Zebah and Zalmunna
1Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?” And they challenged him vigorously.
2But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? 3God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.
4Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it. 5He said to the men of Sukkoth, “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
6But the officials of Sukkoth said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?”
7Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”
8From there he went up to Peniel8:8 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel; also in verses 9 and 17 and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. 9So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”
10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen. 11Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.
13Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres. 14He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth, the elders of the town. 15Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’ ” 16He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 17He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.
18Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?”
“Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”
19Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” 20Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.
21Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’ ” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels’ necks.
Gideon’s Ephod
22The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
23But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 24And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
25They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,8:26 That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
Gideon’s Death
28Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.
29Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live. 30He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives. 31His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek. 32Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god 34and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.
Seba àti Salmunna
1Àwọn àgbàgbà ẹ̀yà Efraimu sì bínú gidigidi sí Gideoni wọ́n bi í léèrè pé, kí ló dé tí o fi ṣe irú èyí sí wa? Èéṣe tí ìwọ kò fi pè wá nígbà tí ìwọ kọ́kọ́ jáde lọ láti bá àwọn ará Midiani jagun? Ohùn ìbínú ni wọ́n fi bá a sọ̀rọ̀.
2Ṣùgbọ́n Gideoni dá wọn lóhùn pé, “Àṣeyọrí wo ni mo ti ṣe tí ó tó fiwé tiyín? Àṣàkù àjàrà Efraimu kò ha dára ju gbogbo ìkórè àjàrà Abieseri lọ bí? 3Ọlọ́run ti fi Orebu àti Seebu àwọn olórí àwọn ará Midiani lé yín lọ́wọ́. Kí ni ohun tí Mose ṣe tí ó tó fiwé e yín tàbí tí ó tó àṣeyọrí i yín?” Nígbà tí ó wí èyí ríru ìbínú wọn rọlẹ̀.
4Gideoni àti àwọn ọ̀ọ́dúnrún (300) ọkùnrin tí ó wà pẹ̀lú rẹ̀ tẹ̀síwájú láti lépa àwọn ọ̀tá bí ó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé ó ti rẹ̀ wọ́n, wọ́n dé Jordani wọ́n sì kọjá sí òdìkejì. 5Ó wí fún àwọn ọkùnrin Sukkoti pé, “Ẹ fún àwọn ọmọ-ogun mi ní oúnjẹ díẹ̀, nítorí ó ti rẹ̀ wọ́n, èmi sì ń lépa Seba àti Salmunna àwọn ọba Midiani.”
6Ṣùgbọ́n àwọn ìjòyè Sukkoti fèsì pé ṣé ọwọ́ rẹ ti tẹ Seba àti Salmunna náà ni? Èéṣe tí àwa yóò ṣe fún àwọn ológun rẹ ní oúnjẹ?
7Gideoni dá wọn lóhùn pé, “Ó dára, nígbà tí Olúwa bá fi Seba àti Salmunna lé mi lọ́wọ́ tán èmi yóò fi ẹ̀gún ijù àti ẹ̀gún òṣùṣú ya ẹran-ara yín.”
8Láti ibẹ̀, ó lọ sí Penieli ó sì bẹ̀ wọ́n bẹ́ẹ̀ gẹ́gẹ́, ṣùgbọ́n àwọn náà dá a lóhùn bí àwọn ará Sukkoti ti dá a lóhùn. 9Nígbà náà ni ó sọ fún àwọn ọkùnrin Penieli pé, “Nígbà tí mo bá ṣẹ́gun tí mo sì padà dé ní àlàáfíà, èmi yóò wó ilé ìṣọ́ yìí.”
