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For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.

But the LORD said to him, "Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die."

But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself if someone has torn down his altar."

The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, 'My own hand has delivered me.'

Then the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go. But if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go."

That night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up and go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands.

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hands."

When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then you are also to blow your trumpets from all around the camp and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon!'"

The three companies blew their trumpets and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

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."

There he captured a young man of Succoth and interrogated him. The young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven leaders and elders of Succoth.

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.

Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us-you, and your son and grandson-for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian."

Then he added, "Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder." (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

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,

They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel.

"Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, 'Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?' Remember that I am your own flesh and blood."

And when his mother's brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."

One day the trees set out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'

for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian,