1 But the men were really upset with Gideon and complained, “When you went to war with Midian, you didn't ask us to help! Why did you treat us like that?”
2 Gideon answered:
Don't be upset! Even though you came later, you were able to do much more than I did. It's just like the grape harvest: The grapes your tribe doesn't even bother to pick are better than the best grapes my family can grow. 3 Besides, God chose you to capture Raven and Wolf. I didn't do a thing compared to you.
By the time Gideon had finished talking, the men of Ephraim had calmed down and were no longer angry with him.
Gideon Finishes Destroying the Midianite Army
4 After Gideon and his 300 troops had chased the Midianites across the Jordan River, they were exhausted. 5 The town of Succoth was nearby, so he went there and asked, “Please give my troops some food. They are worn out, but we have to keep chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings.”
6 The town leaders of Succoth answered, “Why should we feed your army? We don't know if you really will defeat Zebah and Zalmunna.”
7 “Just wait!” Gideon said. “After the Lord helps me defeat them, I'm coming back here. I'll make a whip out of thorns and rip the flesh from your bones.”
8 After leaving Succoth, Gideon went to Penuel and asked the leaders there for some food. But he got the same answer as he did at Succoth. 9 “I'll come back safe and sound,” Gideon said, “but when I do, I'm going to tear down your tower!”
10 Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of 15,000 troops. They were all that was left of the army of the eastern nations, because 120,000 of their warriors had been killed in the battle.
11 Gideon reached the enemy camp by going east along Nomad Road past Nobah and Jogbehah. He made a surprise attack, 12 and the enemy panicked. Zebah and Zalmunna tried to escape, but Gideon chased and captured them.
13 After the battle, Gideon set out for home. As he was going through Heres Pass, 14 he caught a young man who lived in Succoth. Gideon asked him who the town officials of Succoth were, and the young man wrote down 77 names.
15 Gideon went to the town officials and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. Remember how you made fun of me? You said, ‘We don't know if you really will defeat those two Midianite kings. So why should we feed your worn-out army?’ ”
16 Gideon made a whip from thorn plants and used it to beat the town officials. 17 Afterwards he went to Penuel, where he tore down the tower and killed all the town officials.
18 Then Gideon said, “Zebah and Zalmunna, tell me about the men you killed at Tabor.”
“They were a lot like you,” the two kings answered. “They were dignified, almost like royalty.”
19 “They were my very own brothers!” Gideon said. “I swear by the living Lord that if you had let them live, I would let you live.”
20 Gideon turned to Jether, his oldest son. “Kill them!” Gideon said.
But Jether was young, and he was too afraid to even pull out his sword.
21 “What's the matter, Gideon?” Zebah and Zalmunna asked. “Do it yourself, if you're not too much of a coward!”
Gideon jumped up and killed them both. Then he took the gold ornaments from the necks of their camels.
The Israelites Ask Gideon To Be Their King
22 After the battle with the Midianites, the Israelites said, “Gideon, you rescued us! Now we want you to be our king. Then after your death, your son and then your grandson will rule.”
23 “No,” Gideon replied, “I won't be your king, and my son won't be king either. Only the Lord is your ruler. 24 But I will ask you to do one thing: Give me all the earrings you took from the enemy.”
The enemy soldiers had been Ishmaelites, and they wore gold earrings.
25 The Israelite soldiers replied, “Of course we will give you the earrings.” Then they spread out a robe on the ground and tossed the earrings on it. 26 The total weight of this gold was nearly 20 kilograms. In addition, there was the gold from the camels' ornaments and from the beautiful jewelry worn by the Midianite kings. Gideon also took their purple robes.
27-29 Gideon returned to his home in Ophrah and had the gold made into a statue, which the Israelites soon started worshiping. They were unfaithful to God, and even Gideon and his family were trapped into worshiping the statue.
The Midianites had been defeated so badly that they were no longer strong enough to attack Israel. And so Israel was at peace for the remaining 40 years of Gideon's life.
