Judges 8

All 35 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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1. 1The men of Ephraim confronted Gideon angrily. "Why did you treat us like this?" they demanded. "You didn't even call us when you went to fight the Midianites!" They argued with him fiercely.
2. 2Gideon replied, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Even the leftover grapes of Ephraim are worth more than the entire harvest of Abiezer!"
3. 3"God handed the Midianite commanders Oreb and Zeeb over to you! What did I do that even comes close to that?" When they heard this, their anger cooled down.
4. 4Gideon and his 300 men crossed the Jordan River. They were exhausted but still chasing the enemy.
5. 5He said to the people of Succoth, "Please give my men some bread. They're worn out, and I'm still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."
6. 6But the leaders of Succoth shot back, "Have you already captured Zebah and Zalmunna? Why should we feed your army before you've won?"
7. 7Gideon said, "When the LORD delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers."
8. 8From there he went to Penuel and made the same request. The men of Penuel gave him the same answer the men of Succoth had.
9. 9So he told the men of Penuel, 'When I come again in peace, I will tear down this tower.'
10. 10Zebah and Zalmunna were camped at Karkor with about 15,000 soldiers — all that remained of the eastern armies. 120,000 fighting men had already fallen in battle.
11. 11Gideon took a route along the nomad trail east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for they felt secure.
12. 12Zebah and Zalmunna tried to escape, but Gideon chased them down and captured both Midianite kings, throwing their entire army into chaos.
13. 13Gideon, son of Joash, returned from the battle before the sun was up.
14. 14He captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down the names of Succoth's leaders and elders for him — 77 men in all.
15. 15Then Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, "Remember Zebah and Zalmunna? You mocked me, saying, 'Have you already captured Zebah and Zalmunna? Why should we feed your exhausted men?'"
16. 16He took the elders of the city, along with thorns and briers from the wilderness, and with them he taught the men of Succoth a lesson.
17. 17He also tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of that city.
18. 18Then he turned to Zebah and Zalmunna and asked, "The men you killed at Tabor — what did they look like?" They answered, "They looked just like you. Every one of them could have passed for a king's son."
19. 19He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had spared them, I would not kill you."
20. 20He turned to his oldest son Jether and said, "Get up and kill them!" But the boy didn't draw his sword — he was too afraid, because he was still young.
21. 21Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, "Rise up and kill us yourself, for a man's strength is as he is." So Gideon stood up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, then took the ornaments from their camels' necks.
22. 22After this, the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us — you, your son, and your grandson after him. You delivered us from the hand of Midian!"
23. 23But Gideon told them, "I won't rule over you, and my son won't rule over you either. The LORD will rule over you."
24. 24Then Gideon added, "I do have one request: each of you give me one gold earring from the plunder you took." (The defeated enemy wore gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
25. 25"Gladly!" they replied. They spread out a garment on the ground, and each man tossed in a gold earring from his share of the plunder.
26. 26The gold earrings alone weighed 1,700 shekels, not including the ornaments, collars, purple robes taken from the Midianite kings, or the chains from their camels' necks.
27. 27Gideon made an ephod from the gold and placed it in his city, Ophrah. All Israel went there and were unfaithful by following it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.
28. 28Midian was completely defeated by the Israelites and never rose to power again. The land enjoyed peace for 40 years during Gideon's lifetime.
29. 29Jerubbaal — that is, Gideon son of Joash — went home and settled down.
30. 30Gideon fathered 70 sons, because he had many wives.
31. 31He also had a concubine living in Shechem, and she bore him a son he named Abimelech.
32. 32Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in his father Joash's tomb in Ophrah, the town of the Abiezrites.
33. 33As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites turned again and pursued the Baals, making Baal Berith their god.
34. 34The Israelites forgot the LORD their God, who had rescued them from every enemy that surrounded them.
35. 35They also showed no loyalty to the family of Jerubbaal — that is, Gideon — despite all the good he had done for Israel.