Judges 8:10-27

10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their 1armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of the entire 2army of the 3people of the east; 4for the fallen were 120,000 5swordsmen. 11Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he 6attacked the camp when the camp was unsuspecting. 12When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the entire 7army.

13Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle 8by the ascent of Heres. 14And he captured a youth from 9Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘1011Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’” 16Then he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he 12disciplined the men of Succoth with them. 1713And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18Then 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 14resembling the son of a king.” 19And 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.” 20So 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. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself, and attack us; for as the man, so is his strength.” 15So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and 16took the crescent amulets which were on their camels’ necks.

22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, your son’s son as well, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian!” 23But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; 17the Lord shall rule over you.” 24Yet Gideon said to them, “I would 18request of you, that each of you give me 19an earring from his plunder.” (For they had gold earrings, because they were 20Ishmaelites.) 25And they said, “We will certainly give them to you.” So they spread out a garment, and every one of them tossed an earring there from his plunder. 26The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, apart from the crescent amulets, the ear pendants, and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and apart from the neck chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27Gideon made it into 21an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah; but all Israel 22committed infidelity with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.