveth , if ye had saved them alive , I would not slay you.
20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn , Up , and 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 upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength . And Gideon arose , and slew Zebah and Zalmunna , and took away the ornaments that were on their camels ' necks .
22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon , Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son , and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian .
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey .(For they had golden earrings , because they were Ishmaelites .)
25 And they answered , We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment , and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey .
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold ; beside ornaments , and collars , and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian , and beside the chains that were about their camels ' necks .
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city , even in Ophrah : and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon , and to his house .
28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel , so that they lifted up their heads no more . And the country was in quietness 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 threescore and ten sons of his body begotten : for he had many wives .
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem , she also bare him a son , whose name he called 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 Abiezrites .
33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead , that the children of Israel turned again , and went a whoring after Baalim , and made Baalberith their god .
34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God , who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side :
35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal , namely, Gideon , according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel .