Judges 8

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 But the Ephraimites said to him, "What have you done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?" And they quarreled bitterly with him.	1 And the men of Ephraim said to him, "What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight with Midian?" And they upbraided him violently.
2 "What have I accomplished now in comparison with you?" he answered them. "Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?	2 And he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?
3 Into your power God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?" When he said this, their anger against him subsided.	3 God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; what have I been able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger against him was abated, when he had said this.
4 When Gideon reached the Jordan and crossed it with his three hundred men, they were exhausted and famished.	4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint yet pursuing.
5 So he said to the men of Succoth, "Will you give my followers some loaves of bread? They are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."	5 So he said to the men of Succoth, "Pray, give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."
6 But the princes of Succoth replied, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give food to your army?"	6 And the officials of Succoth said, "Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?"
7 Gideon said, "Very well; when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my power, I will grind your flesh in with the thorns and briers of the desert."	7 And Gideon said, "Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers."
8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request of them, but the men of Penuel answered him as had the men of Succoth.	8 And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.
9 So to the men of Penuel, too, he said, "When I return in triumph, I will demolish this tower."	9 And he said to the men of Penuel, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their force of about fifteen thousand men; these were all who were left of the whole Kedemite army, a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen having fallen.	10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword.
11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the camp when it felt secure.	11 And Gideon went up by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the army; for the army was off its guard.
12 Zebah and Zalmunna fled. He pursued them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, captive, throwing the entire army into panic.	12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic.
13 Then Gideon, son of Joash, returned from battle by the pass of Heres.	13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres.
14 He captured a young man of Succoth, who upon being questioned listed for him the seventy-seven princes and elders of Succoth.	14 And he caught a young man of Succoth, and questioned him; and he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men.
15 So he went to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom you taunted me, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give food to your weary followers?'"	15 And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, 'Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are faint?"
16 He took the elders of the city, and thorns and briers of the desert, and ground these men of Succoth into them.	16 And he took the elders of the city and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth.
17 He also demolished the tower of Penuel and slew the men of the city.	17 And he broke down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where now are the men you killed at Tabor?" "They all resembled you," they replied. "They appeared to be princes."	18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "Where are the men whom you slew at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they, every one of them; they resembled the sons of a king."
19 "They were my brothers, my mother's sons," he said. "As the LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I should not kill you."	19 And he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother; as the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not slay you."
20 Then he said to his first-born, Jether, "Go, kill them." Since Jether was still a boy, he was afraid and did not draw his sword.	20 And he said to Jether his first-born, "Rise, and slay them." But the youth did not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.
21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, kill us yourself, for a man's strength is like the man." So Gideon stepped forward and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. He also took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.	21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise yourself, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna; and he took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.
22 The Israelites then said to Gideon, "Rule over us--you, your son, and your son's son--for you rescued us from the power of Midian."	22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also; for you have delivered us out of the hand of Midian."
23 But Gideon answered them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you. The LORD must rule over you."	23 Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you."
24 Gideon went on to say, "I should like to make a request of you. Will each of you give me a ring from his booty?" (For being Ishmaelites, the enemy had gold rings.)	24 And Gideon said to them, "Let me make a request of you; give me every man of you the earrings of his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 "We will gladly give them," they replied, and spread out a cloak into which everyone threw a ring from his booty.	25 And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a garment, and every man cast in it the earrings of his spoil.
26 The gold rings that he requested weighed seventeen hundred gold shekels, in addition to the crescents and pendants, the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and the trappings that were on the necks of their camels.	26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the crescents and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were about the necks of their camels.
27 Gideon made an ephod out of the gold and placed it in his city Ophrah. However, all Israel paid idolatrous homage to it there, and caused the ruin of Gideon and his family.	27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah; and all Israel played the harlot after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.
28 Thus was Midian brought into subjection by the Israelites; no longer did they hold their heads high. And the land had rest for forty years, during the lifetime of Gideon.	28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 Then Jerubbaal, son of Joash, went back home to stay.	29 Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his direct descendants, for he had many wives.	30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives.
31 His concubine who lived in Shechem also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech.	31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.
32 At a good old age Gideon, son of Joash, died and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.	32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 But after Gideon was dead, the Israelites again abandoned themselves to the Baals, making Baal of Berith their god	33 As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and played the harlot after the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god.
34 and forgetting the LORD, their God, who had delivered them from the power of their enemies all around them.	34 And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side;
35 Nor were they grateful to the family of Jerubbaal (Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel.	35 and they did not show kindness to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.