[33] And all Madiam, and Amalek, and the sons of the east gathered themselves together, and encamped in the valley of Jezrael. [34] And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, and he blew with the horn, and Abiezer came to help after him. [35] And Gedeon sent messengers into all Manasse, and into Aser, and into Zabulon, and into Nephthali; and he went up to meet them.
[36] And Gedeon said to God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said, [37] behold, I put the fleece of wool in the threshing-floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and drought on all the ground, I shall know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said. [38] And it was so: and he rose up early in the morning, and wrung the fleece, and dew dropped from the fleece, a bowl full of water. [39] And Gedeon said to God, Let not, I pray thee, thine anger be kindled with me, and I will speak yet once; I will even yet make one trial more with the fleece: let now the drought be upon the fleece only, and let there be dew on all the ground. [40] And God did so in that night; and there was drought on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.
Chapter 7
[1] And Jerobaal rose early, the same is Gedeon, and all the people with him, and encamped at the fountain of Arad; and the camp of Madiam was to the north of him, reaching from Gabaathamorai, in the valley.
[2] And the Lord said to Gedeon, The people with thee are many, so that I may not deliver Madiam into their hand, lest at any time Israel boast against me, saying, My hand has saved me. [3] And now speak in the ears of the people, saying, Who is afraid and fearful? let him turn and depart from mount Galaad: and there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and ten thousand were left. [4] And the Lord said to Gedeon, The people is yet numerous; bring them down to the water, and I will purge them there for thee: and it shall come to pass that of whomsoever I shall say to thee, This one shall go with thee, even he shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I shall say to thee, This one shall not go with thee, even he shall not go with thee. [5] And he brought the people down to the water; and the Lord said to Gedeon, Whosoever shall lap of the water with his tongue as if a dog should lap, thou shalt set him apart, and also whosoever shall bow down upon his knees to drink. [6] And the number of those that lapped with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men; and all the rest of the people bowed upon their knees to drink water. [7] And the Lord said to Gedeon, I will save you by the three hundred men that lapped, and I will give Madiam into thy hand; and all the rest of the people shall go every one to his place. [8] And they took the provision of the people in their hand, and their horns; and he sent away every man of Israel each to his tent, and he strengthened the three hundred; and the army of Madiam were beneath him in the valley.
[9] And it came to pass in that night that the Lord said to him, Arise, go down into the camp, for I have delivered it into thy hand. [10] And if thou art afraid to go down, go down thou and thy servant Phara into the camp. [11] And thou shalt hear what they shall say, and afterwards thy hands shall be strong, and thou shalt go down into the camp: and he went down and Phara his servant to the extremity of the companies of fifty, which were in the camp. [12] And Madiam and Amalec and all the children of the east were scattered in the valley, as the locust for multitude; and there was no number to their camels, but they were as the sand on the seashore for multitude.
[13] And Gedeon came, and behold a man was relating to his neighbour a dream, and he said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread rolling into the camp of Madiam, and it came as far as a tent, and smote it, and it fell, and it turned it up, and the tent fell. [14] And his neighbour answered and said, This is none other than the sword of Gedeon, son of Joas, a man of Israel: God has delivered Madiam and all the host into his hand.
[15] And it came to pass when Gedeon heard the account of the dream and the interpretation of it, that he worshipped the Lord, and returned to the camp of Israel, and said, Rise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Madiam into our hand. [16] And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put horns in the hands of all, and empty pitchers, and torches in the pitchers: [17] and he said to them, Ye shall look at me, and so shall ye do; and behold, I will go into the beginning of the host, and it shall come to pass that as I do, so shall ye do. [18] And I will sound with the horn, and all ye with me shall sound with the horn round about the whole camp, and ye shall say, For the Lord and Gedeon.
[19] And Gedeon and the hundred men that were with him came to the extremity of the army in the beginning of the middle watch; and they completely roused the guards, and sounded with the horns, and they broke the pitchers that were in their hands, [20] and the three companies sounded with the horns, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and in their right hands their horns to sound with; and they cried out, A sword for the Lord and for Gedeon. [21] And every man stood in his place round about the host; and all the host ran, and sounded an alarm, and fled. [22] And they sounded with the three hundred horns; and the Lord set every man’s sword in all the host against his neighbour. [23] And the host fled as far as Bethseed Tagaragatha Abel-meula to Tabath; and the men of Israel from Nephthali, and from Aser, and from all Manasse, came to help, and followed after Madiam.
[24] And Gedeon sent messengers into all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down to meet Madiam, and take to yourselves the water as far as Baethera and Jordan: and every man of Ephraim cried out, and they took the water before hand unto Baethera and Jordan. [25] And they took the princess of Madiam, even Oreb and Zeb; and they slew Oreb in Sur Oreb, and they slew Zeb in Jakephzeph; and they pursued Madiam, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gedeon from beyond Jordan.
