1Os chefes tribais de Efraim ficaram muito contrariados e perguntaram a Gedeão. “Porque não nos mandaste chamar quando foste lutar contra os midianitas?”2-3Gedeão respondeu-lhes: “Deus permitiu que fossem vocês a capturar Orebe e Zeebe, os generais do exército midianita. Que fizemos nós em comparação? As vossas ações na parte final do combate foram muito mais importantes do que as nossas no princípio!” E assim eles se acalmaram.4Entretanto, Gedeão tinha atravessado o Jordão com os seus 300 homens. Estavam todos muito cansados, mas continuavam a perseguir os inimigos.5E pediram alimentos à gente de Sucote: “Estamos esgotados de energias, por andarmos a perseguir Zeba e Zalmuna, os reis de Midiã.”6Contudo, os líderes de Sucote retorquiram-lhes: “Porque devemos dar comida às vossas tropas, se ainda não apanharam Zeba e Zalmuna!”7Ao ouvir isto Gedeão avisou-os: “Pois então, quando o SENHOR os entregar nas minhas mãos, regressarei aqui e hei de rasgar a vossa carne com espinhos e abrolhos do deserto.”8Depois foi a Penuel e pediu ali alimento, mas obteve a mesma resposta.9A estes disse também: “Quando toda a campanha acabar, tornarei aqui e derrubarei esta torre.”10Por esta altura, esses tais reis midianitas, Zeba e Zalmuna, encontravam-se em Carcor com cerca de uns 15 000 soldados das suas tropas. Era tudo o que restava daqueles exércitos aliados do oriente, pois 120 000 tinham já sido mortos.11Então Gedeão contornou a zona onde estavam os fugitivos, indo pelo caminho das caravanas, a oriente de Noba e de Jogboa, caindo de surpresa sobre o que restava do exército midianita, que não estava a contar com aquele ataque.12Os dois reis fugiram, mas Gedeão perseguiu-os e capturou-os, derrotando o exército inteiro.13Algum tempo depois, Gedeão regressou pelo caminho de Heres.14Ali prendeu um moço de Sucote e disse-lhe que escrevesse os nomes dos 77 chefes políticos e religiosos da cidade.15Depois disso, regressou a Sucote e disse àquela gente: “Vocês escarneceram de mim, dizendo que nunca haveria de apanhar os reis Zeba e Zalmuna e recusaram-me alimento numa altura em que estava extenuado e debilitado pela fome. Pois bem, aqui estão!”16Então pegou nos chefes da cidade e deu-lhes uma lição com espinhos e abrolhos.17Foi também a Penuel e deitou abaixo a torre da cidade, matando toda a população.18Gedeão perguntou a esses reis, Zeba e Zalmuna: “A gente que vocês mataram em Tabor, como é que eles eram?” Responderam-lhe: “Eram parecidos contigo, como filhos de reis!”19“Pois eram certamente os meus irmãos!”, exclamou Gedeão. “Tão certo como vive o SENHOR, de que não vos mataria se não lhes tivessem tirado a vida.”20Seguidamente, voltando-se para Jeter, o seu filho mais velho, mandou que os matasse. No entanto, como o rapaz ainda era novinho, teve receio.21Zeba e Zalmuna disseram a Gedeão: “Mata-nos tu mesmo. Preferimos morrer às mãos dum homem!” E então Gedeão matou-os e guardou para si os ornamentos que estavam nos pescoços dos seus camelos.
