Judges 8:1-21

New American Standard Bible

Zebah and Zalmunna Routed

8 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. ² 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? ³ 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.

⁴ Then Gideon and the three hundred men who were with him came ^(B)to the Jordan and crossed over, exhausted yet still pursuing. ⁵ 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.” ⁶ 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?” ⁷ 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.” ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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.

¹³ Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle ^[p]by the ascent of Heres. ¹⁴ And he captured a youth from ^[q]Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. ¹⁵ And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘^[r](I)Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’” ¹⁶ Then he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he ^[s]disciplined the men of Succoth with them. ^17 (J)And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

¹⁸ Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where were the men whom you killed at Tabor?” But they said, “You and they were alike, each one ^[t]resembling the son of a king.” ¹⁹ And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.” ²⁰ So 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. ²¹ Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself, and attack us; for as the man, so is his strength.” ^(K)So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and ^(L)took the crescent amulets which were on their camels’ necks.