8

Gideon Subdues the Midianites

¹Now ⚓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.
²So 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 ⚓Abiezer? ³⚓God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their ⚓anger toward him subsided when he said that.
⁴When Gideon came ⚓to the Jordan, he and ⚓the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit. ⁵Then he said to the men of ⚓Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”
⁶And the leaders of Succoth said, ⚓“Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that ⚓we should give bread to your army?”
⁷So Gideon said, “For this cause, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, ⚓then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!” ⁸Then he went up from there ⚓to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. ⁹So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I ⚓come back in peace, ⚓I will tear down this tower!”
¹⁰Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of ⚓all the army of the people of the East; for ⚓one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen. ¹¹Then Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of ⚓Nobah and Jogbehah; and he attacked the army while the camp felt ⚓secure. ¹²When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he ⚓took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.
¹³Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres. ¹⁴And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. ¹⁵Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you ⚓ridiculed me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?’ ” 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⚓Then he tore down the tower of ⚓Penuel and killed the men of the city.
¹⁸And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at ⚓Tabor?”
So they answered, “As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king.”
¹⁹Then he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” ²⁰And he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them!” But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.
²¹So Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and ⚓killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.

Gideon’s Ephod

²²Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, ⚓“Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have ⚓delivered us from the hand of Midian.”
²³But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; ⚓the Lord shall rule over you.” ²⁴Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, ⚓because they were Ishmaelites.
²⁵So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. ²⁶Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks. ²⁷Then Gideon ⚓made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, ⚓Ophrah. And all Israel ⚓played the harlot with it there. It became ⚓a snare to Gideon and to his house.
²⁸Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. ⚓And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.

Death of Gideon

²⁹Then ⚓Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. ³⁰Gideon had ⚓seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives. ³¹⚓And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. ³²Now Gideon the son of Joash died ⚓at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, ⚓in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
³³So it was, ⚓as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again ⚓played the harlot with the Baals, ⚓and made Baal-Berith their god. ³⁴Thus the children of Israel ⚓did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; ³⁵⚓nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.

