7:1 Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men 1 got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod. 2 The Midianites 3 were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley. 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. 4 Israel might brag, 5 ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’ 6 7:3 Now, announce to the men, 7 ‘Whoever is shaking with fear 8 may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’” 9 Twenty-two thousand men 10 went home; 11 ten thousand remained. 7:4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men. 12 Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more. 13 When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go; 14 when I say, 15 ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.” 16 7:5 So he brought the men 17 down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.” 18 7:6 Three hundred men lapped; 19 the rest of the men 20 kneeled to drink water. 7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army 21 and I will hand Midian over to you. 22 The rest of the men should go home.” 23 7:8 The men 24 who were chosen 25 took supplies 26 and their trumpets. Gideon 27 sent all the men of Israel back to their homes; 28 he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianites 29 were camped down below 30 in the valley.
7:9 That night the Lord said to Gideon, 31 “Get up! Attack 32 the camp, for I am handing it over to you. 33 7:10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant 7:11 and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be brave 34 and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp. 35 7:12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts. 36 Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore. 7:13 When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling another man about a dream he had. 37 The man 38 said, “Look! I had a dream. I saw 39 a stale cake of barley bread rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard it knocked it over and turned it upside down. The tent just collapsed.” 40 7:14 The other man said, 41 “Without a doubt this symbolizes 42 the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God is handing Midian and all the army over to him.”
7:15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God. 43 Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!” 7:16 He divided the three hundred men into three units. 44 He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them. 45 7:17 He said to them, “Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely! 46 I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do! 7:18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
7:19 Gideon took a hundred men to the edge of the camp 47 at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying. 48 7:20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right. 49 Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 7:21 They stood in order 50 all around the camp. The whole army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away. 51 7:22 When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords 52 throughout 53 the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went 54 to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 7:23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites. 55
7:24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites. 56 Take control of the fords of the streams 57 all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.” 58 When all the Ephraimites had assembled, 59 they took control of the fords 60 all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River. 7:25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb. 61 They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeeb 62 in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites 63 and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River. 64
8:1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us 65 when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him. 8:2 He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes 66 are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! 67 8:3 It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?” 68 When he said this, they calmed down. 69
8:4 Now Gideon and his three hundred men had crossed over the Jordan River, and even though they were exhausted, they were still chasing the Midianites. 70 8:5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Give 71 some loaves of bread to the men 72 who are following me, 73 because they are exhausted. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 8:6 The officials of Succoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give 74 bread to your army?” 75 8:7 Gideon said, “Since you will not help, 76 after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh 77 your skin 78 with 79 desert thorns and briers.” 8:8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request. 80 The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had. 81 8:9 He also threatened 82 the men of Penuel, warning, 83 “When I return victoriously, 84 I will tear down this tower.”
8:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed. 85 8:11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads 86 east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. 87 8:12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon 88 chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised 89 their entire army.
8:13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass 90 of Heres. 8:14 He captured a young man from Succoth 91 and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth’s officials and city leaders – seventy-seven men in all. 92 8:15 He approached the men of Succoth and said, “Look what I have! 93 Zebah and Zalmunna! You insulted me, saying, ‘You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’” 94 8:16 He seized the leaders 95 of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them. 96 8:17 He also tore down the tower of Penuel and executed the city’s men.
8:18 He said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Describe for me 97 the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.” 98 8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, 99 as surely as the Lord is alive, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 8:20 He ordered Jether his firstborn son, “Come on! 100 Kill them!” But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword, 101 because he was still young. 8:21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, 102 “Come on, 103 you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.” 104 So Gideon killed 105 Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent-shaped ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.
8:22 The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us – you, your son, and your grandson. For you have delivered us from Midian’s power.” 106 8:23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 8:24 Gideon continued, 107 “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” 108 (The Midianites 109 had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 8:25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.” 110 So they 111 spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. 8:26 The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to seventeen hundred gold shekels. 112 This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, 113 purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels. 114 8:27 Gideon used all this to make 115 an ephod, 116 which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites 117 prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it 118 there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
8:28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken. 119 The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time. 120 8:29 Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. 121 8:30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. 122 8:31 His concubine, 123 who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. 124 8:32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very 125 old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith 126 their god. 8:34 The Israelites did not remain true 127 to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 8:35 They did not treat 128 the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel.
