Judges 8:4–17

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.