Judges 8:21   (Read all of Judges 8)

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 off their camels' necks.

Judges 8:22   (Read all of Judges 8)

The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us-you, your son and your grandson-because you have saved us from the hand of Midian."

Judges 8:23   (Read all of Judges 8)

But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you."

Judges 8:24   (Read all of Judges 8)

And he said, "I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder." (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)

Judges 8:25   (Read all of Judges 8)

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.

Judges 8:26   (Read all of Judges 8)

The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels' necks.

Judges 8:27   (Read all of Judges 8)

Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

Judges 8:28   (Read all of Judges 8)

Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon's lifetime, the land had peace forty years.

Judges 8:29   (Read all of Judges 8)

Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live.

Judges 8:30   (Read all of Judges 8)

He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives.

Judges 8:31   (Read all of Judges 8)

His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.

Judges 8:32   (Read all of Judges 8)

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

Judges 8:33   (Read all of Judges 8)

No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god

Judges 8:34   (Read all of Judges 8)

and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

Judges 8:35   (Read all of Judges 8)

They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.

Judges 9:1   (Read all of Judges 9)

Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother's clan,

Judges 9:2   (Read all of Judges 9)

"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."

Judges 9:3   (Read all of Judges 9)

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."

Judges 9:4   (Read all of Judges 9)

They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers.

Judges 9:5   (Read all of Judges 9)

He went to his father's home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.

Judges 9:6   (Read all of Judges 9)

Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.

Judges 9:7   (Read all of Judges 9)

When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, "Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.

Judges 9:8   (Read all of Judges 9)

One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.'

Judges 9:9   (Read all of Judges 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?'