The Final Defeat of the Midianites
1 Then the people of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why didn't you call us when you went to fight the Midianites? Why did you treat us like this?” They complained bitterly about it.
2 But he told them, “What I was able to do is nothing compared with what you have done. Even the little that you people of Ephraim did is worth more than what my whole clan has done. 3 After all, through the power of God you killed the two Midianite chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I done to compare with that?” When he said this, they were no longer so angry.
4 By this time Gideon and his three hundred men had come to the Jordan River and had crossed it. They were exhausted, but were still pursuing the enemy. 5 When they arrived at Sukkoth, he said to the men of the town, “Please give my men some loaves of bread. They are exhausted, and I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings.”
6 But the leaders of Sukkoth said, “Why should we give your army any food? You haven't captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet.”
7 So Gideon said, “All right! When the Lord has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will beat you with thorns and briers from the desert!” 8 Gideon went on to Penuel and made the same request of the people there, but the men of Penuel gave the same answer as the men of Sukkoth. 9 So he said to them, “I am going to come back safe and sound, and when I do, I will tear this tower down!”
10 Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor with their army. Of the whole army of desert tribesmen, only about 15,000 were left; 120,000 soldiers had been killed. 11 Gideon went on the road along the edge of the desert, east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the army by surprise. 12 The two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, ran away, but he pursued them and captured them, and caused their whole army to panic.
13 When Gideon was returning from the battle by way of Heres Pass, 14 he captured a young man from Sukkoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down for Gideon the names of the seventy-seven leading men of Sukkoth. 15 Then Gideon went to the men of Sukkoth and said, “Remember when you refused to help me? You said that you couldn't give any food to my exhausted army because I hadn't captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet. Well, here they are!” 16 He then took thorns and briers from the desert and used them to punish the leaders of Sukkoth. 17 He also tore down the tower at Penuel and killed the men of that city.
18 Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What about the men you killed at Tabor?”
They answered, “They looked like you—every one of them like the son of a king.”
19 Gideon said, “They were my brothers, my own mother's sons. I solemnly swear that if you had not killed them, I would not kill you.” 20 Then he said to Jether, his oldest son, “Go ahead, kill them!” But the boy did not draw his sword. He hesitated, because he was still only a boy.
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Come on, kill us yourself. It takes a man to do a man's job.” So Gideon killed them and took the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
22 After that, the Israelites said to Gideon, “Be our ruler—you and your descendants after you. You have saved us from the Midianites.”
23 Gideon answered, “I will not be your ruler, nor will my son. The Lord will be your ruler.” 24 But he went on to say, “Let me ask one thing of you. Every one of you give me the earrings you took.” (The Midianites, like other desert people, wore gold earrings.)
25 The people answered, “We'll be glad to give them to you.” They spread out a cloth, and everyone put on it the earrings that he had taken. 26 The gold earrings that Gideon got weighed over forty pounds, and this did not include the ornaments, necklaces, and purple clothes that the kings of Midian wore, nor the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 Gideon made an idol from the gold and put it in his hometown, Ophrah. All the Israelites abandoned God and went there to worship the idol. It was a trap for Gideon and his family.
28 So Midian was defeated by the Israelites and was no longer a threat. The land was at peace for forty years, until Gideon died.
The Death of Gideon
29 Gideon went back to his own home and lived there. 30 He had seventy sons, because he had many wives. 31 He also had a concubine in Shechem; she bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, at Ophrah, the town of the clan of Abiezer.
33 After Gideon's death the people of Israel were unfaithful to God again and worshiped the Baals. They made Baal-of-the-Covenant their god, 34 and no longer served the Lord their God, who had saved them from all their enemies around them. 35 They were not grateful to the family of Gideon for all the good that he had done 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.
