| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 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. | 1The men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done this to us, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?" And they argued with him violently. |
| 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? | 2So he said to them, "What have I done now compared to you? Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? |
| 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. | 3God handed over to you Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian. What was I able to do compared to you?" When he said this, their anger against him subsided. |
| 4Then Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it, exhausted yet still in pursuit. | 4Gideon and the 300 men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted but still in pursuit. |
| 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.” | 5He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give some loaves of bread to the people who are following me, because they are exhausted, for I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." |
| 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?” | 6But the princes of Succoth asked, "Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hands that we should give bread to your army?" |
| 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!” | 7Gideon replied, "Very well, when the LORD has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will trample your flesh on thorns and briers from the wilderness!" |
| 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. | 8He went from there to Penuel and asked the same thing from them. The men of Penuel answered just as the men of Succoth had answered. |
| 9So Gideon told the men of Penuel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!” | 9He also told the men of Penuel, "When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower!" |
| 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. | 10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and with them was their army of about 15,000 men, who were all those left of the entire army of the Qedemites. Those who had been killed were 120,000 warriors. |
| 11And Gideon went up by way of the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he attacked their army, taking them by surprise. | 11Gideon traveled on the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked their army while the army was unsuspecting. |
| 12When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, Gideon pursued and captured these two kings of Midian, routing their entire army. | 12Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them. He captured these two kings of Midian and routed the entire army. |
| 13After this, Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle along the Ascent of Heres. | 13Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the Ascent of Heres. |
| 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. | 14He captured a youth from the men of Succoth and interrogated him. The youth wrote down for him the names of the 77 princes and elders of Succoth. |
| 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?’ ” | 15Then he went to the men of Succoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You taunted me about them, saying, 'Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your power that we should give bread to your exhausted men?" |
| 16Then he took the elders of the city, and using the thorns and briers of the wilderness, he disciplined the men of Succoth. | 16So he took the elders of the city, and he took some thorns and briers from the wilderness, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. |
| 17He also pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. | 17He also tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. |
| 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.” | 18He asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?"" They were like you," they said. "Each resembled the son of a king." |
| 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.” | 19So 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." |
| 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. | 20Then he said to Jether, his firstborn, "Get up and kill them." The youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a youth. |
| 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. | 21Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Get up and kill us yourself, for a man is judged by his strength." So Gideon got up, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. |
| 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.” | 22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian." |
| 23But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.” | 23But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you." |
| 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.) | 24Then he said to them, "Let me make a request of you: Everyone give me an earring from his plunder." Now the enemy had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites. |
| 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. | 25They said, "We agree to give them." So they spread out a mantle, and everyone threw an earring from his plunder on it. |
| 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. | 26The weight of the gold earrings he requested was about 43 pounds of gold, in addition to the crescent ornaments and ear pendants, the purple garments on the kings of Midian, and the chains on the necks of their camels. |
| 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. | 27Gideon made an ephod from all this and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. Then all Israel prostituted themselves with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household. |
| 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, | 28So Midian was subdued before the Israelites, and they were no longer a threat. The land was peaceful 40 years during the days of Gideon. |
| 29and he—Jerubbaal son of Joash—returned home and settled down. | 29Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) son of Joash went back to live at his house. |
| 30Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives. | 30Gideon had 70 sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives. |
| 31His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. | 31His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. |
| 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. | 32Then 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. |
| 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. | 33When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. |
| 34The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. | 34The Israelites did not remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the power of the enemies around them. |
| 35They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel. | 35They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good he had done for Israel. |
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