19. And he said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
20. And [Gideon] said to Jether his firstborn [to embarrass them], Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared because he was yet a lad.
21. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise yourself and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna and took the [crescent-shaped] ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
22. Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us–you and your son and your son's son also–for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23. And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.
24. And Gideon said to them, Let me make a request of you–every man of you give me the earrings of his spoil. For [the Midianites] had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites [general term for all descendants of Keturah].
25. And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and every man cast on it the earrings of his spoil.
26. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescents and pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and the chains that were about their camels' necks.
27. And Gideon made an ephod [a sacred, high priest's garment] of it, and put it in his city of Ophrah, and all Israel paid homage to it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.
28. Thus was Midian subdued before the Israelites so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had peace and rest for forty years in the days of Gideon.
29. Jerubbaal (Gideon) son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30. Now Gideon had seventy sons born to him, for he had many wives.