Judges 7
1 Then Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, and all the people with him, got up early and put up their tents by the side of the water-spring of Harod; the tents of Midian were on the north side of him, under the hill of Moreh in the valley.
Then Jerubbaal, the same, is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped by the fountain of Harod, —and, the camp of Midian, was on the north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the vale.
2 And the Lord said to Gideon, So great is the number of your people, that if I give the Midianites into their hands they will be uplifted in pride over me and will say, I myself have been my saviour.
And Yahweh said unto Gideon, Too many, are the people that are with thee, for me to deliver the Midianites into their hand, —lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand, hath saved me.
3 So now, let it be given out to the people that anyone who is shaking with fear is to go back from Mount Galud. So twenty-two thousand of the people went back, but there were still ten thousand.
Now, therefore, proclaim, I pray thee, in the ears of the people, saying, Whoso feareth and trembleth—let him turn and go back from Mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and, ten thousand, remained.
4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, There are still more people than is necessary; take them down to the water so that I may put them to the test for you there; then whoever I say is to go with you will go, and whoever I say is not to go will not go.
Then said Yahweh unto Gideon—Yet, are the people too many, take them down unto the waters, that I may prove them for thee, there, —and it shall be, that, he of whom I say unto thee, This one, shall go with thee, the same, shall go with thee, and, every one of whom I say unto thee, This one, shall not go with thee, the same, shall not go.
5 So he took the people down to the water; and the Lord said to Gideon, Put on one side by themselves all those drinking up the water with their tongues like a dog; and in the same way, all those who go down on their knees to the water while drinking.
So he took down the people unto the waters, —and Yahweh said unto Gideon—Every one that lappeth with his tongue of the water, as a dog lappeth, thou shalt set him by himself, likewise, every one that boweth down upon his knees, to drink.
6 Now the number of those who took up the water with their tongues was three hundred; all the rest of the people went down on their knees to the water.
And so it was, that, the number of them that lapped with 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 And the Lord said to Gideon, By those three hundred who were drinking with their tongues I will give you salvation and give the Midianites into your hands; let the rest of the people go away, every man to his place.
Then said Yahweh unto Gideon—By the three hundred men that lapped, will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let, all [the rest of] the people, go every man to his own place.
8 So they took the vessels of the people, and their horns from their hands, and he sent them away, every man to his tent, keeping only the three hundred; and the tents of Midian were lower down in the valley.
So the people took provisions in their hand, and their horns, but, every man of Israel besides, sent he away every man to his home, whereas, the three hundred men, he retained. Now, the camp of Midian, was beneath him in the vale.
9 The same night the Lord said to him, Up! go down now against their army, for I have given them into your hands.
And it came to pass, on that night, that Yahweh said unto him, Arise! go down against the camp, —for I have delivered it into thy hand.
10 But if you have fear of going down, take your servant Purah with you and go down to the tents;
Or, if, thou, art afraid to go down, go down—thou and Purah thy young man, unto the camp;
11 And after hearing what they are saying, you will get strength to go down against the army. So he went down with his servant Purah to the outer line of the tents of the armed men.
so shalt thou hear what they shall say, —and, afterward, shall thy hands grow strong, and thou shalt go down against the camp. Then went he down, he and Purah his young man, unto the outmost part of the armed men that were in the camp.
12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the east were covering the valley like locusts; and their camels were like the sand by the seaside, without number.
Now, the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east, were lying along in the vale, like locusts for multitude, —their camels also, were without number, as the sand that is by the sea side, for multitude.
13 When Gideon came there, a man was giving his friend an account of his dream, saying, See, I had a dream about a cake of barley bread which, falling into the tents of Midian, came on to the tent, overturning it so that it was stretched out flat on the earth.
And Gideon came in, and lo! a man relating to his neighbour a dream, —and he said—Lo! a dream, have I dreamt, and lo! a round cake of barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came as far as the tent—and smote it that it fell, and turned it upside down, and the tent lay along.
14 And his friend in answer said, This is certainly the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, the men of Israel: into their hands God has given up all the army of Midian.
Then responded his neighbour and said: —Nothing else, is this, than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel, —God hath delivered into his hand, both Midian and all the host.
15 Then Gideon, hearing the story of the dream and the sense in which they took it, gave worship; then he went back to the tents of Israel, and said, Up! for the Lord has given the army of Midian into your hands.
And it was so, when Gideon heard the story of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he bowed himself down, —and returned unto the camp of Israel, and said—Arise! for Yahweh hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16 Then separating the three hundred men into three bands, he gave every man a horn, and a vessel in which was a flaming branch.
And he divided the three hundred men, into three companies, —and put horns into the hands of them all, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
17 And he said to them, Keep your eyes on me, and do what I do; when I come to the outer line of tents, whatever I do, you are to do the same.
Then he said unto them, On me, shall ye look, and, in like manner, shall ye do, —and lo! when I am coming unto the outermost part of the camp, then shall it be, that, as I do, so, shall ye do.
18 At the sound of my horn, and the horns of those who are with me, let your horns be sounded all round the tents, and say, For the Lord and for Gideon.
When I shall blow with the horn, I and all who are with me, then shall, ye also, round about all the camp, blow with your horns, and shall say, For Yahweh and for Gideon!
19 So Gideon and the three hundred men who were with him came to the outer line of tents, at the start of the middle watch, when the watchmen had only then taken their stations; and the horns were sounded and the vessels broken.
So Gideon came, and the hundred men that were with him, unto the outermost part of the camp, at the beginning of the middle watch, they had but, newly set, the watchers, —and they blew with the horns, and brake in pieces the pitchers, that were in their hand.
20 So the three bands all gave a loud note on their horns, and when the vessels had been broken, they took the flaming branches in their left hands, and the horns in their right hands ready for blowing, crying out, For the Lord and for Gideon.
Yea the three companies blew with the horns, and shivered the pitchers, and caught hold—with their left hands—of the torches, while, in their right hands, were the horns, to blow with, —and they cried, A sword for Yahweh, and for Gideon!
21 Then they made a line round the tents, every man in his place; and all the army, awaking from sleep, came running out, and with loud cries went in flight.
And they stood still, every man in his place, round about the camp, —and all the host ran and shouted, and fled.
22 And the three hundred gave a loud note on their horns, and every man's sword was turned by the Lord against his brother all through the army; and the army went in flight as far as Beth-shittah in the direction of Zeredah, to the edge of Abel-meholah by Tabbath.
When the three hundred blew the horns, Yahweh set the sword of every man, against his neighbour, and against all the host, —and the host fled, as far as the Place of Acacias, towards Zererath, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel came together from Naphtali and from Asher and all Manasseh, and went after Midian.
And the men of Israel were called together, out of Naphtali and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, —and pursued Midian.
24 Then Gideon sent through all the hill-country of Ephraim saying, Come down against Midian, and keep the ways across Jordan before they come. So all the men of Ephraim, massing themselves together, kept the ways across Jordan.
And, messengers, did Gideon send through all the hill country of Ephraim, saying—Go down to meet Midian, and capture, before them, the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and captured the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan.
25 And they took the two chiefs of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they put Oreb to death at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they put to death at the place of the grape-crushing in Zeeb, and they went after Midian; but the heads of Oreb and Zeeb they took across Jordan to Gideon.
And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and slew Oreb at Oreb’s Rock, and, Zeeb, they slew at Zeeb’s Winepress, and pursued Midian, —and, the heads of Oreb and Zeeb, brought they in unto Gideon at the ford of the Jordan.