9:1 Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives. 129 He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family, 130 9:2 “Tell 131 all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want 132 to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’” 133 9:3 His mother’s relatives 134 spoke on his behalf to 135 all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. 136 The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; 137 they said, “He is our close relative.” 138 9:4 They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous 139 men as his followers. 140 9:5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, 141 the seventy legitimate 142 sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, 143 because he hid. 9:6 All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar 144 in Shechem.
9:7 When Jotham heard the news, 145 he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, 146 “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
9:8 “The trees were determined to go out 147 and choose a king for themselves. 148 They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ 149 9:9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’ 150
9:10 “So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’ 151 9:11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!’ 152
9:12 “So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’ 153 9:13 But the grapevine said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!’ 154
9:14 “So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’ 155 9:15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose 156 me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! 157 Otherwise 158 may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
9:16 “Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub-Baal and his family, 159 if you have properly repaid him 160 – 9:17 my father fought for you; he risked his life 161 and delivered you from Midian’s power. 162 9:18 But you have attacked 163 my father’s family 164 today. You murdered his seventy legitimate 165 sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. 166 9:19 So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family 167 today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness! 168 9:20 But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!” 9:21 Then Jotham ran away 169 to Beer and lived there to escape from 170 Abimelech his half-brother. 171
9:22 Abimelech commanded 172 Israel for three years. 9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility 173 between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal 174 to Abimelech. 9:24 He did this so the violent deaths of Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons might be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother 175 who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. 176 9:25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting 177 bandits in 178 the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. 179
9:26 Gaal son of Ebed 180 came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. 181 9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, 182 squeezed out the juice, 183 and celebrated. They came to the temple 184 of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. 9:28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? 185 Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? 186 9:29 If only these men 187 were under my command, 188 I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, 189 “Muster 190 your army and come out for battle!” 191
9:30 When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious. 192 9:31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, 193 reporting, “Beware! 194 Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming 195 to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. 196 9:32 Now, come up 197 at night with your men 198 and set an ambush in the field outside the city. 199 9:33 In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him.” 200
9:34 So Abimelech and all his men came up 201 at night and set an ambush outside Shechem – they divided into 202 four units. 9:35 When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places. 9:36 Gaal saw the men 203 and said to Zebul, “Look, men are coming down from the tops of the hills.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadows on the hills – it just looks like men.” 204 9:37 Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center 205 of the land. A unit 206 is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.” 207 9:38 Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words, 208 ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men 209 you insulted? 210 Go out now and fight them!” 9:39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out 211 and fought Abimelech. 9:40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal 212 ran from him. Many Shechemites 213 fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. 9:41 Abimelech went back 214 to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. 215
9:42 The next day the Shechemites 216 came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it, 217 9:43 he took his men 218 and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, 219 he attacked and struck them down. 220 9:44 Abimelech and his units 221 attacked and blocked 222 the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down. 9:45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled 223 the city and spread salt over it. 224
9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem 225 heard the news, they went to the stronghold 226 of the temple of El-Berith. 227 9:47 Abimelech heard 228 that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. 229 9:48 He and all his men 230 went up on Mount Zalmon. He 231 took an ax 232 in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it 233 on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!” 234 9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches 235 against the stronghold and set fire to it. 236 All the people 237 of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.
9:50 Abimelech moved on 238 to Thebez; he besieged and captured it. 239 9:51 There was a fortified 240 tower 241 in the center of the city, so all the men and women, as well as the city’s leaders, ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower. 9:52 Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire, 9:53 a woman threw an upper millstone 242 down on his 243 head and shattered his skull. 9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, 244 “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, 245 ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died. 9:55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. 246
9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. 247 9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell 248 on them.