Zebah and Zalmunna
1The men of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you ask us to help you when you went out to fight against Midian?” In anger they challenged Gideon.
2But he answered them, “What I’ve done isn’t anything compared to what you have done. Ephraim’s grapes have been gathered. Isn’t what is left over better than all the grapes that have been gathered from Abiezer’s vines? 3God handed Oreb and Zeeb over to you. They were Midianite leaders. So what was I able to do compared to what you did?” After Gideon had said that, they didn’t feel angry with him anymore.
4Gideon and his 300 men were very tired. But they kept on chasing their enemies. They came to the Jordan River and went across it. 5Gideon said to the men of Sukkoth, “Give my troops some bread. They are worn out. And I’m still chasing Zebah and Zalmunna. They are the kings of Midian.”
6But the officials of Sukkoth objected. They said, “Have you already killed Zebah and Zalmunna? Have you cut their hands off and brought them back to prove it? If you haven’t, why should we give bread to your troops?”
7Gideon replied, “The Lord will hand Zebah and Zalmunna over to me. When he does, I’ll tear your skin with thorns from desert bushes.”
8From there Gideon went up to Peniel. He asked its men for the same thing. But they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 9So he said to the men of Peniel, “I’ll be back after I’ve won the battle. Then I’ll tear down this tower.”
10Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor. They had an army of about 15,000 men. That’s all that were left of the armies of the tribes from the east. About 120,000 men who carried swords had died in battle. 11Gideon went up the trail the people of the desert had made. It ran east of Nobah and Jogbehah. He attacked the army by surprise. 12Zebah and Zalmunna ran away. They were the two kings of Midian. Gideon chased them and captured them. He destroyed their whole army.
13Then Gideon, the son of Joash, returned from the battle. He came back through the Pass of Heres. 14He caught a young man from Sukkoth. He asked him about the elders of the town. The young man wrote down for him the names of Sukkoth’s 77 officials. 15Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You made fun of me because of them. You said, ‘Have you already killed Zebah and Zalmunna? Have you cut their hands off and brought them back to prove it? If you haven’t, why should we give bread to your tired men?’ ” 16Gideon went and got the elders of the town. Then he taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson. He tore their skin with thorns from desert bushes. 17He also pulled down the tower at Peniel. He killed the men in the town.
18Then he spoke to Zebah and Zalmunna. He asked, “What were the men like that you killed at Tabor?”
“Men like you,” they answered. “Each one walked as if he were a prince.”
19Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers. They were the sons of my own mother. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that if you had spared their lives, I wouldn’t kill you.” 20Then Gideon turned to his oldest son Jether. He said, “Kill them!” But Jether didn’t pull out his sword. He was only a boy. So he was afraid.
21Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come on. Do it yourself. ‘The older the man, the stronger he is.’ ” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them. Then he took the gold chains off the necks of their camels.
Gideon’s Linen Apron
22The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us. We want you, your son and your grandson to be our rulers. You have saved us from the power of Midian.”
23But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you. My son won’t rule over you either. The Lord will rule over you.” 24He continued, “I do ask one thing. I want each of you to give me an earring. I’m talking about the earrings you took from your enemies.” It was the practice of the people in the family line of Ishmael to wear gold earrings.
25The Israelites said, “We’ll be glad to give them to you.” So they spread out a piece of clothing. Each of them threw a ring on it from what he had taken. 26The weight of the gold rings Gideon asked for was 43 pounds. That didn’t include the moon-shaped necklaces the kings of Midian had worn. It didn’t include their other necklaces or their purple clothes. And it didn’t include the gold chains that had been on the necks of their camels. 27Gideon made an object out of all the gold. It looked like the linen apron the high priest of Israel wore. Gideon placed it in Ophrah. That was his hometown. All the Israelites worshiped it there. They weren’t faithful to the Lord. So the gold object became a trap to Gideon and his family.
Gideon Dies
28Israel brought Midian under their control. Midian wasn’t able to attack Israel anymore. So the land was at peace for 40 years. The peace lasted as long as Gideon was living.
