Study Desk

He sent messengers to all the people of the tribe of Manasseh and told them to get their weapons and prepare for battle. Gideon also sent messengers to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. The messengers took the same message to them. So they also went up to meet Gideon and his men.

So make an announcement to your men. Tell them, ‘Anyone who is afraid may leave Mount Gilead and go back home.'" At that time 22,000 men left Gideon and went back home, but 10,000 still remained.

So Gideon led the men down to the water. There the Lord said to him, "Separate the men like this: Those who drink the water by using their tongue to lap it up like a dog will be in one group. And those who bend down to drink will be in the other group."

So Gideon sent the other men of Israel home. He kept the 300 men with him. Those 300 men kept the supplies and the trumpets of the other men who went home. The Midianites were camped in the valley below Gideon's camp.

Listen to what they are saying. After that you will not be afraid to attack them." So Gideon and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the enemy camp.

The Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the other people from the east were camped in that valley. There were so many people that they seemed like a swarm of locusts. It seemed like they had as many camels as there are grains of sand on the seashore.

Gideon came to the enemy camp, and he heard a man talking. That man was telling his friend about a dream that he had. He was saying, "I dreamed that a round loaf of bread came rolling into the camp of the Midianites. That loaf of bread hit the tent so hard that the tent turned over and fell flat."

So Gideon and the 100 men with him went to the edge of the enemy camp. They came there just after the enemy changed guards. It was during the middle watch of the night. Gideon and his men blew their trumpets and smashed their jars.

Gideon sent messengers through all the hill country of Ephraim. The messengers said, "Come down and attack the Midianites. Take control of the river as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan River. Do this before the Midianites get there." So they called all men from the tribe of Ephraim. They took control of the river as far as Beth Barah.

So Gideon said to the men of Penuel, "After I win the victory, I will come back here and pull this tower down."

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

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, "Come on, kill us yourself. You are a man and strong enough to do the job." So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. Then Gideon took the decorations shaped like the moon off their camels' necks.

The Israelites said to Gideon, "You saved us from the Midianites. So now rule over us. We want you, your son, and your grandson to rule over us."

Some of the people who the men of Israel defeated were Ishmaelites. And the Ishmaelite men wore gold earrings. So Gideon said to the Israelites, "I want you to do this one thing for me. I want each of you to give me a gold earring from the things you took in the battle."

The Israelites said to Gideon, "We will gladly give you what you want." So they put a coat down on the ground, and each man threw an earring onto the coat.

Gideon had 70 sons of his own. He had so many sons because he had many wives.

So Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age. He was buried in the tomb that Joash, his father, owned. That tomb is in the city of Ophrah, where the family of Abiezer lives.

So the leaders of Shechem gave Abimelech 70 pieces of silver. That silver was from the temple of the god Baal Berith. Abimelech used the silver to hire some men. These men were worthless, reckless men. They followed Abimelech wherever he went.

So if you have been completely honest to Gideon and his family today, then may you be happy with Abimelech as your king. And may he be happy with you.

Abimelech had killed Gideon's 70 sons—and they were his own brothers. The leaders of Shechem had supported him in doing this evil thing. So God caused trouble between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. And they began planning ways to hurt Abimelech.