Judges 8

8 ¹Den di men of Ephraim tok, "Wetin be dis wey you do us like dis—say you no call us wen you go fight Midian?" And dem quarrel with am well-well. ²But e tok give dem, "Wetin I don do now wey pass wetin una do? No be di small grape wey remain for Ephraim field pass di whole grape harvest of Abiezer? ³Our Papa hand Midian princes, Oreb and Zeeb, give una. Wetin I fit do wey reach wetin una do?" As e tok dis one, dia vex against am cool down.

⁴Gideon reach di Jordan and cross am, im and im 300 men, dem body don tire but dem still dey pursue. ⁵E tok give di men of Succoth, "Abeg give my sojas bread; dem don tire, and I dey chase Zebah and Zalmunna, di kings of Midian."

⁶But di ogas of Succoth tok, "You don already hold Zebah and Zalmunna for hand, wey make us give bread to your army?"

⁷So Gideon tok, "Wen our Papa go hand Zebah and Zalmunna give me, I go take di thorn and thornbush of di wilderness beat your body well-well."

⁸From dia e go up reach Penuel and tok di same tin give dem, and di men of Penuel answer am di same way di men of Succoth answer am. ⁹So e tok give di men of Penuel too, "Wen I come back safe, I go pull down dis tower."

¹⁰Zebah and Zalmunna dey for Karkor with dia armies—about 15,000, na dem be all wey remain for di whole army of di people of di east; 120,000 men wey dey hold sword don fall. ¹¹Gideon go up by di road of di people wey dey stay for tent, east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and e attack di army wen di army feel say dem dey safe. ¹²Zebah and Zalmunna run; e chase dem, catch di two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and scatter di whole army with fear. ¹³Den Gideon di pikin of Joash come back from di battle by di Pass of Heres. ¹⁴E catch one young man of Succoth and question am; di man write down for am di names of di ogas and elders of Succoth—seventy-seven men. ¹⁵E come meet di men of Succoth and tok, "See Zebah and Zalmunna, wey una take mock me: 'You don already hold Zebah and Zalmunna hand for your grasp, wey make us give bread to your tired men?'" ¹⁶E take di elders of di city and, with di thorn and thornbush of di wilderness, e teach di men of Succoth lesson. ¹⁷E also pull down di tower of Penuel and kill di men of di city.

¹⁸E ask Zebah and Zalmunna, "Di men wey una kill for Tabor, dem be like wetin?" Dem tok, "Dem be like you—every one of dem resemble pikin of king."

¹⁹E tok, "Dem na my brothers, di sons of my own mama. As our Papa dey live, if una bin spare dem, I no for kill una."

²⁰E tok give Jether, im firstborn, "Stand up, kill dem!" But di boy no draw im sword; e dey fear, because e still be small boy.

²¹Zebah and Zalmunna tok, "You yourself stand up and strike us, because as di man be, na so im strength be." So Gideon stand up and kill Zebah and Zalmunna, and e take di half-moon ornaments wey dey for dia camels neck.

Gideon Refuse to Rule

²²Den di men of Israel tok give Gideon, "Rule over us—you, your pikin, and your grand-pikin—because you save us from di hand of Midian."

²³Gideon tok give dem, "I no go rule over una, and my pikin no go rule una; our Papa go rule over una." ²⁴Gideon tok give dem, "I get one tin wey I wan beg: make every one of una give me one earring from di tins wey e loot." (Di enemy get gold earrings, because dem na Ishmaelites.)

²⁵Dem tok, "We go gladly give dem." Dem spread one cloth, and every man throw one earring from im loot on top am. ²⁶Di gold earrings wey e ask for weigh about forty-two and half pounds of gold, apart from di half-moon ornaments, di pendants, and di purple clothes wey di kings of Midian dey wear, and di chains wey dey for dia camels neck. ²⁷Gideon take am make one ephod and set am up for im city, Ophrah, and all Israel go dey do prostitute follow am for dia, and e turn to trap for Gideon and im house.

Forty Years wey Rest Dey

²⁸So dem conquer Midian for front of di people of Israel, and e no lift im head again. Di land get peace for forty years for Gideon time. ²⁹Den Jerubbaal di pikin of Joash go stay for im own house. ³⁰Now Gideon get seventy sons, im own pikin dem, because e get plenty wives. ³¹Im concubine wey dey for Shechem also born am one son, and e call im name Abimelech. ^a a v31 Di name Abimelech mean "my papa na king" — na name wey shock person, wen you consider say Gideon refuse kingship for dis same chapter.

³²Gideon di pikin of Joash die wen e don old well, and dem bury am for di tomb of im papa Joash for Ophrah of di Abiezrites.

³³Wen Gideon die, di people of Israel come dey do prostitute follow di Baals again, and dem make Baal-berith dia god. ³⁴Di people of Israel no remember our Papa, wey rescue dem from all dia enemies wey surround dem. ³⁵Dem no even show any kindness give di house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) for all di good wey e don do for Israel.