1 GLT The men of Ephraim said to him,“What is this thing you have done to us, not summoning us when you went to fight against Midian?” Then they complained forcefully against him. BSB BSB: Then 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.
2 GLT He said to them,“What have I done now according to you? Are not the grape gleanings from Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? BSB BSB: But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?
3 GLT God has given over the princes of Midian into your hand, Oreb and Zeeb! So what was I able to do compared to you?” Then their spirit concerning him abated when he was speaking this word. BSB BSB: God 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.
4 GLT Then Gideon came to the Jordan, crossing over, he and the three hundred men who were with him. They were weary, yet they continued pursuing. BSB BSB: Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit.
5 GLT Then he said to the men of Succoth,“Please give round loaves of bread to the people who are at my feet, for they are weary, yet I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” BSB BSB: So 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.”
6 GLT The princes of Succoth replied,“Is the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand that we should give bread to your army?” BSB BSB: But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”
7 GLT So Gideon declared,“Assuredly when Yahweh has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and briers.” BSB BSB: “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!”
8 GLT Then he went up from there to Penuel and also spoke to them in this manner, but the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. BSB BSB: From 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.
9 GLT So he declared also to the men of Peniel saying,“When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower.” BSB BSB: So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!”
10 GLT Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor and their troops were with them, about fifteen thousand, all the remaining out of all of the camp of the sons of the east, for the fallen were one hundred twenty thousand men drawing a sword. BSB BSB: Now 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.
11 GLT Then Gideon went up the road of those dwelling in the tents, from the east to Nobah and Jogbehah. He struck the camp, when the camp was feeling secure. BSB BSB: And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise.
12 GLT Zebah and Zalmunna fled, but he pursued after them and he captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. Thus he caused all of the camp to tremble in terror. BSB BSB: When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, Gideon pursued and captured these two kings of Midian, routing their entire army.
13 GLT Then Gideon, the son of Joash, returned from the battle, going through the ascent of Heres. BSB BSB: After this, Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle along the Ascent of Heres.
14 GLT He captured a young man out of the men of Succoth and he interrogated him. He wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy- seven men. BSB BSB: There 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.
15 GLT Then he came to the men of Succoth and he said,“Look at Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me saying,‘Is the palm of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand that we should give bread to your weary men.’” BSB BSB: And 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?’”
16 GLT He took the elders of the city and the thorns of the wilderness and the briers, and he made the men of Succoth undergo them. BSB BSB: Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth.
17 GLT Then he tore down the tower of Peniel and he killed the men of the city. BSB BSB: He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18 GLT Next he said to Zebah and Zalmunna,“What sort were the men who you killed at Tabor?” They replied,“As you are, so were they. Each one was as the form of the sons of the king.” BSB BSB: Next, 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.”
19 GLT So he said,“They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if only you had let them live, I would not have killed you.” BSB BSB: “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.”
20 GLT Then he said to Jether his firstborn,“Arise, kill them!” But the young man did not pull out his sword because he was afraid, for he was still a youth. BSB BSB: So 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.
21 GLT Then Zebah and Zalmunna said,“Arise yourself and fall upon us! Truly like a man with his own power.” So Gideon rose up and he killed Zebah and Zalmunna. He also took the crescent- shaped ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. BSB BSB: Then 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.
22 GLT Then the men of Israel said to Gideon,“Rule over us, both you and your son, and even the son of your son, because you have delivered us out of the hand of Midian.” BSB BSB: Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
23 GLT But Gideon said to them,“I will not rule over you myself, neither will my son rule over you. Yahweh will rule over you.” BSB BSB: But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.”
24 GLT Then Gideon said to them,“Let me ask a request of you, that each man give me the earring from his spoil.” For they had earrings of gold because they were Ishmaelites. BSB BSB: Then 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.)
25 GLT They replied,“We will surely give them.” So they spread out the garment and each man threw the earring from his spoil onto there. BSB BSB: “We will give them gladly,” they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it.
26 GLT Now the weight of the earrings of gold that he requested was one thousand seven hundred pieces of gold, besides that of the crescent- shaped ornaments, the pendants, the dyed purple garments that were upon the kings of Midian, and besides that of the collars that were around the necks of their camels. BSB BSB: The 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.
27 GLT Then Gideon made it into an ephod and placed it in his city, in Ophrah, and all of Israel pursued adulterously after it there. It became as a snare for Gideon and for his house. BSB BSB: From 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.
28 GLT So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel and they did not continue to raise up their heads. So the land was tranquil forty years during the days of Gideon. BSB BSB: In 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,
29 GLT Jerubbaal, the son of Joash, went and lived in his house. BSB BSB: and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down.
30 GLT Now Gideon had seventy sons coming forth from his loins, for he had many wives. BSB BSB: Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.
31 GLT His concubine, who was in Shechem, even she bore him a son, and he made his name Abimelech. BSB BSB: His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
32 GLT Gideon, the son of Joash, died at a good old age and he was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezerite. BSB BSB: Later, 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.
33 GLT Now it happened that when Gideon had died, the sons of Israel turned back again and pursued adulterously after the Baals. They made Baal- Berith for themselves as a god. BSB BSB: And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.
34 GLT The sons of Israel did not remember Yahweh, their God, the one who had delivered them from the hand of all of their enemies all around. BSB BSB: The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.
35 GLT They did not show lasting loyalty with the house of Jerubbaal, Gideon, in accordance with all of the good that he did within Israel. BSB BSB: They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.