O éfode de Gedeão
22Os homens de Israel pediram-lhe que fosse o seu rei: “Sê o nosso governador! Tu, o teu filho e o teu neto, porque nos salvaste dos midianitas.”23Mas a resposta de Gedeão foi: “Eu não serei o vosso rei, nem tão-pouco o meu filho. O SENHOR, sim, é o vosso rei!24No entanto pretendo fazer-vos um pedido: deem-me todos os pendentes das orelhas dos nossos inimigos que guardaram do despojo.” Porque as tropas midianitas, sendo ismaelitas como eram, usavam pendentes de ouro.25“De boa vontade o faremos!” E logo estenderam ali uma capa onde toda a gente foi pôr os pendentes que tinha guardado.26O valor total daquilo foi calculado nuns 20 quilos de ouro, sem contar os crescentes, as cadeias, os fatos reais em púrpura e os ornamentos dos pescoços dos camelos.27Gedeão fez um éfode com todo aquele ouro e pô-lo em Ofra, a sua própria cidade. Em breve Israel começou a prestar-lhe adoração, voltando as costas a Deus. Isto veio a ser a ruína de Gedeão e de sua família.
A morte de Gedeão
28Esta é a narrativa de como Midiã foi subjugado por Israel. Os midianitas nunca mais levantaram a cabeça e a terra permaneceu em paz por 40 anos; ou seja, todo o tempo de vida de Gedeão.29Este viveu sempre na sua própria casa;30chegou a ter 70 filhos, pois teve muitas mulheres.31Teve igualmente uma concubina em Siquem que lhe deu um filho de nome Abimeleque.32Quando faleceu era já muito velho e foi posto no sepulcro do seu pai Joás em Ofra, na terra dos abiezritas.33No entanto, logo que Gedeão morreu, os israelitas começaram a adorar os ídolos de Baal e de Baal-Berite.34Deixaram de considerar o SENHOR como o seu Deus, ainda que tivesse sido ele quem os salvou de todos os inimigos ao redor.35Tão-pouco mostraram bondade alguma para com a família de Jerubaal, apesar de todo o bem que fez por eles.
1Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely. (Jz 12:1; 2 Sm 19:41)2And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? (Is 24:13; Jr 49:9; Ob 1:5; Mq 7:1)3God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger[1] against him subsided when he said this. (Jz 7:24; Pv 15:1)4And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. (Jz 7:6)5So he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” (Gn 33:17; Sl 60:6)6And the officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” (1 Sm 25:11; 1 Rs 20:11)7So Gideon said, “Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” (Jz 8:16)8And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. (Gn 32:30; 1 Rs 12:25)9And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” (Jz 8:17; 1 Rs 22:27)10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. (Jz 6:3; Jz 20:2; Jz 20:15; Jz 20:17; Jz 20:25; Jz 20:35; Jz 20:46; 2 Sm 24:9; 2 Rs 3:26; 1 Cr 21:5)11And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure. (Nm 32:35; Nm 32:42; Jz 18:27)12And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic. (Sl 83:11)13Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres.14And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men.15And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’” (Jz 8:6)16And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson.17And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. (1 Rs 12:25)18Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king.” (Jz 4:6)19And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” (Rt 3:13)20So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man.21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. (Jz 8:26; Sl 83:11; Is 3:18)
Gideon’s Ephod
22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”23Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.” (1 Sm 8:7; 1 Sm 10:19; 1 Sm 12:12; 1 Sm 12:17; 1 Sm 12:19)24And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) (Gn 37:25; Gn 37:28; Gn 37:36; Gn 39:1)25And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil.26And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels[2] of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. (Jz 8:21; Is 3:19)27And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. (Ex 23:33; Ex 28:6; Ex 34:15; Dt 7:16; Jz 2:17; Jz 6:24; Jz 8:33; Jz 17:5; Jz 18:14; Jz 18:17; Sl 106:39)28So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. (Jz 3:11; Jz 5:31)
The Death of Gideon
29Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. (Jz 6:32; Jz 7:1)30Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring,[3] for he had many wives. (Jz 9:2; Jz 9:5)31And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. (Jz 9:1)32And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (Gn 15:15; Gn 25:8; Jz 6:24; Jó 5:26)33As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. (Jz 2:19; Jz 8:27; Jz 9:4; Jz 9:46)34And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, (Sl 78:11; Sl 78:42; Sl 106:13; Sl 106:21)35and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. (Jz 9:16)