Study Desk

and caught a young man, of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him, - so he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, seventy-seven men.

So he took the elders of the city, and the thorns of the wilderness and the nettles, and taught therewith the men of Succoth:

Then said he unto Zebah and unto Zalmunna, What manner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? And they said, As thou art, so were they, each one, as handsome as the sons of a king.

So he said to Jether his firstborn, Up! slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

Then said Zebah and Zalmunna - Up! thou, and fall upon us, for, like the man, is his might. So Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.

And they said, We will, freely give. So they spread out a mantle, and cast therein, every man the nose-ring of his spoil.

And so it was, that the weight of the nose-rings of gold which he requested, was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, - besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the raiment of purple that were upon the kings of Midian, and besides the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

And Gideon made thereof an Ephod, and set it up in his own city, in Ophrah, and all Israel went unchastely astray after it there, - so it became, to Gideon and to his house, a snare.

So then Jerubbaal, son of Joash, went and dwelt in his own house.

so the sons of Israel remembered not Yahweh, their own God, - who had rescued them out of the hand of all their enemies, on every side;

So the brethren of his mother spake for him, in the ears of all the owners of Shechem, all these words, - and their heart inclined after Abimelech, for they said - Our own brother, is he.

So they gave him seventy pieces of silver, out of the house of Baal-berith, - and Abimelech hired therewith, loose and unstable men, and they followed him.

So the owners of Shechem set for him liers in wait, upon the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who crossed over them by the road, - and it was told Abimelech.

and it shall be, in the morning, about sunrise, thou shalt get up early, and spread thyself out against the city, - when lo! he and the people that are with him coming out against thee, so shalt thou do unto him as thy hand shall find opportunity.

So Abimelech rose up,, and all the people that were with him, by night, - and they lay in wait above Shechem, in four companies.

Then came forth Gaal son of Ebed, and took his stand at the opening of the gate of the city, - so Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the place of ambush.

So then Zebul said unto him - Where, then, is thy mouth that kept on saying, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not, this, the people which thou didst despise? Go forth, I pray thee, now, and fight with them!

So he took the people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field, - and he looked, and lo! the people coming forth out of the city, so he rose up against them, and smote them.

So Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him, and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and lifted it, and laid it on his shoulder, - and said unto the people that were with him - What ye have seen me do, haste! do likewise.

So, even all the people cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and laid them over the basement, and set it on fire over them who were therein, - even all the men of the tower of Shechem died about a thousand men and women.