1 فسألَ بَنو أفرايمَ جِدعونَ: «لِماذا فعَلْتَ بِنا هكذا ولم تَدْعُنا حينَ خَرجْتَ لِقِتالِ المِديانيِّينَ؟» وخاصَموهُ خِصاما شديدا. 2 فقالَ لهُم: «ما فعَلْتُ بِالنِّسبةِ إلى ما فعَلتُم أنتُم؟ أما بقايا أفرايمَ مِنَ العِنَبِ أفضَلُ مِنْ قِطافِ أبـيعزَرَ؟ 3 إلى أيديكُم دفَعَ اللهُ قائِدَي المِديانيِّينَ عوريـبَ وزيـبَ. فماذا أمكَنَني أنْ أفعَلَ أحسَنَ مِمَّا أنتُم فعَلتُم؟» فسكَن غضَبُهُم عَنهُ حينَ قالَ لهُم هذا الكلامَ.
4 وعبَرَ جِدعونُ الأُردُنَّ، هوَ والثَّلاثُ مئةِ رَجلٍ الّذينَ معَهُ وهُم يُطارِدونَ الأعداءَ رُغمَ ما بِهِم مِنْ عَياءٍ. 5 فقالَ لأهلِ سُكُّوتَ: «أعطوا الّذينَ معي خُبزا لأنَّهُم تَعِبوا، وأنا ساعٍ في طَلَبِ زبَحَ وصَلمُنَّاعَ مَلكَي مديانَ». 6 فقالَ لَه رؤساءُ سُكُّوتَ: «هل قبضتَ على زبَحَ وصلمُنَّاعَ حتّى نُعطيَ عَسكرَك خُبزا؟» 7 فقالَ جِدعونُ: «مِنْ أجلِ هذا الكلامِ سأُهَشِّمُ أجسادَكُم بأشواكِ البرِّيَّةِ والنَّوارِجِ حينَ يُسَلِّمُ الرّبُّ إلى يَدي زبَحَ وصَلمُنَّاعَ». 8 وصَعِدَ مِنْ هُناكَ إلى فنوئيلَ فطلَبَ مِنْ أهلِها الشيءَ ذاتَهُ فأجابوهُ كما أجابَهُ أهلُ سُكُّوتَ. 9 فقالَ لأهلِ فنوئيلَ أيضا: «إنْ رَجَعتُ سالِما سأهدِمُ بُرجَكُم هذا».
10 وكانَ زبَحُ وصَلمُنَّاعُ في قَرقَرَ ومعَهُما عَساكِرُهُما نحوَ خَمسةَ عشَرَ ألفَ رَجُلٍ، وهُم جميعُ مِنْ بَقيَ مِنْ عَسكرِ أهلِ الصَّحراءِ كُلِّهِ. وكانَ الّذينَ سقَطوا مِنهُم مئةً وعِشرينَ ألفَ مُقاتِلٍ. 11 ثُمَّ اتَّجهَ جِدعونُ في الطَّريقِ على حُدودِ الصَّحراءِ شَرقيَّ نوبَحَ ويُجبَهَةَ وهاجَمَ المُعَسكرَ، وكانوا مُطْمَئنينَ. 12 فهرَبَ زبَحُ وصَلمُنَّاعُ، فلِحَقَ جِدعونُ بِهِما وقبَضَ علَيهما، وزَرَعَ الرُّعبَ في المحلَّةِ.
13 ورجَعَ جِدعونُ بنُ يوآشَ مِنَ الحربِ، مِنْ عِندِ قَعلَةَ حارَسَ قَبلَ شُروقِ الشَّمسِ. 14 وأوقَفَ شابا مِنْ أهلِ سُكُّوتَ واستَجوبَهُ، فذكَر لَه أسماءَ سبعةٍ وسَبعينَ رَجُلا مِنْ رؤساءِ سُكُّوتَ وشُيوخِها. 15 ثُمَّ عادَ إلى أهلِ سُكُّوتَ وقالَ لهُم: «ها زبَحُ وصَلمُنَّاعُ اللَّذانِ عيَّرتُمونَني بِهِما وقُلتُم: هل قبَضتَ على زبَحَ وصَلمُنَّاعَ حتّى نُعطيَ رِجالَكَ المُتعَبـينَ خُبزا». 16 وقبضَ على شُيوخِ المدينةِ وعاقبَهُم بأشواكِ البرِّيَّةِ والنَّوارِجِ. 17 وهدَمَ بُرجَ فنوئيلَ وقتَلَ رِجالَ المدينةِ.
