Zebah and Zalmunna Routed

Then the men of Ephraim said to [a]Gideon, “(A)What is this thing that you have done to us, not calling upon us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they quarreled with him vehemently. But he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim not better than the vintage of Abiezer? God has handed over to you the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their [b]anger toward him subsided when he said [c]that.

Then Gideon and the three hundred men who were with him came (B)to the Jordan and crossed over, exhausted yet still pursuing. And he said to the men of (C)Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are [d]following me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” But the leaders of Succoth said, “[e](D)Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” So Gideon said, “For this answer, (E)when the Lord has handed over to me Zebah and Zalmunna, I will [f]thrash your [g]bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” Then he went up from there to [h](F)Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. So he said also to the men of [i]Penuel, “When I return safely, (G)I will tear down this tower.”

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their [j]armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of the entire [k]army of the [l]people of the east; (H)for the fallen were 120,000 [m]swordsmen. 11 Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he [n]attacked the camp when the camp was unsuspecting. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the entire [o]army.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 8:1 Lit him
  2. Judges 8:3 Lit spirit
  3. Judges 8:3 Lit this thing
  4. Judges 8:5 Lit at my feet
  5. Judges 8:6 Lit Is the palm of...; i.e., are you so sure of victory that
  6. Judges 8:7 Or trample
  7. Judges 8:7 Lit flesh
  8. Judges 8:8 In Gen 32:30, Peniel
  9. Judges 8:9 Lit Penuel, saying,
  10. Judges 8:10 Or camps
  11. Judges 8:10 Or camp
  12. Judges 8:10 Lit sons
  13. Judges 8:10 Lit men who drew the sword
  14. Judges 8:11 Lit struck
  15. Judges 8:12 Or camp

Zebah and Zalmunna

Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(A) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(B)(C) And they challenged him vigorously.(D)

But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?(E) God gave Oreb and Zeeb,(F) the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.

Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan(G) and crossed it. He said to the men of Sukkoth,(H) “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out,(I) and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna,(J) the kings of Midian.”

But the officials of Sukkoth(K) said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread(L) to your troops?”(M)

Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna(N) into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”

From there he went up to Peniel[a](O) and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”(P)

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.(Q) 11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah(R) and Jogbehah(S) and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 8:8 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel; also in verses 9 and 17