Study Desk

And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and Yahweh set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

And he said to Jether his first-born, Rise up, and slay them. But the youth did not draw his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, You rise, and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels' necks.

And Gideon said to them, I would make a request of you, that you would give me every man the earrings of his spoil. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and cast therein every man the earrings of his spoil.

And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel prostituted after it there; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.

And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

And Gideon had seventy sons of his body begotten; for he had many wives.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

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

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

And his mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

And he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal 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, Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.

Now therefore, if you have dealt truly and uprightly, in that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands

(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

and you have risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy persons, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother);

if you then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.