Daily Bread

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^(A) over you.” ²⁴ And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring^(B) from your share of the plunder.^(C)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites^(D) 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^(E) that were on their camels’ necks. ²⁷ Gideon made the gold into an ephod,^(F) which he placed in Ophrah,^(G) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare^(H) to Gideon and his family.^(I)

Gideon’s Death

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

²⁹ Jerub-Baal^(L) son of Joash^(M) went back home to live. ³⁰ He had seventy sons^(N) of his own, for he had many wives. ³¹ His concubine,^(O) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.^{(P) 32} Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age^(Q) 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.^(R) They set up Baal-Berith^(S) as their god^{(T) 34} and did not remember^(U) 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^(V) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.^(W)