And the men of Ephraimsaidunto him, Why hastthouserved us thus, thatthoucalledst us not, whenthouwentest to fightwith the Midianites? And they did chidewith him sharply.
God hathdeliveredintoyourhands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Thentheiranger was abatedtoward him, when he had saidthat.
And he saidunto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of breadunto the peoplethatfollow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuingafterZebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
And Gideonsaid, Thereforewhen the LORDhathdeliveredZebah and Zalmunnaintominehand, then I willtearyourfleshwith the thorns of the wilderness and withbriers.
Now Zebah and Zalmunnawere in Karkor, and theirhostswiththem, aboutfifteenthousand men, all thatwereleft of all the hosts of the children of the east: for therefell an hundred and twentythousand men thatdrewsword.
And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he describedunto him the princes of Succoth, and the eldersthereof, eventhreescore and seventeen men.
And he cameunto the men of Succoth, and said, BeholdZebah and Zalmunnawithwhom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thinehand, that we shouldgivebreadunto thy men that are weary?
Thensaid he untoZebah and Zalmunna, Whatmanner of men weretheywhom ye slew at Tabor? And theyanswered, As thou art, so werethey; each one resembled the children of a king.
ThenZebah and Zalmunnasaid, Risethou, and fallupon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideonarose, and slewZebah and Zalmunna, and tookaway the ornamentsthatwere on theircamels’necks.
Then the men of IsraelsaiduntoGideon, Rulethouover us, boththou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thouhastdelivered us from the hand of Midian.
And Gideonsaiduntothem, I woulddesire a request of you, that ye wouldgive me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had goldenearrings, becausetheywereIshmaelites.)
And the weight of the goldenearringsthat he requested was a thousand and sevenhundredshekels of gold; besideornaments, and collars, and purpleraimentthat was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chainsthatwereabouttheircamels’necks.
And Gideonmade an ephodthereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israelwentthither a whoringafter it: whichthingbecame a snareuntoGideon, and to his house.
Thus was Midiansubduedbefore the children of Israel, so thattheylifted up theirheads no more. And the country was in quietnessfortyyears in the days of Gideon.