Judges 8:1-21 ▼

1 Then the men of Ephraim sayde vnto him, Why hast thou serued vs thus that thou calledst vs not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? and they chode with him sharply.

2 To whom he said, What haue I now done in comparison of you? is not the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim better, then the vintage of Abiezer?

3 God hath deliuered into your handes the princes of Midian, Oreb & Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? & when he had thus spoken, then their spirits abated toward him.

4 And Gideon came to Iorden to passe ouer, hee, and the three hundreth men that were with him, weary, yet pursuing them.

5 And he said vnto the men of Succoth, Giue, I pray you, morsels of bread vnto the people that followe me (for they be wearie ) that I may follow after Zebah, & Zalmunna Kings of Midia.

6 And the princes of Succoth sayde, Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmunna nowe in thine hads, that we should giue bread vnto thine army?

7 Gideon then sayde, Therefore when the Lorde hath deliuered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, I will teare your flesh with thornes of the wildernes and with breers.

8 And he went vp thence to Penuel, and spake vnto them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him, as the men of Succoth answered.

9 And he sayd also vnto the men of Penuel, When I come againe in peace, I will breake downe this towre.

10 Now Zebah & Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hostes with them, about fifteene thousande, all that were left of all the hostes of them of the East: for there was slaine an hundreth and twentie thousand men, that drew swordes.

11 And Gideon went through them that dwelt in Tabernacles on the East side of Nobah and Iogbehah, and smote the hoste: for the hoste was carelesse.

12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, hee followed after them, and tooke the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the hoste.

13 So Gideon the sonne of Ioash returned from battel, the sunne being yet hie,

14 And tooke a seruant of the me of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he wrote to him the princes of Succoth and the Elders thereof, euen seuentie and seuen men.

15 And he came vnto the men of Succoth, & sayd, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, by whome ye vpbrayded me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah & Zalmunna already in thine hands, that we should giue bread vnto thy weary men?

16 Then he tooke the Elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernes & breers, & did teare the men of Succoth with them.

17 Also he brake downe the towre of Penuel, and slew the men of the citie.

18 Then saide he vnto Zebah & Zalmunna, What maner of men were they, whom ye slew at Tabor? and they answered, As thou art, so were they: euery one was like the children of a King.

19 And he said, They were my brethren, euen my mothers children: as the Lorde liueth, if ye had saued their liues, I would not slay you.

20 Then he sayde vnto Iether his first borne sonne, Vp, & slay them: but the boy drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet yong.

21 Then Zebah & Zalmunna sayd, Rise thou, & fall vpon vs: for as the man is, sou his stregth; Gideon arose and slew Zebah & Zalmunna, and tooke away the ornamentes, that were on their camels neckes.