Judges 8 - New International Version (NIV)

Zebah and Zalmunna

8 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(A) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(B)(C) And they challenged him vigorously.(D)

2 But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?(E) 3 God gave Oreb and Zeeb,(F) the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.

4 Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan(G) and crossed it. 5 He said to the men of Sukkoth,(H) “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out,(I) and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna,(J) the kings of Midian.”

6 But the officials of Sukkoth(K) said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread(L) to your troops?”(M)

7 Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna(N) into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”

8 From there he went up to Peniel[a](O) and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 9 So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”(P)

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.(Q) 11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah(R) and Jogbehah(S) and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.

13 Gideon son of Joash(T) then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.(U) 14 He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth,(V) the elders(W) of the town. 15 Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?(X)’” 16 He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson(Y) by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 17 He also pulled down the tower of Peniel(Z) and killed the men of the town.(AA)

18 Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?(AB)

“Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”

19 Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives,(AC) if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” 20 Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.

21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments(AD) off their camels’ necks.

Gideon’s Ephod

22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule(AE) over you.” 24 And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring(AF) from your share of the plunder.(AG)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites(AH) to wear gold earrings.)

25 They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,[b] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains(AI) that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(AJ) which he placed in Ophrah,(AK) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(AL) to Gideon and his family.(AM)

Gideon’s Death

28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head(AN) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace(AO) forty years.

29 Jerub-Baal(AP) son of Joash(AQ) went back home to live. 30 He had seventy sons(AR) of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine,(AS) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.(AT) 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age(AU) and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.(AV) They set up Baal-Berith(AW) as their god(AX) 34 and did not remember(AY) the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35 They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal(AZ) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.(BA)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 8:8 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel; also in verses 9 and 17
  2. Judges 8:26 That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms

Cross references

  1. Judges 8:1 : S Jdg 6:11
  2. Judges 8:1 : S Ge 25:2
  3. Judges 8:1 : Jdg 12:1
  4. Judges 8:1 : 2Sa 19:41
  5. Judges 8:2 : S Nu 26:30
  6. Judges 8:3 : S Jdg 7:25
  7. Judges 8:4 : Jdg 7:25
  8. Judges 8:5 : S Ge 33:17
  9. Judges 8:5 : Job 16:7; Ps 6:6; Jer 45:3
  10. Judges 8:5 : ver 7, 12; Ps 83:11
  11. Judges 8:6 : ver 14
  12. Judges 8:6 : 1Sa 25:11
  13. Judges 8:6 : ver 15
  14. Judges 8:7 : S ver 5
  15. Judges 8:8 : ver 9, 17; Ge 32:30; 1Ki 12:25
  16. Judges 8:9 : ver 17
  17. Judges 8:10 : S Jdg 6:5; Isa 9:4
  18. Judges 8:11 : Nu 32:42
  19. Judges 8:11 : S Nu 32:35
  20. Judges 8:13 : S Jdg 6:11
  21. Judges 8:13 : Jdg 1:35
  22. Judges 8:14 : ver 6
  23. Judges 8:14 : S Ex 3:16
  24. Judges 8:15 : ver 6
  25. Judges 8:16 : 1Sa 14:12
  26. Judges 8:17 : S ver 8
  27. Judges 8:17 : ver 9
  28. Judges 8:18 : S Jos 19:22
  29. Judges 8:19 : S Nu 14:21
  30. Judges 8:21 : ver 26; Isa 3:18
  31. Judges 8:23 : S Ex 16:8; S Nu 11:20; 1Sa 12:12
  32. Judges 8:24 : S Ge 35:4
  33. Judges 8:24 : S Ge 49:27
  34. Judges 8:24 : S Ge 16:11
  35. Judges 8:26 : S ver 21
  36. Judges 8:27 : S Ex 25:7; Jdg 17:5; 18:14
  37. Judges 8:27 : S Jos 18:23
  38. Judges 8:27 : S Ex 10:7
  39. Judges 8:27 : S Ex 32:2
  40. Judges 8:28 : Ps 83:2
  41. Judges 8:28 : S Jdg 3:11
  42. Judges 8:29 : S Jdg 6:32
  43. Judges 8:29 : S Jdg 6:11
  44. Judges 8:30 : Jdg 9:2, 5, 18, 24; 12:14; 2Ki 10:1
  45. Judges 8:31 : S Ge 22:24
  46. Judges 8:31 : Jdg 9:1; 10:1; 2Sa 11:21
  47. Judges 8:32 : S Ge 15:15
  48. Judges 8:33 : S Jdg 2:11, 13, 19
  49. Judges 8:33 : Jdg 9:4
  50. Judges 8:33 : Jdg 9:27, 46
  51. Judges 8:34 : S Jdg 3:7; S Ne 9:17
  52. Judges 8:35 : S Jdg 6:32
  53. Judges 8:35 : Jdg 9:16