Chapter 8
[1] And the men of Ephraim said to Gedeon, What is this that thou hast done to us, in that thou didst not call us when thou wentest to fight with Madiam? and they chode with him sharply. [2] And he said to them, What have I now done in comparison of you? is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? [3] The Lord has delivered into your hand the princes of Madiam, Oreb and Zeb; and what could I do in comparison of you? Then was their spirit calmed toward him, when he spoke this word.
[4] And Gedeon came to Jordan, and went over, himself and the three hundred with him, hungry, yet pursuing. [5] And he said to the men of Socchoth, Give, I pray you, bread to feed this people that follow me; because they are faint, and behold, I am following after Zebee and Salmana, kings of Madiam. [6] And the princes of Socchoth said, Are the hands of Zebee and Salmana now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy host? [7] And Gedeon said, Therefore when the Lord gives Zebee and Salmana into my hand, then will I tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and the Barkenim. [8] And he went up thence to Phanuel, and spoke to them likewise: and the men of Phanuel answered him as the men of Socchoth had answered him. [9] And Gedeon said to the men of Phanuel, When I return in peace, I will break down this tower.
[10] And Zebee and Salmana were in Carcar, and their host was with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left of all the host of the aliens; and they that fell were a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew the sword. [11] And Gedeon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, eastward of Nabai and Jegebal; and he smote the host, and the host was secure. [12] And Zebee and Salmana fled; and he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Madiam, Zebee and Salmana, and discomfited all the army.
[13] And Gedeon the son of Joas returned from the battle, down from the battle of Ares. [14] And he took prisoner a young lad of the men of Socchoth, and questioned him; and he wrote to him the names of the princes of Socchoth and of their elders, seventy-seven men. [15] And Gedeon came to the princes of Socchoth, and said, Behold Zebee and Salmana, about whom ye reproached me, saying, Are the hands of Zebee and Salmana now in thy hand, that we should give bread to thy men that are faint? [16] And he took the elders of the city with the thorns of the wilderness and the Barkenim, and with them he tore the men of the city. [17] And he overthrew the tower of Phanuel, and sl
ew the men of the city.
[18] And he said to Zebee and Salmana, Where are the men whom ye slew in Thabor? and they said, As thou, so were they, according to the likeness of the son of a king. [19] And Gedeon said, They were my brethren and the sons of my mother: as the Lord lives, if ye had preserved them alive, I would not have slain you. [20] And he said to Jether his first-born, Rise and slay them; but the lad drew not his sword, for he was afraid, for he was yet very young. [21] And Zebee and Salmana said, Rise thou and fall upon us, for thy power is as that of a man; and Gedeon arose, and slew Zebee and Salmana: and he took the round ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
[22] And the men of Israel said to Gedeon, Rule, my lord, over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son; for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Madiam. [23] And Gedeon said to them, I will not rule, and my son shall not rule among you; the Lord shall rule over you. [24] And Gedeon said to them, I will make a request of you, and do ye give me every man an earring out of his spoils: for they had golden earrings, for they were Ismaelites. [25] And they said, We will certainly give them: and he opened his garment, and each man cast therein an earring of his spoils. [26] And the weight of the golden earrings which he asked, was a thousand and seven hundred pieces of gold, besides the crescents, and the chains, and the garments, and the purple cloths that were on the kings of Madiam, and besides the chains that were on the necks of their camels. [27] And Gedeon made an ephod of it, an set it in his city in Ephratha; and all Israel went thither a whoring after it, and it became a stumbling-block to Gedeon and his house.
[28] And Madiam, was straitened before the children of Israel, and they did not lift up their head any more; and the land had rest forty years in the days of Gedeon. [29] And Jerobaal the son of Joas went and sat in his house. [30] And Gedeon had seventy sons begotten of his body, for he had many wives. [31] And his concubine was in Sychem, and she also bore him a son, and gave him the name Abimelech. [32] And Gedeon son of Joas died in his city, and he was buried in the sepulchre of Joas his father in Ephratha of Abi-Esdri.
[33] And it came to pass when Gedeon was dead, that the children of Israel turned, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made for themselves a covenant with Baal that he should be their god. [34] And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God who had delivered them out of the hand of all that afflicted them round about. [35] And they did not deal mercifully with the house of Jerobaal, (the same is Gedeon) according to all the good which he did to Israel.
Chapter 9
[1] And Abimelech son of Jerobaal went to Sychem to his mother’s brethren; and he spoke to them and to all the kindred of the house of his mother’s father, saying, [2] Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Sychem, saying, Which is better for you, that seventy men, even all the sons of Jerobaal, should reign over you, or that one man should reign over you? and remember that I am your bone and your flesh. [3] And his mother’s brethren spoke concerning him in the ears of all the men of Sychem all these words; and their heart turned after Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother. [4] And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith; and Abimelech hired for himself vain and cowardly men, and they went after him. [5] And he went to the house of his father to Ephratha, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerobaal, seventy men upon one stone; but Joatham the youngest son of Jerobaal was left, for he hid himself.
