27 Gideon made the gold into a sacred ephod and put it on display in his hometown, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted itself there. Gideon and his family, too, were seduced by it.

28 Midian’s tyranny was broken by the Israelites; nothing more was heard from them. The land was quiet for forty years in Gideon’s time.

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29-31 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and lived in his house. Gideon had seventy sons. He fathered them all—he had a lot of wives! His concubine, the one at Shechem, also bore him a son. He named him Abimelech.

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27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(A) which he placed in Ophrah,(B) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(C) to Gideon and his family.(D)

Gideon’s Death

28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head(E) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace(F) forty years.

29 Jerub-Baal(G) son of Joash(H) went back home to live.

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