Judges 7

1 Early in the morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the men with him camped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.

2 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’

3 Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.

4 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

5 So Gideon brought the men down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”

6 And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.

7 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. But all the others are to go home.”

8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

9 That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.

10 But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah

11 and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp.

12 Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13 And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

14 His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.”

15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”

16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.

17 “Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said. “When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do.

18 When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.

20 The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

21 Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran.

22 And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

23 Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.

24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.

25 They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.

1 ¶ Then Jerubbaal, who [is] Gideon, and all the people that [were] with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that [are] with thee [are] too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever [is] fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

4 And the LORD 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 the LORD 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, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the [other] people go every man unto his place.

8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all [the rest of] Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

9 ¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:

11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that [were] in the host.

12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels [were] without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

13 And when Gideon was come, behold, [there was] a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

14 And his fellow answered and said, This [is] nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: [for] into his hand hath God 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 returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

16 ¶ And he divided the three hundred men [into] three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be [that], as I do, so shall ye do.

18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that [are] with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, [The sword] of the LORD, and of Gideon.

19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that [were] with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that [were] in their hands.

20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow [withal]: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, [and] to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

23 ¶ And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.

25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

1 And Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, arose early, and all the people that were with him, and pitched by the well of Harod, to have the host of Midian northward, behind the hills of the valley.

2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to deliver Midian into their hand: for Israel will boast against me, saying, My hand hath redeemed me.

3 Now therefore let them cry out in the ears of the people, saying, Let him that is foolish and desponding return, and come up quickly from mount Gilead. And the people returned twenty and two thousand, and ten thousand only remained.

4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many. Bring them down unto the waters, and there will I try them thee: and of him that I shall say unto thee to go with thee, he shall go with thee: but of him that I shall say, he shall not go with thee, he shall not go.

5 And he brought the people down unto the waters. And the LORD said unto Gideon, Whosoever shall lick the water with his tongue, as a dog licketh it, set him apart; as well as he that shall fall upon his knees to drink.

6 And the number of them that had licked out of the hand into the mouth was three hundred men: and all the rest of the people had drunk kneeling.

7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that licked will I deliver you, and will give the Midianites into your hand: but let all the rest of the people go into their place.

8 And they took with them food for the people, and their trumpets. And the rest of the children of Israel let him go every man to his tent: and he strengthened himself with three hundred men. And the host of Midian lay down before him in the valley.

9 And the LORD said unto him that night, Arise, and go down to the camp: for I have delivered it into thy hand.

10 But if thou fear to go down, let Pura thy son go down with thee unto the camp,

11 And thou shalt hear what they say. And afterward thou shalt go down with the power unto the camp. And Gideon went down with Purah his lad unto the place of the shield-keepers that were in the camp.

12 And the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and all the children of the east, lay down in the midst like a multitude of locusts; and their camels were not to be numbered before the multitude, as the sand upon the seashore.

13 And when Gideon was come, behold, he dreamt a dream one to another, saying, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and it seemed unto me that a barley loaf was rolled unto the host of Midian: and when it came to the tents, it smote them, and overthrew them, and overturned them, to bring down the top of the tent.

14 And the other answered: This is nothing but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash the Israelite. God has given the Midianites into his hands with the whole army.

15 And when Gideon heard the dream, and the interpretation thereof, he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered the host of Midian into your hand.

16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put a trumpet in every man's hand, and pitchers of wine, and torches within.

17 And said unto them, Look unto me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come into the place of the host, as I do, so do ye.

18 When I blow the trumpet, and all that are with me, then ye also shall blow the trumpet round about all the host, and say: Here, Lord, and Gideon!

19 So Gideon and an hundred men came with him unto the place of the host, unto the first watchmen that were appointed, and stirred them up, and blew with trumpets, and brake the pitchers in their hands.

20 So all the three companies blew with trumpets, and brake the pitchers. And they held the torches in their left hand, and the trumpets in their right hand, and blew, and cried: Here the sword of the LORD and Gideon!

21 And every man stood in his place round about the host. And all the host ran, and cried out, and fled.

22 And when the three hundred men blew with the trumpets, the LORD caused every man's sword to be against every man's sword throughout all the host. And the army fled unto Beth- sitta Zereratha, unto the border of the breadth of Meholah at Tabath.

23 And the men of Israel of Naphtali, and of Asher, and of all Manasseh, cried out, and pursued after the Midianites.

24 And Gideon sent word throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down to meet the Midianites, and run the waters over against them unto Bethbarah and Jordan. And all they that were of Ephraim cried out, and ran the waters over against them unto Bethbarah and Jordan.

25 And they took two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and slew Oreb in the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb in the winepress of Zeeb: and they chased the Midianites, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb unto Gideon over Jordan.