Study Desk

And the LORD said to Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hands; and let all the other people go, every man to his place.

So the people took their provisions in their hands and their trumpets; and he dismissed all the children of Israel every man to his possession and to his tent, and he relied upon those three hundred men; and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

And you shall hear what they say; and afterwards your hands shall be strengthened. So he went down with Pera his servant to a detachment of the armed men that were in the army camp.

And when Gideon was come, behold, a man was relating a dream to his fellow, and he said to him, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came as far as a tent, and struck it on the top, and the tent fell down.

And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, the mighty man of Israel; for into his hand has God delivered the camp of Midian.

And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and they blew a trumpet, and fled.

And when the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every mans sword against his fellow, even throughout all the army; and the whole army fled as far as Beth-shabtey and Zeddath, and as far as the border of Abel-meholah, which is by Jatbath.

And he said to Jether his firstborn, Arise and slay them. But the youth did not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise yourself, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his might. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels necks.

And Gideon said to them, I would like to make a request of you: give me every man of you an earring of his spoil. (For they had golden earrings, since the enemies were Arabians.)

And they said to him, We will gladly give it. And they spread a mantle, and every man threw onto it one earring from his spoil.

And Gideon took some of them and made a little idol, and set it up in his town, Ophrah; and all Israel went astray after it there; and it became a stumbling block to Gideon and to all his household,

Then Nedo-baal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimeleck.

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

AND Abimeleck the son of Nedo-baal went to Shechem to his mothers brothers, and spoke to them and to all the family of the house of his mothers father, saying,

And his mothers brothers spoke of him before all the lords of Shechem all these words; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimeleck; for they said, He is our brother.

And he went to his fathers house at Ophrah, and slew his brothers, the sons of Nedo-baal, seventy men, upon one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Nedo-baal was left; for he hid himself.

And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice and cried, and said to them, Hearken to me, O lords of Shechem, that God may hearken to you.

Now therefore, if you have done truly and sincerely, in that you have made Abimeleck king, and if you have dealt well with Nedo-baal and his household, and have rewarded him according to the deeds of his hands;