Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was to their north, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people with you are  ¹too many for Me to deliver Midian into their hand; Israel might vaunt himself against Me, saying, My own hand has saved me.

Now then proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, Whoever is afraid and trembling should return and depart from  ¹here. And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.

Then Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. And he of whom I say to you, This one shall go with you, he shall go with you. And every one of whom I say to you, This one shall not go with you, he shall not go.

So he brought the people down to the water. And Jehovah said to Gideon, Everyone who  ¹laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.

And the number of those who lapped the water into their mouth with their hand was three hundred men, but the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.

And Jehovah said to Gideon, Through the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and I will deliver Midian into your hand. But let all the other people go, each to his own place.

Then the people took provisions in their hand and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel away, each to his own tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

And that night Jehovah said to him, Arise; go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.

But if you are afraid to go down, go down with Purah your young man into the camp;

And you will hear what they are saying. Then afterward your hands will be strengthened so that you can go down against the camp. So he went down with Purah his young man to the edge of the battle array that was in the camp.

Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay in the valley like a locust swarm in multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand on the seashore is in multitude.

And when Gideon came, at that moment a man was recounting a dream to his companion; and he said, I have just had a dream. There was this round loaf of barley bread tumbling through the camp of Midian. And it came to the tent and struck it, so that it fell and turned upside down. And the tent collapsed.

And his companion answered and said, This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian and all the camp into his hand.

And when Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he worshipped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, Arise, for Jehovah has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies; and he put trumpets into the hands of them all, as well as empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers.

And he said to them, Look at me, and do as I do. Right when I come to the edge of the camp, you shall do just as I do.

When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, you also blow the trumpets around all the camp and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon!

So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch. They had just then posted the watch. And they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.

And the three companies blew the trumpets and shattered the pitchers; and they held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets were in their right hands to blow. And they cried out, A sword for Jehovah and for Gideon!

And each man stood in his place around the camp. Then the whole camp ran off, and they shouted and fled.

And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set each man's sword against his companion and against the whole camp. And the camp fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

And the men of Israel were called up from Naphtali and from Asher and from all of Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.

Then Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and seize the waters against them as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. And every man of Ephraim was called up, and they seized the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.

And they captured two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the wine press of Zeeb; and they pursued Midian. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.

Then the men of Ephraim said to him, Why have you done this thing to us, that you did not call us when you went to battle against Midian? And they contended with him sharply.

And he said to them, What have I done now to compare with you? Are not the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

It was into your hand that God gave the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their hostile spirit toward him subsided when he said this word.

Then Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the three hundred men with him, weary yet pursuing.

And he said to the men of Succoth, Please give us loaves of bread for the people behind me, for they are weary and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.

But the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your hand now, that we should give bread to your army?

And Gideon said, Because of this, when Jehovah does deliver Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will trample your flesh on the thorns of the wilderness and the briers.

Then he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.

And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, When I return in peace, I will break down this tower.

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their camps were with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of the entire camp of the children of the east; for there had fallen one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword.

And Gideon went up by way of the tent dwellers, east of Nobah and Jogbehah; and he struck the camp when the camp was off guard.

And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued after them. And he captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and threw all the camp into confusion.

And when Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle from the ascent of Heres,

He captured a young man from among the men of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.

Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your hand now, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?

And he took the elders of the city and the thorns of the wilderness and the briers, and with them he  ¹trampled the men of Succoth.

And he broke down the tower of Penuel and slew the men of the city.

Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, What were the men whom you slew in Tabor like? And they said, As you are, so were they. Each one was like the children of a king in form.

And he said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Jehovah lives, if you had kept them alive, I would not slay you.

And he said to Jether his firstborn, Rise up; slay them. But the youth would not draw his sword, because he was fearful; for he was still a youth.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, You rise up, and fall on us; for there is as much strength as there is man. And Gideon rose up and slew Zebah and Zalmunna. And he took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.

And the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson as well; for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.

But Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. Jehovah will rule over you.

And Gideon said to them, Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil. ( ¹The Midianites had golden earrings, for they were Ishmaelites.)

And they said, We will willingly give it. And they spread out a garment, and each of them threw an earring from his spoil there.

And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold. This was besides the crescents and the pendants and the purple garments that were upon the kings of Midian and besides the chains that were on their camels' necks.

And Gideon made an ephod with it and placed it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel went as harlots to it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his house.

So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his house.

And Gideon had seventy sons, the issue of his loins, for he had many wives.

And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

And Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age, and he was buried in the tomb of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

And as soon as Gideon died, the children of Israel turned again and went as  ¹harlots after the Baals. And they made Baal-berith their god.

And the children of Israel did not remember Jehovah their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies all around;

Nor did they show mercy to the house of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, for all the good he had done to Israel.

Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers; and he spoke to them and to all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

Speak now in the hearing of all the lords of Shechem, What is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, rule over you, or that one man rule over you? Now remember that I am your bone and your flesh.

And his mother's brothers spoke of him in the hearing of all the lords of Shechem with all these words; and their heart inclined toward Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith. And with it Abimelech hired worthless and wanton men, and they followed after him.

And he went to his father's house in Ophrah and  ¹slew his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone; but Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, for he hid himself.

Then all the lords of Shechem and all the house of Millo gathered, and they went and made Abimelech king at the terebinth of the pillar that was in Shechem.

And when Jotham was told, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice and called out and said to them, Listen to me, you lords of Shechem, that God may listen to you.

The trees once went forth to anoint a king over themselves. And they said to the  ¹olive tree, Reign over us.

But the olive tree said to them, Shall I leave my fatness, because of which God and men are honored by me, and go to wave over the trees?

Then the trees said to the  ¹fig tree, You come and reign over us.

But the fig tree said to them, Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?

Then the trees said to the  ¹vine, You come and reign over us.

But the vine said to them, Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?

So all the trees said to the bramble, You come and reign over us.

And the bramble said to the trees, If you are truly anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge under my shade; but if not, may fire come forth from the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon!

Now therefore if you have dealt truly and with integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt in a good way toward Jerubbaal and toward his house, and if you have dealt with him as his hands have deserved —

(For my father fought for you and risked his life, and he delivered you from the hand of Midian.

But you have risen up today against the house of my father and have slain his sons, seventy men, on one stone; and you have made Abimelech the son of his female servant king over the lords of Shechem, for he is your brother.)

Now if you have dealt truly and with integrity toward Jerubbaal and toward his house today, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

But if not, may fire come forth from Abimelech and devour the lords of Shechem and the house of Millo, and may fire come forth from the lords of Shechem and the house of Millo and devour Abimelech!

And Jotham ran off and fled, and he came to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother.

And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.

And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

So that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal  ¹might be avenged and so that their blood might be put upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the lords of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.

And the lords of Shechem set men in ambush for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the way; and Abimelech was told.

And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers and went over to Shechem, and the lords of Shechem put their trust in him.

And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them, and had a festival. And they went to the house of their god and ate and drank, and they cursed Abimelech.

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem; but why should we serve  ¹this man?

But, oh, that this people were put in my hand; then I would remove Abimelech. And he said of Abimelech, Increase your army and come out!

When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned.

And he sent messengers to Abimelech in  ¹Tormah, saying, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have now come to Shechem, and now they are stirring up the city against you.

And now rise up at night, you and the people with you, and wait in ambush in the field;

And in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, you shall rise up early and rush on the city. And right when he and the people with him come out against you, you shall do with him as you find occasion.

And Abimelech and all the people with him rose up at night and waited in ambush against Shechem in four companies.

And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And Abimelech and the people with him rose up from the ambush.

And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. But Zebul said to him, You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as though they were men.

And Gaal spoke again and said, Look, people are coming down from the height of the land, and one company is coming by the way of the terebinth of Meonenim.

Then Zebul said to him, Where is your boast now, that you said, Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the people that you despised? Go out now, and fight them.

So Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.

And Abimelech pursued him, and  ¹Gaal fled from before him. And many wounded fell, up to the entrance of the gate.

And Abimelech dwelt in Arumah. And Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, so that they could not dwell in Shechem.

Then on the next day the people went out into the field, and Abimelech was told.

And he took his people and divided them into three companies, and he waited in ambush in the field. And he looked, and there were the people coming out of the city. And he rose up against them and struck them.

And Abimelech and the companies that were with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, and two companies rushed upon all those who were in the field and struck them.

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. And he took the city, and the people who were in it he slew; and he tore down the city and sowed it with salt.

And when the lords of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they went to the stronghold of the house of El-berith.

And Abimelech was told that all the lords of the tower of Shechem had gathered together.

And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a tree limb. And he lifted it up and put it on his shoulder, and he said to the people who were with him, What you see me doing, hurry and do as I have done.

So all the people also cut down each a limb. And they followed after Abimelech and set the limbs against the stronghold. And they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.

Then Abimelech went to Thebez; and he encamped against Thebez and took it.

But there was a strong tower in the middle of the city; and all the men and women and all the lords of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up to the roof of the tower.

And Abimelech came up to the tower and fought against it. And he came near the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.

And a certain woman threw an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and it cracked his skull.

Then he called immediately to the young man who bore his armor and said to him, Draw your sword and kill me; otherwise they will say concerning me, A woman slew him. And his young man pierced him through, and he died.

And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they went away, each to his own place.

And God repaid the evil of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by slaying his seventy brothers.

And God brought all the evil of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.