Study Desk

Then the Lord said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take the men down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say, ‘This man will go with you, he will go. But if I say, ‘That one will not go with you,' he will not go."

So Gideon sent the rest of Israel to their homes. But he kept three hundred men and took the jars and the trumpets of those who left. Now the camp of Midian was in the valley below Gideon.

But if you are afraid to go down, take your servant Purah with you.

Each of Gideon's men stayed in his place around the camp, but the Midianites began shouting and running to escape.

But he answered them, "I have not done as well as you! The small part you did was better than all that my people of Abiezer did.

When Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan River, they were tired, but they chased the enemy across to the other side.

But the leaders of Succoth said, "Why should we give your soldiers bread? You haven't caught Zebah and Zalmunna yet."

Gideon left Succoth and went to the city of Peniel and asked them for food. But the people of Peniel gave him the same answer as the people of Succoth.

Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian, ran away, but Gideon chased and captured them and frightened away their army.

Then Gideon said to Jether, his oldest son, "Kill them." But Jether was only a boy and was afraid, so he did not take out his sword.

But Gideon told them, "The Lord will be your ruler. I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you."

Gideon used the gold to make a holy vest, which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. But all the Israelites were unfaithful to God and worshiped it, so it became a trap for Gideon and his family.

He went to Ophrah, the hometown of his father, and murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Gideon. He killed them all on one stone. But Gideon's youngest son, Jotham, hid from Abimelech and escaped.

"But the olive tree said, ‘Men and gods are honored by my oil. Should I stop making it and go and sway over the other trees?'

"But the fig tree answered, ‘Should I stop making my sweet and good fruit and go and sway over the other trees?'

"But the vine answered, ‘My new wine makes men and gods happy. Should I stop making it and go and sway over the trees?'

"But the thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to appoint me king over you, come and find shelter in my shade! But if not, let fire come out of the thornbush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon!'

But now you have turned against my father's family and have killed his seventy sons on one stone. You have made Abimelech, the son of my father's slave girl, king over the leaders of Shechem just because he is your relative!

But if not, may fire come out of Abimelech and completely burn you leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! Also may fire come out of the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech!"

When Gaal saw the soldiers, he said to Zebul, "Look! There are people coming down from the mountains!" But Zebul said, "You are seeing the shadows of the mountains. The shadows just look like people."