29Jerub-Baal, the son of Joash, went back home to live. Jerub-Baal was another name for Gideon. 30He had 70 sons of his own. That’s because he had many wives. 31And he had a concubine who lived in Shechem. She also had a son by him. Gideon named that son Abimelek. 32Gideon, the son of Joash, died when he was very old. He was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah. Ophrah was in the territory that belonged to the family line of Abiezer.
33As soon as Gideon had died, the Israelites began serving and worshiping gods that were named Baal. Israel wasn’t faithful to the Lord. They worshiped Baal-Berith as their god. 34They forgot what the Lord their God had done for them. He had saved them from the power of their enemies all around them. 35Jerub-Baal had done many good things for the Israelites. But they weren’t faithful to his family. Jerub-Baal was another name for Gideon.
Gideon Kum Seba Ne Salmunna
1Afei, Efraimfo no bisaa Gideon se, “Adɛn nti na woyɛ yɛn saa? Adɛn nti na worekɔko atia Midian kan no, woamfrɛ yɛn?” Na wɔne Gideon kasaa anibere so.
2Na Gideon buaa wɔn se, “Dɛn na mayɛ a mede bɛtoto mo ho? Na Efraim bobe aba a ɛka wɔ twabere akyi no nye nsen Abieser bobe a wɔtewee nyinaa? 3Onyankopɔn maa mudii Oreb ne Seeb a na wɔyɛ Midian asahene no so. Dɛn na matumi ayɛ a ɛsɛ eyi?” Efraim mmarima no tee Gideon mmuae no, wɔn bo tɔɔ wɔn yam.
4Gideon ne ne mmarima ahaasa no twaa Asubɔnten Yordan, ɛwɔ mu sɛ na wɔabrɛ de, nanso wɔtoaa so taa atamfo no. 5Woduu Sukot no, Gideon ka kyerɛɛ ntuanofo a wɔwɔ hɔ no se, “Momma mʼakofo no aduan nni na wɔabrɛ. Meretaa Midian ahemfo Seba ne Salmuna.”
6Na Sukot ntuanofo no buae se, “Kyere Seba ne Salmuna ansa na yɛama wʼakofo no aduan adi.”
7Gideon buae se, “Sɛ Awurade ma midi Seba ne Salmuna so nkonim a, mɛsan aba de sare so nsɔe ne akraate abesunsuan mo honam ani.”
8Na Gideon fii hɔ kɔɔ Penuel8.8 Penuel yɛ baabi a Yakob ne Onyankopɔn peree so no. kɔsrɛɛ aduan bio, na onyaa mmuae koro no ara. 9Na ɔka kyerɛɛ Penuelfo no se, “Sɛ mifi nkonimdi mu ba a, mebubu saa abantenten yi.”
10Saa bere yi na Seba ne Salmuna ne akofo mpem dunum wɔ Karkor, aboafo a wofi apuei fam a na emu mpem ɔha aduonu atotɔ dedaw no nkaefo. 11Gideon faa atutenafo kwan a ɛda Noba ne Yogbeha apuei fam no ho hyiae, na wɔtow hyɛɛ Midian nsraadɔm a na wɔn ani nna wɔn ho so no so. 12Midian ahemfo baanu a wɔn din de Seba ne Salmuna no guanee, nanso Gideon taa wɔn faa wɔn akofo nyinaa nnommum.
13Eyi akyi no, Yoas ba Gideon faa Heres tempɔn so sanee. 14Ɛhɔ na ɔkyeree aberante bi a ofi Sukot. Ɔhyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnkyerɛw nnipa aduɔson ason a wɔyɛ sodifo ne ntuanofo a wɔwɔ kurow no mu no din mma no. 15Afei, Gideon san kɔɔ Sukot kɔka kyerɛɛ ɛhɔ ntuanofo no se, “Seba ne Salmuna ni. Yɛbaa ha no mudii me ho fɛw, kae se, ‘Kyere Seba ne Salmuna ansa na yɛama wʼakofo a wɔabrɛ no aduan adi.’ ” 16Afei Gideon faa kurow no mu ntuanofo kyerɛɛ wɔn nyansa. Ɔde sare so nsɔe ne akraate twee wɔn aso. 17Ɔsan dwiriw Penuel abantenten no guu fam, kunkum kurow no mu mmarima nyinaa.
18Afei, obisaa Seba ne Salmuna se, “Mmarima a mukum wɔn wɔ Tabor no na wɔte dɛn?”
Wobuae se, “Mmarima no te sɛ wo. Na wɔn mu biara te sɛ ɔheneba.”
19Gideon ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Na wɔyɛ me nuanom. Sɛ Awurade te ase yi, sɛ moankum wɔn a, anka me nso merenkum mo.”
20Ɔdan nʼani kyerɛɛ ne babarima panyin Yeter se, “Kum wɔn.” Nanso Yeter antwe nʼafoa, efisɛ na ɔyɛ abarimaa nti na osuro.
21Seba ne Salmuna ka kyerɛɛ Gideon se, “Mma abarimaa nyɛ ɔpanyin adwuma! Wʼankasa yɛ!” Enti Gideon kum wɔn baanu, faa adehye agude a ɛsensɛn wɔn yoma kɔn mu no.
Gideon Asɔfotade Kronkron No
22Na Israelfo no ka kyerɛɛ Gideon se, “Di yɛn so hene. Wo ne wo babarima ne wo nena bɛyɛ yɛn ahemfo, efisɛ woagye yɛn afi Midianfo nsam.”
23Nanso Gideon buae se, “Merenni mo so hene na me babarima nso renni mo so hene. Awurade na obedi mo so.” 24Mmom Gideon ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, mewɔ abisade baako. “Mo mu biara mma me asokaa baako a mofa fii asade a munya fii mo atamfo a mudii wɔn so no nkyɛn.” (Atamfo a na wɔyɛ Ismaelfo no na obiara hyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ asokaa).
25Wobuaa se, “Yɛpene so dodo.” Wɔde nkataho sɛw fam. Na obiara de ne sikakɔkɔɔ asokaa a onyae beguu so. 26Na sikakɔkɔɔ asokaa dodow a wonyae no karii kilogram aduonu ne akyi pɔw anan a nyanne nketewa ne kɔnmuade, Midian ahemfo adehye ahyehyɛde ne nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn a egu wɔn yoma kɔn mu nka ho. 27Gideon de yɛɛ asɔfotade kronkron na ɔde sii kurow Ofra, ne kurow mu. Nanso ankyɛ na Israelfo no kɔsom no de guu wɔn ho fi na ɛdan afiri maa Gideon ne ne fifo.
28Eyi ne abasɛm a ɛkyerɛ sɛnea Israelfo dii Midianfo so nkonim a wɔantumi ansɔre bio. Gideon nna a etwa to bɛyɛ mfe aduanan mu no, na asomdwoe wɔ asase no so.
29Afei, Yoas babarima Yerub-Baal san kɔɔ ne kurom. 30Na ɔwɔ yerenom bebree nti ɔwoo mmabarima aduɔson. 31Na ɔwɔ mpena nso wɔ Sekem a ɔne no woo ɔbabarima, too ne din Abimelek. 32Gideon wui no na wanyin yiye. Na wosiee no wɔ nʼagya Yoas da mu wɔ Ofra wɔ Abieserfo abusuasase so.
33Gideon wui ara pɛ, Israelfo no kɔsom Baal ahoni, de bɔɔ wɔn ho ahohwi. Wɔnam so yɛɛ Baal-Berit8.33 Baal-Berit yɛ onyame bi a na nʼasɔredan si Sekem. wɔn nyame. 34Wɔn werɛ fii Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn a ogyee wɔn fii wɔn atamfo a wɔatwa wɔn ho ahyia no nsam no. 35Na mpo, wɔanni nokware ankyerɛ Yerub-Baal (a ɔne Gideon) fifo wɔ nneɛma pa a ɔyɛ maa Israelfo no ho.
