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Judges 8

1 Ephráim murmureth against Gideón, 2 Who appeaseth them. 4 He passeth the Jordén 16 He revengeth him selfe on them of Succóth and Penuél 27 He maketh an Ephód which was the cause of idolatrie. 30 Of Gideóns sonnes and of his death.
1.Then the men of Ephráim said unto him, aWhy hast thou served us thus that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? and they chode with him sharpely.
2.To whome he said, What have I now done in comparison of byou? is not cthe gleaning of grapes of Ephráim better, then the vintage of Abiézer?
3.God hathe delivered into your hands the princes of Midián, Oréb & Zeéb: & what was I able to do in comparison of you? and when he had thus spoken, then their spirits abated toward him.
4.¶ And Gideón came to Jordén to passe over, he, and the thre hundreth men that were with him, weary, yet pursuing them. Succóth & Penuél. Judges
5.And he said unto the men of Succóth, Give, I pray you, dmorsels of bread unto the people ^that followe me (for they be weary) that I may followe after Zébah, and Zalmunna Kings of Midián.
6.And the princes of Succóth said, Are the ehands of Zébah and Zalmunná now in thine hands, that we shulde give bread unto thine armie?
7.Gideón then said, Therefore when the Lord hathe delivered Zébah and Zalmunná into mine hand, I wil ^teare your flesh with thornes of the wildernes and with breers.
8.¶ And he went up thence to Penuél, and spake unto them likewise, and the men of Penuél answered him, as the men of Succóth answered.
9.And he said also unto the men of Penuél, When I come againe fin peace, I wil breake downe this towre.
10.¶ Now Zébah and Zalmunná were gin Karkor, and their hostes with them, about fiftene thousand, all that were left of all the hostes of them of the East: for there was slayne an hundreth and twentie thousand men, that drewe swordes.
11.¶ And Gideón went through them that dwelt in htabernacles on the Eastside of Nóbah and Jogbeháh, and smote the hoste: for the hoste was careles.
12.And when Zébah and Zalmunná fled, he followed after them, and toke the two Kings of Midian, Zébah and Zalmunná, and discomfited all the hoste.
13.¶ So Gideón the sonne of Joásh returned from battel, ithe sunne being yet hie,
14.And toke a servant of the men of Succóth, & inquired of him: and he ^wrote to him the princes of Succóth and the Elders thereof, even seventie and seven men.
15.And he came unto the men of Succóth, and said, Beholde Zébah and Zalmunná, by whome ye upbraided me, saying, Are the hands of Zébah and Zalmunná already in thine hands, that we shulde give bread unto thy weary men?
16.Then he toke the Elders of the citie, & thornes of the wildernes and breers, and ^did teare the men of Succóth with them.
17.Also he brake downe the towre of *Penuél, and slewe the men of the citie.
18.¶ Then said he unto Zébah & Zalmunná, What maner of men were they, whome ye slew at Tabór? and they answered, ^As thou art, so were they: everie one was like the children of a King.
19.And he said, They were my brethren, even my kmothers children: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved their lives, I wolde not slay you.
20.Then he said unto Jéther his first borne sonne, Up, and slay them: but the boy drewe not his sworde: for he feared, because he was yet yong.
21.Then Zébah and Zalmunná said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for las the man is, so is his strength. And Gideón arose and slewe Zébah and Zalmunná, and toke away the ^ornaments, that were on their camels neckes.
22.¶ Then the men of Israél said unto Gideón, Reigne thou over us, bothe thou, and thy sonne, and thy msonnes sonne: for thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midián.
23.And Gideón said unto them, I wil not reigne over you, nether shal my childe reigne over you, but the Lord shal nreigne over you.
24.Againe Gideón said unto them, I wolde desire a request of you, that you wolde give me everie man the earings of his praye (for they had golden earings because they were Ismaelites)
25.And they answered, We wil give them. And they spred a garment, & did cast therein everie man the earings of his praye.
26.And the weight of the golden earings that he required, was a thousand and seven hundreth shekels of golde, beside collers, ^and jewels, and purple raiment that was on the Kings of Midián, and beside the cheines, that were about their camels neckes.
27.And Gideón made an oEphód thereof, and put it in Ophráh his citie: and all Israél went a whoring there after it, which was the destruction of Gideón and his house.
28.Thus was Midián broght lowe before the children of Israél, so that they lift up their heads nomore: and the countrey was in quietnes forty yeres in the dayes of Gideón.
29.¶ Then Jerubbáal the sonne of Joásh went, and dwelt in his owne house.
30.And Gideón had seventie sonnes ^begotten of his body: for he had many wives.
31.And his concubine that was in Shechém, bare him a sonne also, whose name he called Abimélech.
32.So Gideón the sonne of Joásh dyed in a good age, and was buryed in the sepulchre of Joásh his father in Ophráh, of the pfather of the Ezrites.
33.But when Gideón was dead, the children of Israél turned away and went a whoring after Baalím, and made q Baal-beríth their god.
34.And the children of Israél remembred not the Lord their God, which had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on everie side.
35.Nether rshewed they mercie on the house of Jerubbáal, or Gideón, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israél.

Notes

1-a.
They began to cavil, because he had the glory of the victory.
2-b.
Which have slain two princes, Oreb and Zeeb.
2-c.
This last act of the whole tribe is more famous, then the whole enterprise of one man of one family.
5-^.
Ebr., that are at my feet.
5-d.
Or, some small portion.
6-e.
Because you have overcome an handful, think you to have overcome the whole?
7-^.
Ebr., beat to pieces.
9-f.
Having gotten the victory.
10-g.
A city eastward beyond Jorden.
11-h.
He went by the wilderness where the Arabians dwelt in tents.
13-i.
Some read, before the sun rose up.
14-^.
Or, described.
16-^.
Ebr., break in pieces, as one threshes corn.
17-*.
1 King 12.25.
18-^.
Or, they were like unto you.
19-k.
We come all out of one belly: therefore I will be revenged.
21-^.
Or, collars.
21-l.
Meaning, that they would be rid out of the pain at once, or else to have a valiant man to put them to death. 8 Geneva Bible 1560
22-m.
That is, your posterity.
23-n.
His intent was to show himself thankful for this victory by restoring of religion, which, because it was not according as God had commanded, turned to their destruction.
26-^.
Or, sweet balls.
27-o.
That is, such things as pertained to the use of the tabernacle.
30-^.
Ebr., which came out of his thigh.
32-p.
Which city belonged to the family of the Ezrites.
33-q.
That is, Baal, to whom they had bound themselves by covenant.
35-r.
They were unmindful of God, and unkind toward him, by whom they had received so great a benefit.