Then aJerubbaal (that is, Gideon
) and all
the people
who
were with him, rose
early
and camped
beside
1the spring
of Harod
; and the camp
of Midian
was on the north
side
of 2them by the hill
of bMoreh
in the valley
.
The LORD said
to Gideon
, "The people
who
are with you are too
many
for Me to give
Midian
into their hands
, afor Israel
1would become
boastful
, saying
, `My own 2power
has delivered
me.'
"Now therefore 1come
, proclaim
in the hearing
of the people
, saying
, ` aWhoever
is afraid
and trembling
, let him return
and depart
from Mount
Gilead
.' " So 22,000
people
returned
, but 10,000
remained
.
aThen the LORD said
to Gideon
, "The people
are still
too many
; bring
them down
to the water
and I will test
them for you there
. Therefore it shall be that he of whom
I say
to you, `This
one
shall go
with you,' he shall go
with you; but everyone
of whom
I say
to you, `This
one
shall not go
with you,' he shall not go
."
So he brought the people
down
to the water
. And the LORD
said
to Gideon
, "You shall separate
everyone
who
laps
the water
with his tongue
as a dog
laps
, as well as everyone
who
kneels
to drink
."
Now the number of those who lapped
, putting their hand
to their mouth
, was 300
men
; but all
the rest
of the people
kneeled
to drink
water
.
The LORD said
to Gideon
, "I will deliver
you awith the 300
men
who lapped
and will give
the Midianites
into your hands
; so let all
the other people
go
, each
man
to his 1home
."
So 1the 300 men took the people's
provisions
and their trumpets
into their hands
. And 2Gideon sent
all
the other men
of Israel
, each
to his tent
, but retained
the 300
men
; and the camp
of Midian
was below
him in the valley
.
Now the same night
it came
about that the LORD
said
to him, "Arise
, go
down
against the camp
, afor I have given
it into your hands
.
"But if you are afraid
to go
down
, go
with Purah
your servant
down
to the camp
,
and you will hear what
they say
; and aafterward
your hands
will be strengthened
that you may go
down
against the camp
." So he went
with Purah
his servant
down
to the 1outposts
of the army
that was in the camp
.
Now the Midianites and the Amalekites
and all
the sons
of the east
were lying
in the valley
aas numerous
as locusts
; and their camels
were without
number
, bas numerous
as the sand
on the seashore
.
When Gideon came
, behold
, a man
was relating
a dream
to his friend
. And he said
, "Behold
, I 1had
a dream
; 2a loaf
of barley
bread
was tumbling
into the camp
of Midian
, and it came
to the tent
and struck
it so that it fell
, and turned
it 3upside
down
so that the tent
lay
flat
."
His friend replied
, "This
is nothing
less
than
the sword
of Gideon
the son
of Joash
, a man
of Israel
; God
has given
Midian
and all
the camp
ainto his hand
."
When Gideon heard
the account
of the dream
and its interpretation
, he bowed
in worship
. He returned
to the camp
of Israel
and said
, "Arise
, for the LORD
has given
the camp
of Midian
into your hands
."
He divided the 300
men
into three
1companies
, and he put
trumpets
and empty
pitchers
into the hands
of all
of them, with torches
inside
the pitchers
.
He said to them, "Look
at me and do
likewise
. And behold
, when I come
to the outskirts
of the camp
, 1do
as I do
.
"When I and all who
are with me blow
the trumpet
, then you also
blow
the trumpets
all
around
the camp
and say
, `For the LORD
and for Gideon
.' "
So Gideon and the hundred
men
who
were with him came
to the outskirts
of the camp
at the beginning
of the middle
watch
, when
they had just
posted
the watch
; and they blew
the trumpets
and smashed
the pitchers
that were in their hands
.
When the three 1companies
blew
the trumpets
and broke
the pitchers
, they held
the torches
in their left
hands
and the trumpets
in their right
hands
for blowing
, and cried
, "A sword
for the LORD
and for Gideon
!"
Each stood
in his place
around
the camp
; and aall
the 1army
ran
, crying
out as they fled
.
When they blew 300
trumpets
, the aLORD
set
the sword
of one
against another
even throughout
the whole
1army
; and the 1army
fled
as far
as Beth-shittah
toward Zererah
, as far
as the edge
of bAbel-meholah
, by Tabbath
.
The men of Israel
were summoned
from aNaphtali
and Asher
and all
Manasseh
, and they pursued
Midian
.
Gideon sent
messengers
throughout
all
the hill
country
of Ephraim
, saying
, "Come
down
1against
Midian
and atake
the waters
before them, as far
as Beth-barah
and the Jordan
." So all
the men
of Ephraim
were summoned
and they took
the waters
as far
as Beth-barah
and the Jordan
.
They captured the two
leaders
of Midian
, aOreb
and Zeeb
, and they killed
Oreb
at the rock
of Oreb
, and they killed
Zeeb
at the wine
press
of Zeeb
, while they pursued
Midian
; and they brought
the heads
of Oreb
and Zeeb
to Gideon
bfrom across
the Jordan
.