Gideon Dies
30 Gideon had many wives and 70 sons. 31 He even had a wife who lived at Shechem. They had a son, and Gideon named him Abimelech.
32 Gideon lived to be an old man. And when he died, he was buried in the family tomb in his hometown of Ophrah, which belonged to the Abiezer clan.
33 Soon after Gideon's death, the Israelites turned their backs on God again. They set up idols of Baal and worshiped Baal Berith as their god. 34 The Israelites forgot that the Lord was their God, and that he had rescued them from the enemies who lived around them. 35 Besides all that, the Israelites were unkind to Gideon's family, even though Gideon had done so much for Israel.
1 Bet Ēfraima vīri sacīja viņam: „Kādēļ tu esi mums tā darījis, kāpēc tu mūs neaicināji tad, kad tu gāji karot pret Midianu?“ Un tie ar viņu stipri bārās.
2 Tad viņš tiem sacīja: „Ko tad es esmu tagad tādu veicis, salīdzinot ar jums? Vai Ēfraima beidzamais salasījums nav labāks nekā Abiēzera pirmās ražas savākums vīna kalnā?
3 Dievs ir jūsu rokā nodevis Midiana virsaišus—Orebu un Seēbu, un kā gan es būtu spējis tā rīkoties kā jūs?“ Un viņam šādus vārdus runājot, beidzot viņu dusmas pret viņu aprima.
4 Kad nu Gideons nāca pie Jardānas un bija jau pārcēlies pāri ar tiem trīs simti vīriem, kūpi bija pie viņa un kas bija piekusuši no vajāšanas,
5 Tad viņš lūdza Sukotas vīrus: „Dodiet tiem ļaudīm, kas man seko, dažus klaipus maizes, jo viņi ir pieku-suši: es vajāju Zebu un Calmunnu, Midiana ķēniņus.“
6 Bet Sukotas virsaiši atbildēja: „Vai tad Zeba un Calmunnas dūres ir jau tavā rokā, ka mums būs dot tavam karapulkam maizi?“
7 Tad Gideons atbildēja: „Lai paliek tā! Ja tas Kungs Zebu un Calmunnu nodos manā rokā, tad es jūsu miesas kulšu ar tuksneša ērkšķiem un dadžiem!“
8 Un no turienes viņš devās augšā uz Penučlu un runāja ar tiem tāpat; bet Penuēlas vīri tam atbildēja gluži tāpat, kā Sukotas vīri bija atbildējuši.
9 Un viņš sacīja arī Penuēlas vīriem: „Kad es sveiks atgriezīšos, tad es šo nocietinājumu noārdīšu!“
10 Bet Zeba un Calmunna atradās Karkorā, un kopā ar viņiem bija to karaspēks ap piecpadsmit tūkstoši vīru, visi, kas bija palikuši pāri no austrumnieku dēlu nometnes, jo simts divdesmit tūkstoši vīru, zobena nesēji, bija krituši.
11 Un Gideons devās pa tuksneša sirotāju ceļu austrumos no Nobas un Jogbehas, uzbruka un sakāva viņu karaspēku nometnē tai brīdī, kad tiem šķita, ka tā ir droša.
12 Un Zeba un Calmunna bēga, bet viņš tos vajāja un sagūstīja abus Midiana ķēniņus—Zebu un Calmunnu; un visu karaspēku viņš izkliedēja.
13 Tad Gideons, Joasa dēls, griezās atpakaļ pa augšējo ceļu pāri kalniem.
14 Un tur viņš notvēra kādu zēnu no Sukotas vīru pulka, un viņš to izjautāja, un tas viņam uzrakstīja ir Sukotas virsaišus, ir viņas vecajus, septiņdesmit septiņus vīrus.
