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.
Gideona triumfs un atriebība
1 Efraima vīri viņam teica: “Kāpēc tu mums tā esi darījis, ka nesauci mūs, kad devies cīnīties ar Midjānu!?” – tā tie viņam skarbi pārmeta. 2 Bet viņš tiem sacīja: “Ko gan es būtu veicis tādu kā jūs? Vai tad Efraima ievākums nav labāks par Abīezera ražu? 3 Jūsu rokās Dievs ir nodevis Midjāna vadoņus Orēbu un Zeēvu. Ko gan es būtu spējis paveikt tādu kā jūs?” Kad viņš tā runāja, viņu niknums norima.
4 Gideons nonāca pie Jardānas. Viņš pārgāja tai pāri, bet tie trīs simti vīru, kas bija kopā ar viņu, bija pārguruši no vajāšanas. 5 Viņš sacīja Sukotas vīriem: “Jel dodiet kaut cik maizes tiem ļaudīm, kas man seko, jo tie ir pārguruši, un es pats vajāju Midjāna ķēniņus Zebahu un Calmunnu.” 6 Bet Sukotas vadoņi atbildēja: “Vai tad Zebahs un Calmunna jau ir tavā rokā, ka mums būtu jādod maize tavam pulkam?” 7 Un Gideons teica: “Kad Kungs nodos Zebahu un Calmunnu manā rokā, es kulšu jūsu miesas ar tuksneša ērkšķiem un dzelkšņiem!” 8 No turienes viņš devās augšup uz Penuēlu un runāja ar tiem to pašu, un Penuēlas vīri viņam atbildēja tāpat, kā bija atbildējuši Sukotas vīri. 9 Tad arī Penuēlas vīriem viņš sacīja: “Kad es atgriezīšos ar uzvaru, es nogāzīšu šo torni!”
10 Zebahs un Calmunna bija Karkorā un kopā ar tiem viņu karaspēks – ap piecpadsmit tūkstoši vīru, visi, kas bija atlikuši no austrumnieku dēlu karaspēka, jo simts divdesmit tūkstoši vīru, zobena nesēji, bija krituši. 11 Gideons devās augšup pa telšu iemītnieku ceļu austrumos no Nobahas un Jogbohas. Viņš sakāva to karaspēku, jo karaspēks jutās drošībā. 12 Zebahs un Calmunna metās bēgt, un viņš tos vajāja. Viņš saņēma gūstā abus Midjāna ķēniņus Zebahu un Calmunnu un iedzina šausmas visā karaspēkā. 13 Gideons, Joāša dēls, atgriezās no kara, iedams gar Heresas nogāzi. 14 Viņš notvēra kādu puisi no sukotiešiem un izjautāja to, un tas viņam uzrakstīja Sukotas vadoņus un vecajus – septiņdesmit septiņus vīrus. 15 Tad viņš nāca pie sukotiešiem un teica: “Redzi, Zebahs un Calmunna, par kuriem jūs mani izsmējāt, sacīdami: vai tad Zebahs un Calmunna jau ir tavā rokā, ka mums būtu jādod maize taviem pārgurušajiem vīriem?” 16 Un viņš saņēma pilsētas vecajus un ņēma tuksneša ērkšķus un dzelkšņus un lika tos matīt Sukotas vīriem. 17 Viņš nogāza Penuēlas torni un nokāva pilsētas vīrus. 18 Tad viņš vaicāja Zebaham un Calmunnam: “Kādi bija tie vīri, kurus jūs nokāvāt Tāborā?” Tie sacīja: “Tie visi bija tādi kā tu, tie izskatījās kā ķēniņa dēli!” 19 Un viņš teica: “Tie bija mani brāļi, manas mātes dēli! Dzīvs Kungs! – būtu jūs viņus atstājuši dzīvus, es jūs nenokautu!” 20 Viņš teica savam pirmdzimtajam Jeteram: “Celies, nokauj tos!” Bet jauneklis neizvilka zobenu, jo bija nobijies, viņš bija vēl zēns. 21 Tad Zebahs un Calmunna teica: “Celies pats un uzbrūc mums, jo, kāds ir vīrs, tāds viņa spēks.” Un Gideons cēlās un nokāva Zebahu un Calmunnu, un viņš paņēma mēnestiņus, kas bija ap viņu kamieļu kakliem.
Gideona atkrišana
22 Israēla vīri sacīja Gideonam: “Valdi pār mums! Tu un tavs dēls, un tavs dēla dēls, jo tu esi mūs izpestījis no Midjāna.” 23 Un Gideons viņiem atbildēja: “Es pats pār jums nevaldīšu, un arī mans dēls pār jums nevaldīs – pār jums valdīs Kungs!” 24 Gideons viņiem teica: “Es jums ko prasīšu – ikviens lai man dod auskaru no sava laupījuma!” Jo tie nēsāja zelta auskarus, tāpēc ka bija ismaēlieši. 25 Un viņi sacīja: “Dosim labprāt!” Viņi izklāja apmetni, un ikviens nometa uz tā auskaru no sava laupījuma. 26 Viņš savāca zelta auskarus tūkstoš septiņi simti mēru svarā, neskaitot mēnestiņus, piekariņus un purpura drānas, ko valkāja Midjāna ķēniņi, un neskaitot karuļus, kas bija ap viņu kamieļu kakliem. 27 Gideons no tā darināja efodu un novietoja to savā pilsētā Ofrā – tur viss Israēls ar to dzina maucību. Tas kļuva par slazdu Gideonam un viņa namam. 28 Tā Midjāns tika pazemots Israēla dēlu priekšā, un viņi vairs necēla savas galvas. Tad zemei Gideona dienās bija miers – četrdesmit gadus.
Gideona nāve
29 Jerubaals, Joāša dēls, aizgāja un apmetās savā namā. 30 Gideonam bija septiņdesmit dēlu, kas nākuši no viņa gurniem, jo viņam bija daudz sievu. 31 Un viņa blakussieva, kas bija Šehemā, arī viņa tam dzemdēja dēlu. Viņš deva tam vārdu Abīmelehs. 32 Gideons, Joāša dēls, nomira, būdams krietni gados, un tika apbedīts sava tēva Joāša kapā abīezeriešu Ofrā.
33 Tiklīdz Gideons bija miris, Israēla dēli novērsās, dzina maucību ar baāliem un nolika sev Derībbaalu par dievu. 34 Israēla dēli nepieminēja Kungu, savu Dievu, savu atbrīvotāju no visiem apkārtējiem ienaidniekiem, 35 nedz arī izrādīja jel kādu laipnību Jerubaala, Gideona, namam par visu labo, ko viņš bija darījis Israēlam.
