Judges 8

¹ The men of Ephraim con tell Gideon say, “Why you no call us when you go fight the Midianites? Why you treat us like this?” Dem complain about am.

² But he talk say, “Wetin I fit do na nothing compare to wetin una don do. Even the little wey una men of Ephraim don do get value pass wetin all my tribe don do.

³ Una don kill the two chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb of Midianites by the power of God. Wetin I don do wey dey compare with that?” When he don talk this, dem no vex again.

⁴ By this time Gideon and him 300 men don come to River Jordan and dem don cross am. Dem don tire, but dem still dey pursue the enemy.

⁵ When dem reach Sukkot, he tell the men wey dey the town say, “Abeg make una give my men some bread. Dem don tire, and I dey pursue Zebah amd Zalmuna, the Midianite kings.”

⁶ But the leaders of Sukkoth talk say, “Why we go give your army any food? You never even capture Zebah and Zalmunna yet.”

⁷ Naso Gideon talk say, “All right! When God don help us capture Zebah and Zalmunna, I go use thorns and briar from desert beat una!”

⁸ Gideon go Penuel and ask same thing from the people wey dey for there, but na the same answer the men of Penuel give like men of Sukkoth.

⁹ So he tell them say, “I go come back safe and sound, and when I come back, I go tear down una tower!”

¹⁰ Zebah and Zalmunna dey for Karkor with their army. Out of all the army wey desert people get, na only about 15,000 remain; dem don kill 120,000 soldiers.

¹¹ Gideon dey waka go along the edge of the desert, for east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and na surprise he take attack the army.

¹² The two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, con run away, but he con pursue them and capture them, and he con make their whole army fear.

¹³ When Gideon dey return from the battle for the way of Heres Pass,

¹⁴ He capture a young man from Sukkoth and ask him question. The young man con write down the name of the 77 men wey dey lead for Sukkoth to Gideon.

¹⁵ Then Gideon go meet the men of Sukkoth and talk say, “Shey una remember when una no gree help me? Una talk say una no fit give any food to my army wey don tire because I never capture Zebah and Zalmunna yet. Well, na dem dey here!”

¹⁶ Then he con take the thorns and briars from the desert and use them punish the leaders of Sukkoth.

¹⁷ He con also tear down the tower for Penuel and kill the men wey dey for that city.

¹⁸ Gideon con ask Zebah and Zalmunna say, “What about the men wey una kill for Tabor?” Dem answer say, “Dem look like you - every one of them dey look like king pikin.”

¹⁹ Gideon talk say, “Dem be my brothers, wey be sons of my own mama. I swear say if una no kill them, I no go kill una.”

²⁰ Then he con tell Jether, him eldest son say, “Kill them!” But the boy no draw him sword. He no go, because na only pikin him still be.

²¹ Then Zebah and Zalmunna tell Gideon say, “Come on, make you kill us yourself. Na man fit do man job.” Naso Gideon kill them and take the ornament wey dey the neck of their camels.

²² After that, the Israelites tell Gideon say, “Make you be our ruler and the descendant wey dey after you. You don save us from the Midianites.”

²³ Gideon con answer say, “I no go be una ruler, or my pikin. Na God go be una ruler.”

²⁴ But he talk say, “Make I ask una one thing. Make everyone of una give me the earrings wey una take.” (The Midianiates, like other people for desert, dey wear gold earrings.)

²⁵ The people answer say, “We go dey happy to give them to you.” Dem con spread a cloth, and everyone put the earrings wey he don take for there.

²⁶ The gold earring wey Gideon collect dey weigh 20 kilogrammes, and e no include the ornaments, necklace, and purple clothes wey the king of Midian wear, or the collars wey dey round the neck of their camels.

²⁷ Gideon con make idol from the gold and he put am for him hometown, Ophrah. All the Israelites con abandon God and dey go there to worship the idol. Na trap e be for Gideon and him family.

²⁸ Naso Israelites defeat Midian and dem no be threat again. The land dey for peace for 40 years, until Gideon don die.

²⁹ Gideon go back to him home town and dey live for there.

³⁰ He get 70 sons, because say him get plenty wives.

³¹ He also get concubine for Shechem; she born son for him, and he name am Abimelech.

³² Gideon son of Joash con die for old age and dem bury him for the grave of him papa Joash, for Ophrah, wey be the town of the tribe of Abiezer.

³³ After he don die the people of Israel no dey faithful to God again and dem dey worship the Baals. Dem make Baal-of-the-covenant their god,

³⁴ Dem no serve the LORD their God, wey don save them from all their enemies wey round them again.

³⁵ Dem no dey grateful to the family of Gideon for all the good wey he don do for Israel.