Judges 8:4-17

4Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came 1to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. 5He said to the men of 2Succoth, “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.” 6The leaders of Succoth said, “34Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?” 7Gideon said, “5All right, 6when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will 7thrash your 8bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8He went up from there to 910Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, 11I will tear down this tower.”

10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their 12armies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire 13army of the sons of the east; 14for the fallen were 120,000 15swordsmen. 11Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and 16attacked the camp when the camp was 17unsuspecting. 12When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole 18army.

13Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle 19by the ascent of Heres. 14And he captured a youth 20from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15He came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘2122Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’” 16He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he 23disciplined the men of Succoth with them. 1724He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.