15 Un tad viņš nonāca pie Sukotas vīriem un sacīja: „Te nu tagad ir Zeba un Calmunna, kuru dēļ jūs mani nievājāt, sacīdami: „Vai Zebas un Calmunnas dūres ir jau tavā rokā, ka mums jau tagad taviem piekusušiem vīriem ir jādod maize?“
16 Tad viņš lika satvert pilsētas vecajus, ņēma tuksneša ērkšķus un dadžus, un viņš lika tos manīt Sukotas vīriem.
17 Bet Penuēlas nocietinājumu viņš nojauca, un pilsētas vīrus viņš nokāva.
18 Tad viņš teica Zebam un Calmunnam: „Kā izskatījās tie vīri, ko jūs esat Tāborā nokāvuši?“ Tie atbildēja: „Tie bija visi gluži tādi kā tu, ikviens sava izskatā kā ķēniņa dēls.“
19 Tad viņš sacīja: „Tie bija mani brāļi, manas mātes dēli! Tik tiešām, ka tas Kungs dzīvo, ja jūs būtu saudzējuši viņu dzīvības, es jūs nenokautu!“
20 Un viņš sacīja Jeteram, savam pirmdzimušajam dēlam: „Celies, nokauj tos!“ Bet zēns neizvilka savu zobenu, jo viņš baidījās, tāpēc ka viņš bija vēl jauns.
21 Tad Zeba un Calmunna sacīja: „Celies tu pats un nodur mūs, jo kāds vīrs, tāds ir viņa spēks!“ Tad Gideons cēlās, un viņš nokāva Zebu un Calmunnu un noņēma mēnestiņus, kas bija ap viņu kamieļu kakliem.
22 Un Israēla vīri sacīja Gideonam: „Esi tu mums ķēniņš, tu un tavs dēls un tava dēla dēls, jo tu mūs esi izpestījis no Midiana rokas.“
23 Bet Gideons tiem atbildēja: „Es negribu būt jūsu ķēniņš, un ari mans dēls nevaldīs pār jums; tas Kungs ir jūsu ķēniņš!“
24 Tālāk Gideons tiem sacīja: „Es tomēr kaut ko lūgšu no jums: dodiet man ikviens savu gredzenu no sava laupījumu!“ Jo midianieši valkāja zelta gredzenus, tāpēc ka tie bija ismaēlieši.
25 Un viņi atbildēja: „Labprāt, mēs dosim.“ Un tie izklāja kādu tērpu, un uz tā meta ikkatrs vienu gredzenu no sava laupījuma.
26 Šo pieprasīto zelta gredzenu svars bija tūkstoš septiņi simti zelta seķeļu, nemaz neieskaitot mazos mēnešus un auskarus un purpura tērpus, ko bija valkājuši Midiana ķēniņi, neieskaitot arī kaklu ķēdes, kas bija ap kakliem viņu kamieļiem.
27 Un Gideons no tā darināja dārgu efodu, un viņš to novietoja Ofrā, savā cilts pilsētā; un viss Israēls ar to piekopa tur elka kalpību, un tas Gideonam un viņa namam kļuva par slazda valgu.
28 Bet midianieši tomēr bija pazemoti Israēla bērnu priekšā, un tie nespēja vairs savu galvu pacelt; zemei bija miers četrdesmit gadus, kamēr Gideons dzīvoja.
29 Un Jerubbaāls, Joasa dēls, nogāja un dzīvoja savā namā.
30 Gideonam bija septiņdesmit dēlu, kas bija no viņa gurniem nākuši, jo viņam bija daudz sievu.
31 Arī viņa blakus sieva, kas tam bija Sichemā, dzemdēja viņam dēlu, un viņš nosauca to vārdā Abimelechs.
32 Un Gideons, Joasa dēls, nomira sirmā vecumā un tika apglabāts sava tēva Joasa kapa vietā—abiēzeriešu Ofrā.
33 Bet kad Gideons bija nomiris, tad Israēla bērni noklīda uz neceļiem un netikli kalpoja baāliem un izveidoja Derības-Baālu sev par dievu.
34 Un Israēla bērni nepieminēja to Kungu, savu Dievu, kas patiešām viņus bija izglābis no visu viņu apkārtējo ienaidnieku rokas.
35 Viņi arī neapgājās labi ar Jerubbaāla, tas ir Gideona, namu, neievērodami to labo, ko viņš bija Israēlam darījis.
