21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried,
and fled.
22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his
fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, andto the
border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and
out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.
24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the
Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of
Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock
Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of
Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us
not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Isnot the gleaning of the
grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able
to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
4 And Gideon came to Jordan, andpassed over, he, and the three hundred men that werewith
him, faint, yet pursuing them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that
follow me; for they befaint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, Arethe hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that
we should give bread unto thine army?
7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand,
then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel
answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break
down this tower.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna werein Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand
men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and
twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and
Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian,
Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto
him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, eventhreescore and seventeen men.
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye
did upbraid me, saying, Arethe hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should
give bread unto thy men that areweary?
16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he
taught the men of Succoth.
17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were theywhom ye slew at
they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19 And he said, They weremy brethren, eventhe sons of my mother: asthe LORD liveth, if ye
had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, andslay them. But the youth drew not his sword:
for he feared, because he wasyet a youth.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so ishis
strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that
wereon their camels' necks.
22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy
son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the
LORD shall rule over you.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man
the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they wereIshmaelites.)
25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast
therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred
shekelsof gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that wason the kings of
Midian, and beside the chains that wereabout their camels' necks.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, evenin Ophrah: and all Israel went
thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no
more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
31 And his concubine that wasin Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called
Abimelech.
32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash
his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again,
and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.
34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out
of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the
goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.
1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and
communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether isbetter for you, either
that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which arethreescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one
reign over you? remember also that I amyour bone and your flesh.
3 And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words:
and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He isour brother.
4 And they gave him threescore and ten piecesof silver out of the house of Baalberith,
wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal,
beingthreescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son
of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made
Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that wasin Shechem.
7 And when they told itto Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up
his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may
hearken unto you.
8 The trees went forth on a timeto anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree,
Reign thou over us.
9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour
God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, andreign over us.
11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to
be promoted over the trees?
12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, andreign over us.
13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to
be promoted over the trees?
14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, andreign over us.
15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, thencome and
put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars
of Lebanon.
16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and
if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the
deserving of his hands;
17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand
of Midian:
18 And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore
and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over
the men of Shechem, because he isyour brother;)
19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then
rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house
of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour
Abimelech.
21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his
brother.
22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of
Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
24 That the cruelty doneto the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their
blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem,
which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they
robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of
Shechem put their confidence in him.
27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and
made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who isAbimelech, and who isShechem, that we should serve
him? isnot hethe son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of
Shechem: for why should we serve him?
29 And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he
said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
