< Judges 7 >

1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and camped 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.
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 Jehovah said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'
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 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.' There returned of the people twenty-two thousand; but ten thousand remained.
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 Jehovah said to Gideon, "The people are yet too many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for you there: and it shall be, that of whom I tell you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whoever I tell you, This shall not go with you, the same shall 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 brought down the people to the water. And Jehovah said to Gideon, "Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall put to one side; and everyone who gets down on his knees to drink with hand to mouth shall be on the other side."
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 The number of those who lapped with their tongues was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink 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 Jehovah said to Gideon, "By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand; and let all the people go every man to his home."
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 the people took food in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was beneath him 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 It happened the same night, that Jehovah said to him, "Arise, get down into the camp; for I have delivered it into your hand.
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 fear to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp:
Or, if, thou, art afraid to go down, go down—thou and Purah thy young man, unto the camp;
11 and you shall hear what they say; and afterward will your hands be strengthened to go down into the camp." Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp.
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 And Midian, Amalek, and all the Kedemites lay along in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand which is on the seashore.
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 had come, look, there was a man telling a dream to his friend; and he said, "Look, I had a dream, and look, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent collapsed."
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 His friend answered, "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. Into his hand God has delivered Midian, and all the army."
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 It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and its interpretation, that he worshiped, and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, "Get up, for Jehovah has delivered into your hand the army of Midian."
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 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.
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 He said to them, "Look at me, and do likewise. And look, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so you shall do.
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 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, "For Jehovah 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 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: and they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
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 The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they called out, "The sword of Jehovah and of 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 They each stood in his place every man around the camp; and all the army ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight.
And they stood still, every man in his place, round about the camp, —and all the host ran and shouted, and fled.
22 They blew the three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set every man's sword against each other throughout the camp; and the army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border 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 The men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued 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 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against Midian, and capture the waters, as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan." So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and seized the waters as far as Beth Barah, even the 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 They took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian. Then they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
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.

< Judges 7 >