20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them!” But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.
21 So Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and akilled Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
Gideon’s Ephod
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, a“Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have bdelivered us from the hand of Midian.”
23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; athe Lord shall rule over you.”
24 Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to1 make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, abecause they were Ishmaelites.
25 So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder.
26 Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks.
27 Then Gideon amade it into an ephod and set it up in his city, bOphrah. And all Israel cplayed the harlot with it there. It became da snare to Gideon and to his house.
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. aAnd the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
Death of Gideon
29 Then aJerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30 Gideon had aseventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives.
31 aAnd his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
32 Now Gideon the son of Joash died aat a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, bin Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 So it was, aas soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again bplayed the harlot with the Baals, cand made Baal-Berith their god.
34 Thus the children of Israel adid not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;
35 anor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Book Notes:
Robertson's Book Notes (NT)
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