Judges 7

1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

2 And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

4 And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and Jehovah said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.7 And Jehovah said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the people go every man unto his place.8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

9 And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said unto him, Arise, get thee down into the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand.10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp:11 and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost part of the armed men that were in the camp.12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude.13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all the host.

15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped; and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Jehovah hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon.

19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight.22 And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.23 And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.

24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan.25 And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

Judges 7

Gideon Reduces the Ranks

1 Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his ment got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod.s The Midianitest were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley.2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you.t Israel might brag,t ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’t3 Now, announce to the men,t ‘Whoever is shaking with feart may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’”s Twenty-two thousand ment went home;t ten thousand remained.4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men.t Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more.t When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go;t when I say,t ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.”t5 So he brought the ment down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.”t6 Three hundred men lapped;s the rest of the ment kneeled to drink water.7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole armyt and I will hand Midian over to you.t The rest of the men should go home.”t

8 The ment who were chosent took suppliest and their trumpets. Gideont sent all the men of Israel back to their homes;t he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianitest were camped down belowt in the valley.

Gideon Reassured of Victory

9 That night the Lord said to Gideon,t “Get up! Attackt the camp, for I am handing it over to you.t10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant11 and listen to what they are saying. Then you will be bravet and attack the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to where the sentries were guarding the camp.t12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts.t Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore.13 When Gideon arrived, he heard a man telling another man about a dream he had.t The mant said, “Look! I had a dream. I sawt a stale cake of barley bread rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard it knocked it over and turned it upside down. The tent just collapsed.”t

14 The other man said,t “Without a doubt this symbolizest the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God is handing Midian and all the army over to him.”

Gideon Routs the Enemy

15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God.t Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!”16 He divided the three hundred men into three units.t He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them.ts17 He said to them, “Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely!t I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do!

18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
19 Gideon took a hundred men to the edge of the campt at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying.t20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right.t Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”21 They stood in ordert all around the camp. The whole army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away.t22 When the three hundred men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swordst throughouts the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They wentt to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites.t

Gideon Appeases the Ephraimites

24 Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites.t Take control of the fords of the streamst all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.”t When all the Ephraimites had assembled,t they took control of the fordst all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.

25 They captured the two Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb.s They executed Oreb on the rock of Oreb and Zeebt in the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianitest and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now on the other side of the Jordan River.t