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Judges 8

1 Ephráim murmureth againſt Gideón. 2 Who appeaſeth them. 4 He paſſeth the Iordén 16 He reuengeth him ſelfe on them of Succóth and Penuél 27 He maketh an Ephód which was the cauſe of idolatrie. 30 Of Gideons ſonnes and of his death
1.THen the men of Ephráim ſaid vnto him, a Why haſt thou ſerued vs thus that thou calledſt vs not, when thou wenteſt to fight with the Midianites? and they chode with him ſharpely.
2.To whome he ſaid, What haue I now done in compariſon of b you? is not c the gleaning of grapes of Ephráim better, thẽ the vintage of Abiêzer?
3.God hathe deliuered into your hands the princes of Midián, Oréb and Zeéb: and 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 Iordén to paſſe ouer, he, and the thre hundreth men that were with him, weary, yet purſuing them.
5.And he ſaid vnto the men of Succóth, Giue, I pray you, d morſels of bread vnto the people " that followe me (for they be weary) that I may followe after Zébah, & Zalmunna Kings of Midián.
6.And the princes of Succóth ſaid, Are the e hands of Zébah and Zalmunná now in thine hãds, that we ſhulde giue bread vnto thine armie?
7.Gideón then ſaid, Therefore when the Lord hathe deliuered Zébah & Zalmunná into mine hand, I wil * teare your fleſh with thornes of the wildernes and with breers.
8.¶ And he went vp thence to Penuél, and ſpake vnto them likewiſe, and the men of Penuél anſwered him, as the men of Succóth anſwered.
9.And he ſaid alſo vnto the men of Penuél, When I come againe f in peace, I wil breake downe this towre.
10.¶ Now Zébah and Zalmunná were g in Karkor, and their hoſtes with them, about fiftene thouſand, all that were left of all ye hoſtes of them of the Eaſt: for there was ſlayne an hundreth and twentie thoufand men, that drewe ſwordes.
11.¶ And Gideón went through them that dwelt in h tabernacles on the Eaſtſide of Nóbah & Iogbeháh, and ſmote the hoſte: for the hoſte was careles.
12.And when Zebah and Zalmunná fled, he followed after them, & toke the two Kings of Midián, Zébah and Zalmunná, and diſcomfited all the hoſte.
13.¶ So Gideón ye ſonne of Ioáſh returned from battel, i the ſunne being yet hie,
14.And toke a ſeruant of the men of Succóth, and inquired of him: and he * wrote to him the princes of Succóth & the Elders thereof, euen ſeuentie and ſeuen men.
15.And he came vnto the men of Succóth, and ſaid, Beholde Zébah and Zalmunná, by whome ye vpbraided me, ſaying, Are ye hands of Zébah & Zalmunna already in thine hãds, that we ſhulde giue bread vnto thy weary men?
16.Then he toke the Elders of the citie, & thornes of the wildernes & breers, & * 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 vnto Zébah & Zalmunná, What maner of mẽ were they, whome ye ſlew at Tabór? and they anſwered, * As thou art, ſo were they: euerie one was like
19.And he ſaid, They were my brethren, euen my k mothers children: as the Lord liueth, if ye had ſaued their liues, I wolde not ſlay you.
20.Then he ſaid vnto Iéther his firſt borne ſonne, Vp, 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 vpon vs: for l as the man is, ſo is his ſtrength. And Gideón aroſe and ſlewe Zébah and Zalmunná, & toke away the " ornaments, that were on their camels neckes.
22.¶ Then the men of Iſraél ſaid vnto Gideón, Reigne thou ouer vs, bothe thou, & thy ſonne, & thy m ſonnes ſonne: for thou haſt deliuered vs out of ŷ hãd of Midián.
23.And Gideón ſaid vnto them, I wil not reigne ouer you, nether ſhal my childe reigne ouer you, but the Lord ſhal n reigne ouer you.
24.Againe Gideón ſaid vnto them, I wolde deſire a requeſt of you, that you wolde giue me euerie man the earings of his praye (for they had golden earings becauſe they were Iſmaelites)
25.And they anſwered, We wil giue them. And they ſpred a garmẽt, & did caſt therein euerie man the earings of his praye.
26.And the weight of the golden earings that he required, was a thouſand and ſeuen hundreth ſhekels of golde, beſide collers, " and iewels, 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 o Ephód thereof, and put it in Ophráh his citie: & all Iſraél wẽt a whoring there after it, which was the deſtruction of Gideón and his houſe.
28.Thus was Midián broght lowe before ŷ childrẽ of Iſraél, ſo that they lift vp their heads nomore: and the countrey was in quietnes forty yeres in the dayes of Gideón.
29.¶ Thé Ierubbáal the ſonne of Ioáſh wẽt, and dwelt in his owne houſe.
30.And Gideón had ſeuentie ſonnes " be-gottẽ of his body: for he had manie wiues.
31.And his concubine that was in Shechém, bare him a ſonne alſo, whoſe name he called Abimélech.
32.So Gideón the ſonne of Ioáſh dyed in a good age, and was buryed in the ſepulchre of Ioáſh his father in Ophráh, of the p father of the Ezrites.
33.But when Gideón was dead, the children of Iſraél turned away and wẽt 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 deliuered them out of the hands of all their enemies on euerie ſide.
35.Nether r ſhewed they mercie on the houſe of Ierubbáal, or Gideón according to all the goodnes which he had ſhewed vnto Iſraél.

Notes

1:a.
They began to cauill, becauſe he had the glorie of the victorie.
2:b.
Which haue ſlaine two princes, Oréb and Zeéb
2:c.
This laſt act of the whole tribe is more famous, then the whole enterpriſe of one man of one familie
5:d.
Or, ſome ſmale porciõ.
5:".
Ebr. that are at my fete.
6:e.
Becauſe thou haſt ouercome an handful, thinkeſt thou to haue ouercome ye whole.
7:*.
Ebr. beat in pieces.
9:f.
Meaning gotten the victorie.
10:g.
A citie Eaſtward beyonde Iordén.
11:h.
He went by the wildernes where the Arabiãs dwelt in tentes.
13:i.
Some read, before ye ſunne roſe vp
14:*.
Or, deſcribed.
16:*.
Ebr brake in pieces, as one threſheth corne
17:*.
1 King. 12.25.
18:*.
Or, they were like vnto thee,
19:k.
We came all out of one belly: therefore I wil be reuenged.
21:l.
Meaníg, that they wolde be rid out of their paine at on-ce, or els to haue a valiant man to put thẽ to death.
21:".
Or, collers
22:m.
That is, thy poſteritie
23:n.
His intent was to ſhewe him ſelfe thãkeful for this victorie by reſtoring of religió, which, becauſe it was not according as God had cõmãded, turned to their deſtruction.
26:".
Or, ſwete balles.
27:o.
That is, ſuche things as perteined to ŷ vſe of the tabernacle.
30:".
Ebr which came out of his thigh.
32:p.
Which citie belonged to the familie of the Ezrites.
33:q.
That is Baal to whome they had boũde them ſelues by couenant.
35:r.
They were vnmindeful of God, and vnkynde to vard him, by whome they had receyued ſo great a benefite.