Judges

8 Then the men of E′phra·im tell-am say: “Wetin you don do us? Why you no call us when you go fight Mid′i·an people?” And them quarrel with-am no be small. 2 But e tell them say: “Wetin I do wey reach wetin una don do? The things wey remain from wetin E′phra·im harvest no better pass the grape wey Abi-e′zer de harvest? 3 Na una hand God put the leaders* of Mid′i·an people wey be O′reb and Ze′eb, and wetin I do wey reach wetin una don do?” When e talk like that,* their mind come down.*

4 Then Gid′e·on reach River Jordan and cross-am. Im and the 300 men wey dey with-am don tire, but them continue to pursue their enemies. 5 So e tell the men of Suc′coth say: “Abeg make una give bread to the people wey de follow me because them don tire and I de pursue Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na, wey be kings of Mid′i·an people.” 6 But the leaders* of Suc′coth talk say: “Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na* don already dey your hand wey go make us give your army bread?” 7 So Gid′e·on talk say: “For this thing wey una talk, when Jehovah put Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na for my hand, I go use chuku-chuku and plants wey fit chuk person wey dey wilderness to flog una.” 8 And e comot from there go up to Pe·nu′el and e beg them the same thing, but the men of Pe·nu′el give-am the same answer like the men of Suc′coth. 9 So e still tell the men of Pe·nu′el say: “When I come back and nothing do me, I go destroy* this tower.”

10 Now Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na dey Kar′kor with their armies, around 15,000 men. Na all this ones remain for all the army of the People From the East, because 120,000 men wey de carry sword don die. 11 Gid′e·on continue to go up, e follow the road of the people wey de live for tent wey dey east of No′bah and Jog′be·hah, and e attack the camp when them no expect-am. 12 When Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na run, e pursue and catch the two kings of Mid′i·an people, wey be Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na, and this one make everybody for the camp de fear.

13 Then Gid′e·on the son of Jo′ash come back from the war, na the small road wey go up to He′res e follow come back. 14 When e de come back, e catch one young man from Suc′coth and ask-am questions. So the young man write the names of the leaders* and elders of Suc′coth give Gidʹe·on, them be 77 men. 15 Then e go meet the men of Suc′coth and talk say: “See Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na wey una de insult me about, and de talk say, ‘Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na* don already dey your hand wey go make us give your men wey don tire bread?’” 16 Then e take the elders of the city and e use the chuku-chuku and the plants wey fit chuk person wey dey wilderness, and deal with the men of Suc′coth. 17 And e destroy the tower of Pe·nu′el and kill the men of the city.

18 E ask Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na say: “Which kind men una kill for Ta′bor?” So them answer-am say: “Them be like you, each of them resemble king son.” 19 So e talk say: “Them be my brothers, the sons of my mama. As long as Jehovah dey alive, if to say una no kill them, I for no kill una.” 20 Then e tell Je′ther im firstborn say: “Get up, kill them.” But the young man no bring im sword come out; e de fear because e still be young man. 21 So Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na talk say: “Get up by yourself and kill us, because na the kind power wey man get them de use judge-am.”* So Gid′e·on get up and kill Ze′bah and Zal·mun′na and collect the jewelries wey get the shape of moon wey them wear for the necks of their camels.

22 After, the men of Israel tell Gid′e·on say: “Make you rule us, you and your son and your grandson too, because you don save us from the hand of Mid′i·an people.” 23 But Gid′e·on tell them say: “I no go rule una and my son no go rule una. Na Jehovah be the person wey go rule una.” 24 Gid′e·on still talk say: “Make I ask one thing from una: make each of una give me one nose ring from im things wey e collect from the enemies.” (Them get gold nose rings because them be Ish′ma·el people.) 25 Them answer-am say: “We go surely give them to you.” So them spread cloth and each man throw nose ring wey e take from the things wey e get from the enemies ontop-am. 26 The weight of the gold nose rings wey e ask for na 1,700 gold shekels,* apart from the jewelries wey get moon shape, the pendants, the purple wool cloths wey the kings of Mid′i·an people wear, and the necklace them from the camels.

27 Gid′e·on use-am make eph′od and put-am for im city wey be Oph′rah; and all Israel people worship-am* for there, and e come be trap for Gid′e·on and im family.

28 So Mid′i·an people come dey under the control of Israel people, and them no challenge them* again. And the land rest* for 40 years for the time* of Gid′e·on.

29 So Jer·ub·ba′al the son of Jo′ash go back to im house and stay for there.

30 Gid′e·on come be papa to 70 sons,* because e get plenty wives. 31 Im concubine* for She′chem still born one boy for-am, and e call-am A·bim′e·lech. 32 And Gid′e·on the son of Jo′ash live better long life before e die, and them bury-am for the grave of Jo′ash im papa for Oph′rah wey be the land of Abi-e′zer people.

33 As Gid′e·on just die, Israel people start to worship Ba′al idols* again, and them choose Ba′al-be′rith as their god. 34 Israel people no remember Jehovah their God wey save them from the hand of all their enemies wey dey around them; 35 and them no show love wey no de fail to the family of Jer·ub·ba′al, wey be Gid′e·on, for all the good things wey e don do for Israel.