10Ní àsìkò náà Seba àti Salmunna wà ní Karkori pẹ̀lú ọmọ-ogun wọn tí ó tó ẹgbẹ̀rún mẹ́ẹ̀ẹ́dógún (15,000) ọkùnrin, àwọn wọ̀nyí ni ó ṣẹ́kù nínú gbogbo ogun àwọn ènìyàn apá ìlà-oòrùn, nítorí ẹgbẹ̀rún lọ́nà ọgọ́fà ọkùnrin tí ó fi idà jà ti kú ní ojú ogun. 11Gideoni gba ọ̀nà tí àwọn darandaran máa ń rìn ní apá ìhà ìlà-oòrùn Noba àti Jogbeha ó sì kọjú ogun sí àwọn ọmọ-ogun náà nítorí wọ́n ti túra sílẹ̀. 12Seba àti Salmunna, àwọn ọba Midiani méjèèjì sá, ṣùgbọ́n Gideoni lépa wọn ó sì mú wọn, ó run gbogbo ogun wọn.
13Gideoni ọmọ Joaṣi gba ọ̀nà ìgòkè Heresi padà sẹ́yìn láti ojú ogun. 14Ó mú ọ̀dọ́mọkùnrin kan ará Sukkoti, ó sì béèrè àwọn ìbéèrè ní ọwọ́ rẹ̀, ọ̀dọ́mọkùnrin náà sì kọ orúkọ àwọn ìjòyè Sukkoti mẹ́tà-dínlọ́gọ́rin fún un tí wọ́n jẹ́ àgbàgbà ìlú náà. 15Nígbà náà ni Gideoni wá ó sọ fún àwọn ọkùnrin Sukkoti pé, “Seba àti Salmunna nìwọ̀nyí nípa àwọn tí ẹ̀yin fi mí ṣẹ̀fẹ̀ nígbà tí ẹ wí pé, ‘Ṣé ó ti ṣẹ́gun Seba àti Salmunna? Èéṣe tí àwa ó fi fún àwọn ọmọ-ogun rẹ tí ó ti rẹ̀ ní oúnjẹ?’ ” 16Ó mú àwọn àgbàgbà ìlú náà, ó sì fi kọ́ àwọn Sukkoti lọ́gbọ́n nípa jíjẹ wọ́n ní yà pẹ̀lú àwọn ẹ̀gún ijù àti ẹ̀gún ọ̀gàn. 17Ó wó ilé ìṣọ́ Penieli, ó sì pa àwọn ọkùnrin ìlú náà.
18Gideoni bi Seba àti Salmunna pé, “Irú ọkùnrin tí ẹ pa ní Tabori, báwo ni wọ́n ṣe rí?”
“Àwọn ọkùnrin náà dàbí rẹ ọ̀kọ̀ọ̀kan wọn dàbí ọmọ ọba,” ní ìdáhùn wọn.
19Gideoni dáhùn pé, “Arákùnrin mi ni wọ́n, àwọn ọmọ ìyá mi. Mo fi Olúwa búra, bí ó bá ṣe pé ẹ dá ẹ̀mí wọn sí, èmi náà ò nípa yín.” 20Ó yí padà sí Jeteri, ọmọ rẹ̀ tí ó dàgbà jùlọ, ó wí fún un pé, “Pa wọ́n!” Ṣùgbọ́n Jeteri kò fa idà rẹ̀ yọ láti pa wọ́n nítorí ó jẹ́ ọ̀dọ́mọdé ẹ̀rù sì bà á láti pa wọ́n.
21Seba àti Salmunna dá Gideoni lóhùn pé, “Wá pa wá fún raàrẹ, ‘Nítorí bí ènìyàn bá ti rí bẹ́ẹ̀ ni agbára rẹ̀ yóò rí.’ ” Gideoni bọ́ síwájú ó sì pa wọ́n, ó sì mú ohun ọ̀ṣọ́ tí ó wà ní ọrùn àwọn ìbákasẹ wọn.
Efodu Gideoni
22Àwọn ará Israẹli wí fún Gideoni pé, “Jọba lórí wa—ìwọ, àwọn ọmọ rẹ àti àwọn ọmọ ọmọ rẹ pẹ̀lú, nítorí tí ìwọ ti gbà wá lọ́wọ́ àwọn ará Midiani.”
