Judges 8:22-35

Judges 8:22-35 AMP

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule [as king] over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have rescued us from the hand of Midian.” But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.” And Gideon said to them, “I would make a request of you, that each one of you give me an earring from his spoil.” For the Midianites had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites [who customarily wore them]. They answered, “We will certainly give them to you.” And they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was seventeen hundred shekels of gold, apart from the crescent amulets and pendants and the purple garments which were worn by the kings of Midian, and apart from the chains that were on their camels’ necks. Gideon made [all the golden earrings into] an ephod [a sacred, high priest’s garment], and put it in his city of Ophrah, and all Israel worshiped it as an idol there, and it became a trap for Gideon and his household. So Midian was subdued and humbled before the sons of Israel, and they no longer lifted up their heads [in pride]. And the land was at rest for forty years in the days of Gideon. Jerubbaal (Gideon) the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. Now Gideon had seventy sons born to him, because he had many wives. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech. Gideon the son of Joash died at a good advanced age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the Israelites again played the prostitute with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. And the Israelites did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side; nor did they show kindness to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done for Israel.

Read Judges 8