Judges 8:5-21

⁵ He said to the men of Succoth , "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 ." ⁶ The leaders of Succoth said , " Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands , that we should give bread to your army ?" ⁷ Gideon said , "All right , when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand , then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers ." ⁸ He went up from there to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered . ⁹ So he spoke also to the men of Penuel , saying , "When I return safely , I will tear down this tower ." ¹⁰ Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor , and their armies with them, about 15,000 e e men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east ; for the fallen were 120,000 e e swordsmen e e . ¹¹ Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah , and 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 whole army . ¹³ Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres . ¹⁴ And he captured a youth from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders , seventy-seven men . ¹⁵ He came to the men of Succoth and said , "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna , concerning whom you taunted me, saying , ' Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand , that we should give bread to your men who are weary ?' " ¹⁶ He took the elders of the city , and thorns of the wilderness and briers , and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. ¹⁷ He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city .

¹⁸ Then 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 resembling the son of a king ." ¹⁹ 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 fall on us; for as the man , so is his strength ." So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna , and took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels' necks .