8:1 The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us 1 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 2 are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! 3 8:3 It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?” 4 When he said this, they calmed down. 5
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. 6 8:5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Give 7 some loaves of bread to the men 8 who are following me, 9 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 10 bread to your army?” 11 8:7 Gideon said, “Since you will not help, 12 after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh 13 your skin 14 with 15 desert thorns and briers.” 8:8 He went up from there to Penuel and made the same request. 16 The men of Penuel responded the same way the men of Succoth had. 17 8:9 He also threatened 18 the men of Penuel, warning, 19 “When I return victoriously, 20 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. 21 8:11 Gideon went up the road of the nomads 22 east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. 23 8:12 When Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, Gideon 24 chased them and captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. He had surprised 25 their entire army.
8:13 Gideon son of Joash returned from the battle by the pass 26 of Heres. 8:14 He captured a young man from Succoth 27 and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of Succoth’s officials and city leaders – seventy-seven men in all. 28 8:15 He approached the men of Succoth and said, “Look what I have! 29 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?’” 30 8:16 He seized the leaders 31 of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them. 32 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 33 the men you killed at Tabor.” They said, “They were like you. Each one looked like a king’s son.” 34 8:19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. I swear, 35 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! 36 Kill them!” But Jether was too afraid to draw his sword, 37 because he was still young. 8:21 Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, 38 “Come on, 39 you strike us, for a man is judged by his strength.” 40 So Gideon killed 41 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.” 42 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, 43 “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” 44 (The Midianites 45 had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 8:25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.” 46 So they 47 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. 48 This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, 49 purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels. 50 8:27 Gideon used all this to make 51 an ephod, 52 which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites 53 prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it 54 there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
8:28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken. 55 The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time. 56 8:29 Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. 57 8:30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. 58 8:31 His concubine, 59 who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. 60 8:32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very 61 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 62 their god. 8:34 The Israelites did not remain true 63 to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 8:35 They did not treat 64 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. 65 He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family, 66 9:2 “Tell 67 all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want 68 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.’” 69 9:3 His mother’s relatives 70 spoke on his behalf to 71 all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. 72 The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; 73 they said, “He is our close relative.” 74 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 75 men as his followers. 76 9:5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, 77 the seventy legitimate 78 sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, 79 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 80 in Shechem.
9:7 When Jotham heard the news, 81 he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, 82 “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
9:8 “The trees were determined to go out 83 and choose a king for themselves. 84 They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ 85 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!’ 86
9:10 “So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’ 87 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!’ 88
9:12 “So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’ 89 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!’ 90
9:14 “So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’ 91 9:15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose 92 me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! 93 Otherwise 94 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, 95 if you have properly repaid him 96 – 9:17 my father fought for you; he risked his life 97 and delivered you from Midian’s power. 98 9:18 But you have attacked 99 my father’s family 100 today. You murdered his seventy legitimate 101 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. 102 9:19 So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family 103 today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness! 104 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 105 to Beer and lived there to escape from 106 Abimelech his half-brother. 107
9:22 Abimelech commanded 108 Israel for three years. 9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility 109 between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal 110 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 111 who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. 112 9:25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting 113 bandits in 114 the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. 115
9:26 Gaal son of Ebed 116 came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. 117 9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, 118 squeezed out the juice, 119 and celebrated. They came to the temple 120 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? 121 Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? 122 9:29 If only these men 123 were under my command, 124 I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, 125 “Muster 126 your army and come out for battle!” 127
9:30 When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious. 128 9:31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, 129 reporting, “Beware! 130 Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming 131 to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. 132 9:32 Now, come up 133 at night with your men 134 and set an ambush in the field outside the city. 135 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.” 136
9:34 So Abimelech and all his men came up 137 at night and set an ambush outside Shechem – they divided into 138 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 139 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.” 140 9:37 Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center 141 of the land. A unit 142 is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.” 143 9:38 Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words, 144 ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men 145 you insulted? 146 Go out now and fight them!” 9:39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out 147 and fought Abimelech. 9:40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal 148 ran from him. Many Shechemites 149 fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. 9:41 Abimelech went back 150 to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. 151
9:42 The next day the Shechemites 152 came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it, 153 9:43 he took his men 154 and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, 155 he attacked and struck them down. 156 9:44 Abimelech and his units 157 attacked and blocked 158 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 159 the city and spread salt over it. 160
9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem 161 heard the news, they went to the stronghold 162 of the temple of El-Berith. 163 9:47 Abimelech heard 164 that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. 165 9:48 He and all his men 166 went up on Mount Zalmon. He 167 took an ax 168 in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it 169 on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!” 170 9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches 171 against the stronghold and set fire to it. 172 All the people 173 of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.
9:50 Abimelech moved on 174 to Thebez; he besieged and captured it. 175 9:51 There was a fortified 176 tower 177 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 178 down on his 179 head and shattered his skull. 9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, 180 “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, 181 ‘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. 182
9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. 183 9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell 184 on them.
10:1 After Abimelech’s death, 185 Tola son of Puah, grandson 186 of Dodo, from the tribe of Issachar, 187 rose up to deliver Israel. He lived in Shamir in the Ephraimite hill country. 10:2 He led 188 Israel for twenty-three years, then died and was buried in Shamir.
10:3 Jair the Gileadite rose up after him; he led Israel for twenty-two years. 10:4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys and possessed thirty cities. To this day these towns are called Havvoth Jair 189 – they are in the land of Gilead. 190 10:5 Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
10:6 The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. 191 They worshiped 192 the Baals and the Ashtars, 193 as well as the gods of Syria, Sidon, 194 Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. 195 They abandoned the Lord and did not worship 196 him. 10:7 The Lord was furious with Israel 197 and turned them over to 198 the Philistines and Ammonites. 10:8 They ruthlessly oppressed 199 the Israelites that eighteenth year 200 – that is, all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Amorite country in Gilead. 10:9 The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight with Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. 201 Israel suffered greatly. 202
10:10 The Israelites cried out for help to the Lord: “We have sinned against you. We abandoned our God and worshiped 203 the Baals.” 10:11 The Lord said to the Israelites, “Did I not deliver you from Egypt, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 10:12 the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian 204 when they oppressed you? 205 You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power. 206 10:13 But since you abandoned me and worshiped 207 other gods, I will not deliver you again. 10:14 Go and cry for help to the gods you have chosen! Let them deliver you from trouble!” 208 10:15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, 209 but deliver us today!” 210 10:16 They threw away the foreign gods they owned 211 and worshiped 212 the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much. 213
10:17 The Ammonites assembled 214 and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah. 10:18 The leaders 215 of Gilead said to one another, “Who is willing to lead the charge 216 against the Ammonites? He will become the leader of all who live in Gilead!”