18 وقالَ جِدعونُ لِزَبحَ وصَلمُنَّاعَ: «كيفَ كانَ الرِّجالُ الّذينَ قتَلتُما في تابورَ؟» فقالا لَه: «كانوا مِثلَكَ، وهَيئَةُ كُلِّ واحدٍ مِنهُم كهَيئةِ أبناءِ المُلوكِ». 19 فقالَ: «هُم إخوتي وأبناءُ أمِّي. لو أبقَيتُما علَيهِم لما كُنتُ أقتُلُكُما». 20 ثمَّ قالَ لِـيَثَر بِكرِهِ: «قُمْ فاقتُلْهُما». فلم يَشهَرْ سيفَهُ خوفا لأنَّهُ كانَ صبـيًّا بَعدُ. 21 فقالَ زَبَحُ وصَلمُنَّاعُ لِجدعونَ: «قُم أنتَ واقتُلْنا، فكما يكونُ الرَّجُلُ يكونُ بَطشُهُ». فقامَ جِدعونُ وقتَلَهُما وأخَذَ زينةَ الفِضَّةِ الّتي كانَت في عُنُقي جَمَليهِما.
نهاية حياة جدعون
22 وقالَ رِجالُ بَني إسرائيلَ لِجدعونَ: «تَسَلَّطْ علَينا أنتَ وابنُكَ وابنُ ابنِكَ لأنَّكَ خلَّصتَنا مِنْ أيدي المِديانيِّينَ». 23 فقالَ لهُم: «لا أنا أتسَلَّطُ علَيكُم ولا ابْني، بلِ الرّبُّ هوَ الّذي يتَسلَّطُ علَيكُم». 24 ثُمَّ قالَ لهُم: «أقتَرِحُ علَيكُم أمرا واحدا: يُعطيني كُلُّ واحدٍ مِنكُم الخَواتِمَ الّتي غَنِمَها». قالَ ذلِكَ لأنَّ المِديانيِّينَ كالإسماعيليِّينَ كانوا يضعونَ خَواتِمَ مِنْ ذهَبٍ. 25 فقالوا: «لَكَ ذلِكَ». وبَسَطوا رِداءً فألقى علَيهِ كُلُّ واحدٍ مِنهُمُ الخَواتِمَ الّتي غَنِمَها. 26 وكانَ وزنُ الخَواتِمِ الذَّهَبـيَّةِ الّتي طَلَبها ألفا وسَبعَ مئةِ مِثقالِ ذهَبٍ، ما عدا زينَةَ الفِضَّةِ والحَلَقَ والثِّيابَ الأرجوانيَّةَ الّتي كانَت على مُلوكِ بَني مِديانَ، وما عدا القلائِدَ الّتي كانَت في أعناقِ جِمالِهِم. 27 فصاغَ جِدعونُ مِنْ ذلِكَ صَنما ووَضَعَهُ في مدينتِهِ عَفرَةَ فخانَ الرّبَّ كُلُّ بَني إسرائيلَ بِــعبادَةِ هذا الصَّنَمِ الّذي كانَ فَخًّا لِجِدعونَ وبَيتِه. 28 وخضَعَ المِديانيُّونَ لِبَني إسرائيلَ ولم تَقُمْ لهُم قائِمةٌ مِنْ بَعدُ. واستَراحَتِ الأرضُ مِنَ الحُروبِ أربعينَ سنَةً في أيّامِ جِدعونَ.
29 وأقامَ جِدعونُ بنُ يوآشَ في بـيتِهِ. 30 وصارَ لَه سبعونَ ابنا خرَجوا من صُلْبِهِ لأنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَ نِساءً كثيراتٍ 31 وولَدَت لَه أيضا جارِيَتُهُ الّتي في شكيمَ ابنا سَمَّاه أبـيمالِكَ. 32 وماتَ جِدعونُ بنُ يوآشَ بِشيخوخةٍ صالِحةٍ ودُفِنَ في قبرِ يوآشَ أبـيهِ في عَفرَةَ، مدينةِ الأبـيعَزَريِّينَ.
33 وبَعدَ موتِ جِدعونَ عادَ بَنو إسرائيلَ يَخونونَ الرّبَّ بِــعِبادَةِ البَعلِ، واتَّخَذوا لأنفُسِهِم بَعلَ بَريثَ إلها. 34 ولم يَذكُرْ بَنو إسرائيلَ الرّبَّ إلهَهُم الّذي أنقَذَهُم مِنْ أيدي جميعِ أعدائِهِمِ المُحيطينَ بِهِم. 35 ولم يُحسِنوا مُعامَلةَ أهلِ جِدعونَ مُقابِلَ كُلِّ الخَيرِ الّذي صَنَعَهُ إلى إِسرائيلَ.
