¹⁸ Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?^(A)”

“Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”

¹⁹ Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives,^(B) if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” ²⁰ Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.

²¹ Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments^(C) off their camels’ necks.

Gideon’s Ephod

²² The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

²³ But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule^(D) over you.” ²⁴ And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring^(E) from your share of the plunder.^(F)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites^(G) to wear gold earrings.)

²⁵ They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. ²⁶ The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,^[a] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains^(H) that were on their camels’ necks. ²⁷ Gideon made the gold into an ephod,^(I) which he placed in Ophrah,^(J) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare^(K) to Gideon and his family.^(L)

Gideon’s Death

²⁸ Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head^(M) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace^(N) forty years.

²⁹ Jerub-Baal^(O) son of Joash^(P) went back home to live. ³⁰ He had seventy sons^(Q) of his own, for he had many wives. ³¹ His concubine,^(R) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.^{(S) 32} Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age^(T) and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

³³ No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.^(U) They set up Baal-Berith^(V) as their god^{(W) 34} and did not remember^(X) the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. ³⁵ They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal^(Y) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.^(Z)

Abimelek

9 Abimelek^(AA) son of Jerub-Baal^(AB) went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, ² “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.^(AC)”

³ When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” ⁴ They gave him seventy shekels^[b] of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,^(AD) and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels,^(AE) who became his followers. ⁵ He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers,^(AF) the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham,^(AG) the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.^{(AH) 6} Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo^(AI) gathered beside the great tree^(AJ) at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.

⁷ When Jotham^(AK) was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim^(AL) and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. ⁸ One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’

⁹ “But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹⁰ “Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹¹ “But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹² “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹³ “But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine,^(AM) which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’

¹⁴ “Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’

¹⁵ “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade;^(AN) but if not, then let fire come out^(AO) of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’^(AP)

¹⁶ “Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves? ¹⁷ Remember that my father fought for you and risked^(AQ) his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian. ¹⁸ But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have murdered his seventy sons^(AR) on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you. ¹⁹ So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today?^(AS) If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too! ²⁰ But if you have not, let fire come out^(AT) from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem^(AU) and Beth Millo,^(AV) and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!”

²¹ Then Jotham^(AW) fled, escaping to Beer,^(AX) and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.