The Judges & Ruth

Then he tooke the Elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernes and breers, and did teare the men of Succoth with them.

Also he brake downe the towre of Penuel, and slew the men of the citie.

Then saide he vnto Zebah and Zalmunna, What maner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? and they answered, As thou art, so were they: euery one was like the children of a King.

And he said, They were my brethren, euen my mothers children: as the Lord liueth, if ye had saued their liues, I would not slay you.

Then he sayde vnto Iether his first borne sonne, Vp, and slay them: but the boy drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet yong.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna sayd, Rise thou, and fall vpon vs: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and tooke away the ornamentes, that were on their camels neckes.

Then the men of Israel sayd vnto Gideon, Reigne thou ouer vs, both thou, and thy sonne, and thy sonnes sonne: for thou hast deliuered vs out of the hand of Midian.

And Gideon sayde vnto them, I will not reigne ouer you, neither shall my childe reigne ouer you, but the Lord shall reigne ouer you.

Againe Gideon sayd vnto them, I would desire a request of you, that you would giue mee euery man the earings of his pray (for they had golden earings because they were Ismaelites)

And they answered, Wee will giue them. And they spred a garment, and did cast therein euery man the earings of his pray.

And the weight of the golden earings that he required, was a thousande and seuen hundreth shekels of golde, beside collers and iewels, and purple rayment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the cheynes that were about their camels neckes.

And Gideon made an Ephod thereof, and put it in Ophrah his citie: and all Israel went a whoring there after it, which was the destruction of Gideon and his house.

Thus was Midian brought lowe before the children of Israel, so that they lift vp their heads no more: and the countrey was in quietnes fourtie yeeres in the dayes of Gideon.

Then Ierubbaal the sonne of Ioash went, and dwelt in his owne house.

And Gideon had seuentie sonnes begotten of his body: for he had many wiues.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, bare him a sonne also, whose name he called Abimelech.

So Gideon the sonne of Ioash dyed in a good age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Ioash his father in Ophrah, of the father of ye Ezrites.

But when Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned away and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their God.

And the children of Israel remembred not the Lord their God, which had deliuered the out of the hands of all their enemies on euery side.

Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Ierubbaal, or Gideon, according to al the goodnesse which he had shewed vnto Israel.

Then Abimelech the sonne of Ierubbaal went to Shechem vnto his mothers brethren, and communed with them, and with all the familie, and house of his mothers father, saying,

Say, I pray you, in the audience of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sonnes of Ierubbaal, which are seuentie persons, reigne ouer you, either that one reigne ouer you? Remember also, that I am your bone, and your flesh.

Then his mothers brethren spake of him in the audience of all the men of Shechem, all these wordes: and their hearts were moued to follow Abimelech: for sayd they, He is our brother.

And they gaue him seuentie pieces of siluer out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vayne and light fellowes which followed him.

And he went vnto his fathers house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren, the sonnes of Ierubbaal, about seuentie persons vpon one stone: yet Iotham the yongest sonne of Ierubbaal was left: for he hid himselfe.