8

Thaum Kawg Cov Midias Swb

¹Ces cov Efalayees hais rau Nkide-oos hais tias, “Vim li cas koj tsis hu peb thaum koj mus tua cov Midias? Vim li cas koj ua saib tsis taus peb li?” Lawv yws Nkide-oos txog zaj no phem kawg li.
²Tiamsis Nkide-oos hais rau lawv hais tias, “Muab tej uas kuv ua tas los piv rau tej uas nej ua mas tsis muaj nqis dabtsi. Tej txiv hmab uas nej cov Efalayees mus khaws tau los tseem zoo dua tej uas kuv cov Anpi-exes mus de los thiab. ³Vajtswv muab Aules thiab Xees uas yog cov Midias ob tug thawjcoj cob rau nej tes. Yuav ua li cas muab tej uas kuv ua piv tau rau qhov ntawd?” Thaum Nkide-oos hais li no tas, lawv thiaj zoo siab tsis chim lawm.
⁴Thaum lub sijhawm ntawd, Nkide-oos thiab nws peb puas leej tubrog twb los txog rau ntawm tus dej Yauladees thiab hla dej rau sab tid lawm. ⁵Thaum lawv los txog rau hauv lub nroog Xukaus, Nkide-oos hais rau cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub nroog ntawd hais tias, “Thov nej muab ib co ncuav rau kuv cov tubrog noj. Lawv qaug zog heev lawm, thiab kuv tseem tabtom caum Xenpas thiab Xamunas uas yog cov Midias ob tug vajntxwv.”
⁶Tiamsis cov thawjcoj uas nyob hauv Xukaus hais tias, “Yog vim li cas koj thiaj kom peb muab mov rau koj cov tubrog noj? Nej tseem caum ntes tsis tau Xenpas thiab Xamunas nkawd los sav?”
⁷Nkide-oos teb hais tias, “Tau lawm! Thaum tus TSWV muab Xenpas thiab Xamunas nkawd cob rau kuv, kuv mam muab nplawm hmab pos thiab nplawm pos kaus ntsaj tom tiaj suabpuam los nplawm nej.” ⁸Nkide-oos mus rau hauv lub nroog Penuyees, thiab thov cov neeg hauv lub nroog ntawd mov noj ib yam nkaus, tiamsis cov neeg hauv lub nroog Penuyees, los kuj teb nws ib yam li cov neeg hauv lub nroog Xukaus thiab. ⁹Yog li ntawd, nws thiaj hais rau lawv hais tias, “Thaum kuv mus ntaus rog yeej rov qab los, kuv yuav rhuav lub chaw tsomfaj no povtseg!”
¹⁰Xenpas thiab Xamunas coj nkawd tej tubrog nrog nkawd mus nyob hauv lub nroog Kakaus. Tagnrho cov neeg uas nyob sab hnubtuaj, cov tubrog tsuas tshuav kwvyees li kaum tsib txhiab leej lawm xwb; cov tubrog uas raug tua tuag lawm muaj ib puas nees nkaum txhiab leej. ¹¹Nkide-oos taug txojkev raws ntug tiaj suabpuam uas nyob sab hnubtuaj, ntawm lub nroog Naunpas thiab Yaunpehas, nyas mus tua yeebncuab cov tubrog thaum lawv tsis nco ceevfaj hlo li. ¹²Cov Midias ob tug vajntxwv uas yog Xenpas thiab Xamunas dhia tawm khiav, tiamsis Nkide-oos caum nkawd thiab ntes tau nkawd rov qab los, ua rau nkawd cov tubrog ceeb thiab khiav tawg ri sua.
¹³Thaum Nkide-oos rov qab hauv tshavrog los, nws taug txojkev uas hla ntawm Heles los. ¹⁴Nws ntes tau ib tug tub hluas nyob hauv lub nroog Xukaus tuaj, nws ua tib zoo nug tus tub hluas ntawd. Ces tus tub hluas txawm sau xya caum xya leej thawjcoj uas nyob hauv lub nroog Xukaus cov npe rau Nkide-oos. ¹⁵Nkide-oos rov qab los ntsib cov neeg hauv Xukaus thiab hais rau lawv hais tias, “Nej puas nco txog qhov uas nej tsis kam pab kuv lawm? Nej hais tias, nej tsis pub zaub mov rau kuv cov tubrog noj, rau qhov kuv ntes tsis tau Xenpas thiab Xamunas nkawd. Nimno kuv ntes tau nkawd los ntawm no lawm!” ¹⁶Ces Nkide-oos muab cov nplawm hmab pos thiab cov nplawm pos kaus ntsaj uas txiav tom tiaj suabpuam los nplawm cov thawjcoj hauv lub nroog Xukaus ntawd. ¹⁷Thiab nws muab lub chaw tsomfaj hauv lub nroog Penuyees rhuav vau tas thiab muab cov txivneej hauv lub nroog ntawd tua povtseg huv tibsi.
¹⁸Nkide-oos nug Xenpas thiab Xamunas nkawd hais tias, “Cov neeg uas neb muab tua saum roob Tanpaus zoo li cas?”
Nkawd teb hais tias, “Lawv zoo ib yam li koj, lawv txhua tus puavleej zoo ib yam li vajntxwv tej tub thiab ntag.”
¹⁹Nkide-oos hais tias, “Lawv yog kuv cov kwvtij, thiab yog kuv niam cov tub kiag ntag. Tus TSWV uas muaj sia nyob, paub hais tias yog neb tsis tua lawv povtseg, kuv yuav tsis tua neb ib yam nkaus thiab.” ²⁰Nkide-oos hais rau nws tus tub hlob Yethes hais tias, “Koj cia li muab nkawd tua los mas!” Tiamsis tus tub tsa tsis taus nws rab ntaj tua nkawd li. Nws ntshai heev, rau qhov nws tseem yog tub hluas xwb.
²¹Xenpas thiab Xamunas nkawd hais rau Nkide-oos hais tias, “Yog koj yog txivneej yawg tiag, koj cia li tua wb xwb.” Yog li ntawd, Nkide-oos thiaj muab nkawd tua thiab daws tej saw tooj ntawm nkawd cov ntxhuav nqa huv tibsi lawm.
²²Tom qab ntawd, cov Yixalayees hais rau Nkide-oos hais tias, “Koj cia li ua tus tswjhwm peb, thiab tom qab uas dua koj lawm, los koj tus tub thiab koj cov xeebntxwv yuav ua ib yam nkaus li ntawd. Rau qhov koj cawm peb dim ntawm cov Midias txhais tes los lawm.”
²³Nkide-oos teb hais tias, “Kuv thiab kuv tus tub yuav tsis ua tus tswjhwm nej. Tus TSWV yuav tswjhwm nej.” ²⁴Tiamsis nws txav zog mus thiab hais tias, “Cia kuv thov yuav ib yam ntawm nej. Thov nej txhua tus muab tej qhwsntsej uas nej mus huab tau los nqa huv tibsi tuaj rau kuv.” (Cov Midias coj qhwsntsej kub, ib yam li cov neeg uas nyob tom tiaj suabpuam thiab.)
²⁵Cov pejxeem teb hais tias, “Peb txaus siab yuav nqa tej qhwsntsej ntawd tuaj rau koj.” Lawv nthuav hlo ib daim ntaub los pua, thiab txhua tus nqa tej qhwsntsej kub uas lawv huab tau los ntawd tuaj tso rau ntawm daim ntaub. ²⁶Cov qhwsntsej kub uas Nkide-oos tau ntawd hnyav tshaj plaub caug choj, thiab cov no twb tsis tau xam tej saw, tej xauv thiab tej ris tsho ntaub pajyeeb uas cov Midias ob tug vajntxwv hnav lossis tej saw tooj uas lawv dai rau ntawm lawv cov ntxhuav cajdab. ²⁷Nkide-oos muab cov kub ntawd nchuav ua ib tug efaus nqa mus txawb rau hauv Aufelas uas yog nws lub nroog. Tagnrho cov Yixalayees puavleej muab Vajtswv tso tseg thiab mus pe tus efaus ntawd rau hauv lub nroog Aufelas. Tus efaus ntawd yog rooj ntxiab uas cuab tos Nkide-oos thiab nws tsevneeg kev ntag.
²⁸Txij thaum ntawd los, cov Midias thiaj swb cov Yixalayees thiab lawv tsa tsis taus taubhau ntxiv li lawm. Lub tebchaws muaj kev thajyeeb tau plaub caug xyoo mus txog thaum Nkide-oos tuag lawm.

