Judges

7 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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Or if thou art afraid to go down, go down—thou and Purah thy young man unto the camp;

11 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 And they stood still, every man in his place, round about the camp,—and all the host ran and shouted and fled.

22 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 were called together out of Naphtali and out of Asher and out of all Manasseh,—and pursued Midian.

24 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 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.