And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way. And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war. Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? and he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel. And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.