23Ṣùgbọ́n Gideoni dá wọn lóhùn pé, “Èmi kì yóò jẹ ọba lórí yín, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni àwọn ọmọ mi kì yóò jẹ ọba lórí yín. Olúwa ni yóò jẹ ọba lórí yín.” 24Gideoni sì wí pé, “Mo ní ẹ̀bẹ̀ kan tí mo fẹ́ bẹ̀ yín kí ẹnìkọ̀ọ̀kan yín fún mi ní yẹtí kọ̀ọ̀kan láti inú ohun ti ó kàn yín láti inú ìkógun.” (Àṣà àwọn ará Iṣmaeli ni láti máa fi yẹtí wúrà sétí.)
25Wọ́n dáhùn pé, “Tayọ̀tayọ̀ ni àwa yóò fi wọ́n sílẹ̀.” Wọ́n tẹ́ aṣọ kan sílẹ̀ ọkùnrin kọ̀ọ̀kan sì ń sọ yẹtí kọ̀ọ̀kan tí ó kàn wọ́n láti ibi ìkógun síbẹ̀. 26Ìwọ̀n òrùka wúrà tí ó béèrè fún tó ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀sán, ẹgbẹ̀rún kan ó-lé-ọgọ́rùn-ún méje (1,700) ìwọ̀n ṣékélì, láìka àwọn ohun ọ̀ṣọ́ àti ohun sísorọ̀ tí ó wà lára ìlẹ̀kẹ̀ ọrùn àti aṣọ elése àlùkò tí àwọn ọba Midiani ń wọ̀ tàbí àwọn ẹ̀wọ̀n tí ó wà ní ọrùn àwọn ìbákasẹ wọn. 27Gideoni fi àwọn wúrà náà ṣe efodu èyí tí ó gbé kalẹ̀ ní Ofira ìlú rẹ̀. Àwọn ọmọ Israẹli sì sọ ara wọn di àgbèrè nípa sínsìn ní ibẹ̀. Ó sì di ìdẹ̀kùn fún Gideoni àti ìdílé rẹ̀.
Ikú Gideoni
28Báyìí ni a ṣe tẹrí àwọn ará Midiani ba níwájú àwọn ọmọ Israẹli bẹ́ẹ̀ ni wọn kò tún gbé orí mọ́. Ní ọjọ́ Gideoni, Israẹli wà ní àlàáfíà fún ogójì ọdún.
29Jerubbaali ọmọ Joaṣi padà lọ láti máa gbé ní ìlú rẹ̀. 30Àádọ́rin ọmọ ni Gideoni bí, nítorí ó ní ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ àwọn ìyàwó. 31Àlè rẹ̀, tó ń gbé ní Ṣekemu, pàápàá bí ọmọkùnrin kan fún un tí ó pe orúkọ rẹ̀ ní Abimeleki. 32Gideoni ọmọ Joaṣi kú ní ògbólógbòó ọjọ́ rẹ̀, ó sì pọ̀ ní ọjọ́ orí, wọ́n sì sin ín sí ibojì baba rẹ̀ ní Ofira ti àwọn ará Abieseri.
33Láìpẹ́ jọjọ lẹ́yìn ikú Gideoni ni àwọn ará Israẹli ṣe àgbèrè tọ Baali lẹ́yìn, wọ́n fi Baali-Beriti ṣe òrìṣà wọn. 34Wọn kò sì rántí Olúwa Ọlọ́run wọn, ẹni tí ó gbà wọ́n kúrò lọ́wọ́ àwọn ọ̀tá wọn gbogbo tí ó wà ní gbogbo àyíká wọn. 35Wọ́n kùnà láti fi inú rere hàn sí ìdílé Jerubbaali (èyí ni Gideoni) fún gbogbo oore tí ó ṣe fún wọn.