You Might Also Like:

Judges 8 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

8 And the men of Ephraim say unto him, `What [is] this thing thou hast done to us -- not to call for us when thou didst go to fight with Midian?' and they strive with him severely; 2 and he saith unto them, `What have I done now like you? are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the harvest of A...
Read More

Judges 8 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

8 And the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, What is this thing, that thou wouldest do, that thou calledest not us, when thou wentest to battle against Midian? And they chided with him strongly, and well nigh they did to him violence. (And the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, What is this that thou hast d...
Read More

Judges 8 - World English Bible (WEB)

8 The men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you treated us this way, that you didn’t call us when you went to fight with Midian?” They rebuked him sharply. 2 He said to them, “What have I now done in comparison with you? Isn’t the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer...
Read More

Judges 8 - The Voice (VOICE)

8 Ephraimites (arguing angrily with Gideon): Why did you treat us this way? Why didn’t you tell us you were going to battle against the Midianites so that we could join you? Gideon: 2 Really now, what have I accomplished in comparison to you? Wouldn’t you say that the gleanings left from Ephraim’s g...
Read More

Judges 8 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Gideon’s Victories, Ephod and Death8 Now the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?” So they criticized him sharply. 2 But he said to them, “What have I now done compared to you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better...
Read More

Judges 8 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Gideon’s Triumph and Vengeance8 And the men of E′phraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight with Mid′ian?” And they upbraided him violently. 2 And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes ...
Read More

Judges 8 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Gideon’s Triumph and Vengeance8 And the men of E′phraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight with Mid′ian?” And they upbraided him violently. 2 And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes ...
Read More

Judges 8 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Gideon’s Triumph and Vengeance8 Then the Ephraimites said to him, “What have you done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against the Midianites?” And they upbraided him violently. 2 So he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephr...
Read More

Judges 8 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Gideon’s Triumph and Vengeance8 Then the Ephraimites said to him, ‘What have you done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against the Midianites?’ And they upbraided him violently. 2 So he said to them, ‘What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephr...
Read More

Judges 8 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Gideon’s Triumph and Vengeance8 Then the Ephraimites said to him, “What have you done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against the Midianites?” And they upbraided him violently.(A)2 So he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Eph...
Read More

Judges 8 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Gideon Kills Zebah and Zalmunna8 Then the people of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us this way? Why didn’t you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?” And they argued heatedly with Gideon. 2 But Gideon replied, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t even...
Read More

Judges 8 - New Life Version (NLV)

Gideon Wins over the Midianites8 Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “What is this you have done to us? Why did you not call us when you went to fight against Midian?” They were angry when they argued with him. 2 But he said to them, “What have I done to compare with you? Are not the grapes tha...
Read More

Judges 8 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Gideon Subdues the Midianites8 Now (A)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 reprimanded him sharply. 2 So he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the [a]gleaning of the grape...
Read More

Judges 8 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Zebah and Zalmunna8 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, ‘Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?’ And they challenged him vigorously. 2 But he answered them, ‘What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than...
Read More

Judges 8 - New International Version (NIV)

Zebah and Zalmunna8 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(A) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(B)”(C) And they challenged him vigorously.(D) 2 But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes...
Read More

Judges 8 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Zebah and Zalmunna8 The men of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you ask us to help you when you went out to fight against Midian?” In anger they challenged Gideon. 2 But he answered them, “What I’ve done isn’t anything compared to what you have done. Ephraim’s gra...
Read More

Judges 8 - New English Translation (NET)

8 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us[a] when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him. 2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes[b] are better quality than Abiezer...
Read More