7
1 Then
Jerubbaal, who is
Gideon, and all
the people who
were with him,
rose up early
and encamped
beside the spring
of Harod. Midian’s
camp was on
the north side
of them, by
the hill of
Moreh, in the
valley.
2 The
LORD said to
Gideon, “The
people who are
with you are
too many for
me to give
the Midianites
into their hand,
lest Israel brag
against me, saying, ‘My
own hand has
saved me.’
3 Now
therefore proclaim
in the ears of
the people, saying, ‘Whoever
is fearful and
trembling, let him
return and depart
from Mount
Gilead.’ ” So
twenty-two thousand of
the people
returned, and
ten thousand remained.
4 The
LORD said to
Gideon, “There are
still too many
people. Bring them
down to the
water, and I
will test them
for you there.
It shall be,
that those whom
I tell you, ‘This
shall go with
you,’ shall go
with you; and
whoever I tell
you, ‘This shall
not go with
you,’ shall not
go.”
5 So
he brought down
the people to
the water; and
the LORD said to
Gideon, “Everyone
who laps of
the water with
his tongue, like
a dog laps,
you shall set
him by himself;
likewise everyone
who bows down on
his knees to
drink.”
6 The
number of those
who lapped, putting
their hand to
their mouth, was
three hundred men;
but all the
rest of the
people bowed down
on their knees
to drink water.
7 The
LORD said to
Gideon, “I will
save you by
the three hundred
men who lapped,
and deliver the
Midianites into
your hand. Let
all the other
people go, each
to his own
place.”
8 So
the people took
food in their
hand, and their
trumpets; and he
sent all the
rest of the
men of Israel
to their own
tents, but
retained the three
hundred men; and
the camp of
Midian was beneath
him in the
valley.
9 That
same night, the
LORD said to him,
“Arise, go down
into the camp,
for I have
delivered it into
your hand.
10 But if you
are afraid to
go down, go
with Purah your
servant down to
the camp.
11 You
will hear what
they say;
and afterward your
hands will be
strengthened to go
down into the
camp.” Then went
he down with
Purah his servant
to the outermost
part of the
armed men who
were in the
camp.
12 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 on the
seashore for
multitude.
13 When
Gideon had come,
behold, there was
a man telling
a dream to
his fellow.
He said, “Behold,
I dreamed a
dream; and behold,
a cake of
barley bread
tumbled into the
camp of Midian,
came to the tent,
and struck it
so that it
fell, and turned
it upside down,
so that the tent
lay flat.”
14 His
fellow answered, “This
is nothing other
than the sword
of Gideon the
son of Joash,
a man of
Israel. God has
delivered Midian
into his hand,
with all the
army.”
15 It
was so, when
Gideon heard the
telling of the
dream and its
interpretation, that
he worshiped. Then
he returned into
the camp of
Israel and said,
“Arise, for the
LORD has delivered
the army of
Midian into your
hand!”
16 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 He
said to them, “Watch
me, and do
likewise. Behold,
when I come
to the outermost
part of the
camp, it shall
be that, as
I do, so
you shall do.
18 When
I blow the
trumpet, I and
all who are
with me, then
blow the trumpets
also on every
side of all
the camp,
and shout, ‘For
the LORD and
for Gideon!’ ”
19 So
Gideon and the
hundred men who
were with him came
to the outermost
part of the
camp in the
beginning of the
middle watch, when
they had but newly
set the watch.
Then they blew
the trumpets
and broke in
pieces the
pitchers that were
in their hands.
20 The
three companies
blew the trumpets,
broke the pitchers,
and held the
torches in their
left hands and
the trumpets in
their right hands
with which to
blow; and they
shouted, “The
sword of the
LORD and of
Gideon!”
21 They
each stood in
his place around
the camp, and
all the army
ran; and they
shouted, and put
them to flight.
22 They
blew the three
hundred trumpets,
and the LORD
set every man’s
sword against his
fellow and against
all the army;
and the army
fled as far
as Beth Shittah toward
Zererah, as far
as the border
of Abel Meholah, by
Tabbath.
23 The
men of Israel
were gathered
together out of
Naphtali, out
of Asher, and out
of all Manasseh,
and pursued Midian.
24 Gideon
sent messengers
throughout all the
hill country
of Ephraim, saying, “Come
down against
Midian and take
the waters before
them 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 They
took the two
princes of Midian,
Oreb and Zeeb.
They killed Oreb
at Oreb’s rock,
and Zeeb they
killed at Zeeb’s
wine press, as
they pursued
Midian. Then
they brought the
heads of Oreb
and Zeeb to
Gideon beyond the
Jordan.