Day 92, 1 April 2024

1) Judges 8, Judges 9

JUDGES 8

Zebah and Zalmunna

1 (2Sa 19:41) Then the men of Ephraim said to him,
"What have you done to us by not calling us to go
and wage war against Midian?" They argued heatedly with him.
2 He said to them, "What have I done now compared to you?
Are not the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim better
than the harvest of Abiezer?
3 (Pr 15:1; Jdg 7:24-25) It was into your hands that God gave t
he Midianite commanders, Oreb and Zeeb. What was I able to do compared
to you?" When Gideon said this, their anger against him cooled down.
4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over,
he and the three hundred men who were with him, exhausted but still pursuing.
5 (Ge 33:17; Ps 60:6) He said to the men of Sukkoth, "Please give some
loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are exhausted,
and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."
6 (1Ki 20:11) The officials of Sukkoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah
and Zalmunna already in your hands that we should give bread to your army?"
7 So Gideon said, "Because of this, when the Lord gives Zebah and Zalmunna
into my hands, I will tear your bodies with desert thorns and briers."
8 (Ge 32:30-31; 1Ki 12:25) He went up from there to Peniel
and spoke to them in the same way. The men of Peniel answered him
just as the men of Sukkoth had.
9 (Jdg 8:17; 1Ki 22:27-28) So he also said to the men of Peniel,
"When I return safely, I will tear down this tower."
10 (Jdg 7:12; 20:2) Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies,
about 15000 survivors; they were all who were left of all the army
of the Kedemites, for 120000 arms-bearing men had fallen.
11 (Nu 32:35; 32:42) Gideon went up on the route of the tent dwellers
east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the camp while the army
was off guard.
12 (Ps 83:11) Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and Gideon chased after them.
He captured Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian,
and the entire army was terrified.
13 Gideon son of Joash returned from battle by the Pass of Heres.
14 He captured a young man from among the men of Sukkoth
and asked him to write the names of the leaders and elders of Sukkoth, 77 men.
15 Then he came to the men of Sukkoth and said, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna,
about whom you taunted me. You said, 'Have you subjugated
Zebah and Zalmunna that we should give bread to your weary army?' "
16 (Jdg 8:7) He took the city elders and disciplined the men of Sukkoth
with thorns and briers of the wilderness.
17 (Jdg 8:9; 1Ki 12:25) He tore down the tower of Peniel
and killed the men of the city.
18 (Jdg 4:6) Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna,
"What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?"
They said, "They were like you. Each one looked like the son of a king."
19 He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother.
As the Lord lives, if you had allowed them to live, I would not kill you."
20 Gideon said to his firstborn Jether, "Rise and kill them!"
Yet the young man did not draw his sword because he was afraid,
for he was still a young man.
21 (Jdg 8:26; Ps 83:11) Then Zebah and Zalmunna said,
"You get up and attack us, for a man is judged by his strength."
So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna
and took the crescent-shaped ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

Judges 8
[1] And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that
thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And
they did chide with him sharply.
[2] And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not
the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?
[3] God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb:
and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated
toward him, when he had said that.
[4] And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred
men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
[5] And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread
unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after
Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
[6] And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now
in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
[7] And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and
Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the
wilderness and with briers.
[8] And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the
men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
[9] And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in
peace, I will break down this tower.
[10] Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about
fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of
the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
[11] And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east
of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.
[12] And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the
two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
[13] And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
[14] And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and
he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even
threescore and seventeen men.
[15] And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and
Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and
Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are
weary?
[16] And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and
briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
[17] And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
[18] Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom
ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one
resembled the children of a king.
[19] And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the
LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
[20] And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth
drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
[21] Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the
man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna,
and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

Gideon's Ephod

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you, and your son,
and your grandson, for you have saved us from the hands of Midian."
23 (1Sa 10:19; 12:12) Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you,
and my son will not rule over you. The Lord will rule over you."
24 (Ge 25:13; 37:25) Gideon continued, "I have a request to make of you,
that each man would give me an earring from his spoils."
(Their enemy had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 They said, "We will certainly give them."
So they spread out a cloak, and each man threw a ring of his spoils there.
26 The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1700 gold shekels.
[About 43 pounds, or 20 kilograms.]
This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry,
and purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, as well as the chains
hanging on the necks of their camels.
27 (Jdg 17:5; 18:14) Gideon used these things to make an ephod.
He put it in his city, in Ophrah, and all Israel prostituted themselves
to it there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
28 (Jdg 5:31; 3:11) The Midianites were humbled before the children of Israel
and did not lift their heads high again. The land had peace
for 40 years in the days of Gideon.

[22] Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou,
and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the
hand of Midian.
[23] And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my
son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
[24] And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye
would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden
earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
[25] And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a
garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
[26] And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand
and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple
raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were
about their camels' necks.
[27] And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in
Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a
snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
[28] Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they
lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years
in the days of Gideon.