[6] And all the men of Sicima, and all the house of Bethmaalo, were gathered together, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak of Sedition, which was at Sicima.
[7] And it was reported to Joatham, and he went and stood on the top of mount Garizin, and lifted up his voice, and wept, and said to them, Hear me, ye men of Sicima, and God shall hear you.
[8] The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive, Reign over us. [9] But the olives said to them, Shall I leave my fatness, with which men shall glorify God, and go to be promoted over the trees? [10] And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come, reign over us. [11] But the fig-tree said to them, Shall I leave my sweetness an my good fruits, and go to be promoted over the trees? [12] And the trees said to the vine, Come, reign over us. [13] And the vine said to them, Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men, and go to be promoted over the trees? [14] Then all the trees said to the bramble, Come thou and reign over us. [15] And the bramble said to the trees, If ye in truth anoint me to reign over you, come, stand under my shadow; and if not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Libanus.
[16] And now, if ye have done it in truth and integrity, and have made Abimelech king, and if ye have wrought well with Jerobaal, and with his house, and if ye have done to him according to the reward of his hand, [17] as my father fought for you, and put his life in jeopardy, and delivered you out of the hand of Madiam; [18] and ye are risen up this day against the house of my father, and have slain his sons, being seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech the son of his bondwoman king over the men of Sicima, because he is your brother: [19] if then ye have done truly and faithfully with Jerobaal, and with his house this day, rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice over you: [20] but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Sicima, and the house of Bethmaalo; and let fire come out from the men of Sicima and from the house of Bethmaalo, and devour Abimelech.
[21] And Joatham fled, and ran away, and went as far as Baeer, and dwelt there out of the way of his brother Abimelech.
[22] And Abimelech reigned over Israel three years. [23] And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Sicima; and the men of Sicima dealt treacherously with the house of Abimelech: [24] to bring the injury done to the seventy sons of Jerobaal, and to lay their blood upon their brother Abimelech, who slew them, and upon the men of Sicima, because they strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. [25] And the men of Sicima set liers in wait against him on the top of the mountains, and robbed every one who passed by them on the way; and it was reported to the king Abimelech.
[26] And Gaal son of Jobel came, and his brethren, and passed by Sicima, and the men of Sicima trusted in him. [27] And they went out into the field, and gathered their grapes, and trod them, and made merry; and they brought the grapes into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. [28] And Gaal the son of Jobel said, Who is Abimelech, and who is the son of Sychem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerobaal, and is not Zebul his steward, his servant with the son of Emmor the father of Sychem? and why should we serve him? [29] And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech, and I would say to him, Multiply thy host, and come out.
[30] And Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Jobel, and he was very angry. [31] And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Jobel and his brethren are come to Sychem; and behold, they have besieged the city against thee. [32] And now rise up by night, thou and the people with thee, and lay wait in the field. [33] And it shall come to pass in the morning at sunrising, thou shalt rise up early and draw toward the city; and behold, he and the people with him will come forth against thee, and thou shalt do to him according to thy power. [34] And Abimelech and all the people with him rose up by night, and formed an ambuscade against Sychem in four companies. [35] And Gaal the son of Jobel went forth, and stood by the door of the gate of the city: and Abimelech and the people with him rose up from the ambuscade. [36] And Gaal the son of Jobel saw the people, and said to Zebul, Behold, a people comes down from the top of the mountains: and Zebul said to him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as men. [37] And Gaal continued to speak and said, Behold, a people comes down westward from the part bordering on the middle of the land, and another company comes by the way of Helon Maonenim. [38] And Zebul said to him, And where is thy mouth as thou spokest, Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the people whom thou despisedst? go forth now, and set the battle in array against him. [39] A
nd Gaal went forth before the men of Sychem, and set the battle in array against Abimelech. [40] And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled from before him; and many fell down slain as far as the door of the gate.
[41] And Abimelech entered into Arema, and Zebul cast out Gaal and his brethren, so that they should not dwell in Sychem.
[42] And it came to pass on the second day that the people went out into the field, and one brought word to Abimelech. [43] And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and formed an ambush in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people went forth out of the city, and he rose up against them, and smote them. [44] And Abimelech and the chiefs of companies that were with him rushed forward, and stood by the door of the gate of the city; and the two other companies rushed forward upon all that were in the field, and smote them. [45] And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and took the city, and slew the people that were in it, and destroyed the city, and sowed it with salt.
[46] And all the men of the tower of Sychem heard, and came to the gathering of Baethel-berith. [47] And it was reported to Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Sychem were gathered together. [48] And Abimelech went up to the mount of Selmon, and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a branch of a tree, and took it, and laid it on his shoulders; and said to the people that were with him, What ye see me doing, do quickly as I. [49] And they cut down likewise even every man a branch, and went after Abimelech, and laid them against the place of gathering, and burnt the place of gathering over them with fire; and they died, even all the men of the tower of Sicima, about a thousand men and women.
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