Nkide-oos Tuag

²⁹Nkide-oos rov mus nyob rau hauv nws lub tsev. ³⁰Nkide-oos muaj xya caum leej tub, rau qhov nws muaj ntau tus pojniam. ³¹Nws tseem muaj ib tug niamyau nyob hauv lub nroog Sekhees; tus niamyau ntawd yug tau ib tug tub rau Nkide-oos, nws tis tus tub ntawd npe hu ua Anpimelej. ³²Yau-ases tus tub Nkide-oos tuag thaum nws hnubnyoog laus heev, thiab luag coj nws mus faus rau hauv nws txiv Yau-as lub qhov ntxa, hauv lub nroog Aufelas uas yog Anpi-exes cuab kwvtij lub nroog.
³³Tom qab uas Nkide-oos tuag lawm, cov Yixalayees rov tsis muab siab npuab Vajtswv thiab mus teev Npa-as dua. Lawv teev Npa-as-npelis ua lawv tus vajtswv, ³⁴thiab tseg tsis pehawm tus TSWV uas yog lawv tus Vajtswv tus uas cawm lawv dim ntawd lawv cov yeebncuab uas nyob ibncig lawv lawm. ³⁵Lawv yeej tsis ris Nkide-oos tsevneeg tej txiaj ntsig thiab txhua yam zoo uas nws tau ua pab cov Yixalayees tas los lawm.