Zebah and Zalmunna

8 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)

² 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) 3} 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.

⁴ Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan^(G) and crossed it. ⁵ 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.”

⁶ 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)

⁷ 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.”

⁸ 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. ⁹ 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.

¹³ Gideon son of Joash^(T) then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.^{(U) 14} He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth,^(V) the elders^(W) of the town. ¹⁵ Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?^(X)’” ¹⁶ He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson^(Y) by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. ¹⁷ He also pulled down the tower of Peniel^(Z) and killed the men of the town.^(AA)

³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”^(A) said Jesus, “then you would^[a] do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰ As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,^(B) a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.^(C) Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹ You are doing the works of your own father.”^(D)

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”^(E)

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,^(F) for I have come here from God.^(G) I have not come on my own;^(H) God sent me.^{(I) 43} Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil,^(J) and you want to carry out your father’s desires.^(K) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.^{(L) 45} Yet because I tell the truth,^(M) you do not believe me! ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.^(N) The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Jesus’ Claims About Himself

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan^(O) and demon-possessed?”^(P)

⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself;^(Q) but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”^(R)

⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed!^(S) Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham?^(T) He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself,^(U) my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.^{(V) 55} Though you do not know him,^(W) I know him.^(X) If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.^{(Y) 56} Your father Abraham^(Z) rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it^(AA) and was glad.”

⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born,^(AB) I am!”^{(AC) 59} At this, they picked up stones to stone him,^(AD) but Jesus hid himself,^(AE) slipping away from the temple grounds.