1 But the men were really upset with Gideon and complained, “When you went to war with Midian, you didn't ask us to help! Why did you treat us like that?”
2 Gideon answered:
Don't be upset! Even though you came later, you were able to do much more than I did. It's just like the grape harvest: The grapes your tribe doesn't even bother to pick are better than the best grapes my family can grow. 3 Besides, God chose you to capture Raven and Wolf. I didn't do a thing compared to you.
By the time Gideon had finished talking, the men of Ephraim had calmed down and were no longer angry with him.
Gideon Finishes Destroying the Midianite Army
4 After Gideon and his 300 troops had chased the Midianites across the Jordan River, they were exhausted. 5 The town of Succoth was nearby, so he went there and asked, “Please give my troops some food. They are worn out, but we have to keep chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings.”
6 The town leaders of Succoth answered, “Why should we feed your army? We don't know if you really will defeat Zebah and Zalmunna.”
7 “Just wait!” Gideon said. “After the Lord helps me defeat them, I'm coming back here. I'll make a whip out of thorns and rip the flesh from your bones.”
8 After leaving Succoth, Gideon went to Penuel and asked the leaders there for some food. But he got the same answer as he did at Succoth. 9 “I'll come back safe and sound,” Gideon said, “but when I do, I'm going to tear down your tower!”
10 Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of 15,000 troops. They were all that was left of the army of the eastern nations, because 120,000 of their warriors had been killed in the battle.
11 Gideon reached the enemy camp by going east along Nomad Road past Nobah and Jogbehah. He made a surprise attack, 12 and the enemy panicked. Zebah and Zalmunna tried to escape, but Gideon chased and captured them.
13 After the battle, Gideon set out for home. As he was going through Heres Pass, 14 he caught a young man who lived in Succoth. Gideon asked him who the town officials of Succoth were, and the young man wrote down 77 names.
15 Gideon went to the town officials and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. Remember how you made fun of me? You said, ‘We don't know if you really will defeat those two Midianite kings. So why should we feed your worn-out army?’ ”
16 Gideon made a whip from thorn plants and used it to beat the town officials. 17 Afterwards he went to Penuel, where he tore down the tower and killed all the town officials.
18 Then Gideon said, “Zebah and Zalmunna, tell me about the men you killed at Tabor.”
“They were a lot like you,” the two kings answered. “They were dignified, almost like royalty.”
19 “They were my very own brothers!” Gideon said. “I swear by the living Lord that if you had let them live, I would let you live.”
20 Gideon turned to Jether, his oldest son. “Kill them!” Gideon said.
But Jether was young, and he was too afraid to even pull out his sword.
21 “What's the matter, Gideon?” Zebah and Zalmunna asked. “Do it yourself, if you're not too much of a coward!”
Gideon jumped up and killed them both. Then he took the gold ornaments from the necks of their camels.
The Israelites Ask Gideon To Be Their King
22 After the battle with the Midianites, the Israelites said, “Gideon, you rescued us! Now we want you to be our king. Then after your death, your son and then your grandson will rule.”
23 “No,” Gideon replied, “I won't be your king, and my son won't be king either. Only the Lord is your ruler. 24 But I will ask you to do one thing: Give me all the earrings you took from the enemy.”
The enemy soldiers had been Ishmaelites, and they wore gold earrings.
25 The Israelite soldiers replied, “Of course we will give you the earrings.” Then they spread out a robe on the ground and tossed the earrings on it. 26 The total weight of this gold was nearly 20 kilograms. In addition, there was the gold from the camels' ornaments and from the beautiful jewelry worn by the Midianite kings. Gideon also took their purple robes.
27-29 Gideon returned to his home in Ophrah and had the gold made into a statue, which the Israelites soon started worshiping. They were unfaithful to God, and even Gideon and his family were trapped into worshiping the statue.
The Midianites had been defeated so badly that they were no longer strong enough to attack Israel. And so Israel was at peace for the remaining 40 years of Gideon's life.
Gideon Dies
30 Gideon had many wives and 70 sons. 31 He even had a wife who lived at Shechem. They had a son, and Gideon named him Abimelech.
32 Gideon lived to be an old man. And when he died, he was buried in the family tomb in his hometown of Ophrah, which belonged to the Abiezer clan.
33 Soon after Gideon's death, the Israelites turned their backs on God again. They set up idols of Baal and worshiped Baal Berith as their god. 34 The Israelites forgot that the Lord was their God, and that he had rescued them from the enemies who lived around them. 35 Besides all that, the Israelites were unkind to Gideon's family, even though Gideon had done so much for Israel.