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Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah." So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.

They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.

So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, "Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."

So Gideon told the men of Penuel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower!"

So he said to Jether, his firstborn, "Get up and kill them." But the young man did not draw his sword; he was fearful because he was still a youth.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength." So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.

"We will give them gladly," they replied. So they spread out a garment, and each man threw an earring from his plunder onto it.

In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon,

So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.

The leaders of Shechem set an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.

So he covertly sent messengers to Abimelech to say, "Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.

So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,

So he took his men, divided them into three companies, and waited in ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and attacked them.

So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.

He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, "Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, 'A woman killed him.'" So Abimelech's armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died.

And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.

So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites,

who that very year harassed and oppressed the Israelites, and did so for eighteen years to all the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.

But you have forsaken Me and served other gods, so I will no longer deliver you.