Judges 8:1–21

Gideon Pursues Zebah and Zalmunna

¹Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “^aWhat is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they strongly contended with him.

²But he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?

³“God has given the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their ¹anger toward him subsided when he spoke this word.

⁴Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came ^ato the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing.

⁵And he said to the men of ^aSuccoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

⁶But the princes of Succoth said, “^1aAre the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?”

⁷And Gideon said, “Thus, ^awhen Yahweh has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will ¹thrash your ²bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.”

⁸So he went up from there to ^1aPenuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered.

⁹So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, ^aI will tear down this tower.”

¹⁰Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their camps with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire camp of the sons of the east; ^afor the fallen were 120,000 men who drew the sword.

¹¹And Gideon went up by the way of those who dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah and struck the camp when the camp was ¹unsuspecting.

¹²Then Zebah and Zalmunna fled. And he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw the whole camp into utter fright.

¹³Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle ¹by the ascent of Heres.

¹⁴And he captured a youth from the men of Succoth and questioned him. So the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.

¹⁵Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you reproached me, saying, ‘^1aAre the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’”

¹⁶Then he took the elders of the city as well as thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he ¹taught the men of Succoth a lesson.

^17aAnd he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

¹⁸Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” And they said, “They were like you, each one ¹resembling the son of a king.”

¹⁹And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.”

²⁰So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them.” But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a youth.

²¹Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself, and smite us; for as the man, so is his might.” ^aSo Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna and ^btook the crescent ornaments which were on their camels’ necks.