| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The Ephraimites said to him, "Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us when you went to fight the Midianites!" They argued vehemently with him. | 1Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why have you done this to us? Why did you fail to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him violently. |
| 2He said to them, "Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim's leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer's harvest! | 2But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? |
| 3It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?" When he said this, they calmed down. | 3God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hand. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided. |
| 4Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites. | 4Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit. |
| 5He said to the men of Succoth, "Give some loaves of bread to the men who are following me, because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." | 5So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” |
| 6The officials of Succoth said, "You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your army?" | 6But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?” |
| 7Gideon said, "Since you will not help, after the LORD hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh your skin with desert thorns and briers." | 7“Very well,” Gideon replied, “when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness!” |
| 8He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request. The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had. | 8From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth. |
| 9He also threatened the men of Penuel, warning, "When I return victoriously, I will tear down this tower." | 9So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!” |
| 10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed. | 10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army of about fifteen thousand men—all that were left of the armies of the people of the east. A hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had already fallen. |
| 11Gideon went up the road of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. | 11And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise. |
| 12When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised their entire army. | 12When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, Gideon pursued and captured these two kings of Midian, routing their entire army. |
| 13Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass of Heres. | 13After this, Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle along the Ascent of Heres. |
| 14He captured a young man from Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth's officials and city leaders--seventy-seven men in all. | 14There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth. |
| 15He approached the men of Succoth and said, "Look what I have! Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, 'You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?'" | 15And Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your weary men?’ ” |
| 16He seized the leaders of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then "threshed" the men of Succoth with them. | 16Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth. |
| 17He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city's men. | 17He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. |
| 18He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Describe for me the men you killed at Tabor." They said, "They were like you. Each one looked like a king's son." | 18Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.” |
| 19He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, as surely as the LORD is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you." | 19“They were my brothers,” Gideon replied, “the sons of my mother! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” |
| 20He ordered Jether his firstborn son, "Come on! Kill them!" But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword, because he was still young. | 20So he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword; he was fearful because he was still a youth. |
| 21Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, "Come on, you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength." So Gideon killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on the necks of their camels. | 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels. |
| 22The men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us--you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian's power." | 22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” |
| 23Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you." | 23But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.” |
| 24Gideon continued, "I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken." (The Midianites had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) | 24Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) |
| 25They said, "We are happy to give you earrings." So they spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. | 25“We will give them gladly,” they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it. |
| 26The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to seventeen hundred gold shekels. This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels. | 26The weight of the gold earrings he had requested was 1,700 shekels, in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple garments of the kings of Midian, and the chains from the necks of their camels. |
| 27Gideon used all this to make an ephod, which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family. | 27From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household. |
| 28The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites' fighting spirit was broken. The land had rest for forty years during Gideon's time. | 28In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon, |
| 29Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. | 29and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down. |
| 30Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. | 30Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives. |
| 31His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. | 31His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. |
| 32Gideon son of Joash died at a very old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. | 32Later, Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. |
| 33After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god. | 33And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god. |
| 34The Israelites did not remain true to the LORD their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. | 34The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. |
| 35They did not treat the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel. | 35They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel. |
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