23. And Gid'on said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall beni rule over you; Hashem shall rule over you.
24. And Gid'on said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every ish the nezem (earring) of his booty-for they had nizmei zahav (gold earrings), because they were Yishmaelim [descendents of Ishmael].
25. And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread out a simlah (upper garment), and did cast therein every ish the nezem of his booty.
26. And the weight of the nizmei hazahav that he requested was 1,700 shekels of zahav; beside ornaments, and pendants, and purple raiment that was on the melachim of Midyan, and apart from the chains that were about their camels' necks.
27. And Gid'on made an ephod thereof, and put it in his Ir, even in Ophrah; and kol Yisroel went there a-whoring after it; which thing became a mokesh (snare) unto Gid'on, and to his Bais.
28. Thus was Midyan subdued before the Bnei Yisroel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And HaAretz was in quietness arba'im shanah in the days of Gid'on.
29. And Yerubaal ben Yoash went and dwelt in his own bais.
30. And Gid'on had threescore and ten banim of his own; for he had many nashim.
31. And his pilegesh (concubine) that was in Shechem, she also bore him a ben, whose shem he called Avimelech.
32. And Gid'on ben Yoash died in a good old age, and was buried in the kever of Yoash his av, in Ophrah of the Aviezri.
33. And it came to pass, as soon as Gid'on was dead, that the Bnei Yisroel turned again, and went a-whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-brit their elohim.
34. And the Bnei Yisroel remembered not Hashem Eloheihem, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side;