Judges 7

Gideon’s Army of Three Hundred

1Early in the morningH7925 JerubbaalH33781 (that isH1931, GideonH1439) and allH3605 the menH5971 with himH854 campedH2583 besideH5921 the spring of HarodH5878. And the campH4264 of MidianH4080 wasH1961 northH6828 of them in the valleyH6010 near the hillH1389 of MorehH4176.

2Then the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 GideonH1439, “You haveH854 too manyH7227 menH5971 for Me to deliverH5414 MidianH4080 into their handsH3027, lestH6435 IsraelH3478 glorify themselvesH6286 over MeH5921, sayingH559, ‘My own handH3027 has savedH3467 me.’ 3NowH4994, thereforeH6258, proclaimH7121 in the hearingH241 of the menH5971H559: ‘WhoeverH4310 is fearfulH3373 and tremblingH2730 may turn backH7725 and leaveH6852 MountH2022 GileadH1568.’”

So twenty-twoH6242H8147 thousandH505 of them turned backH7725, but tenH6235 thousandH505 remainedH7604.

4Then the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 GideonH1439, “There are stillH5750 too manyH7227 menH5971. Take them downH3381 toH413 the waterH4325, and I will sift themH6884 for you thereH8033H1961. IfH834 I sayH559 to youH413, ‘ThisH2088 one shall goH1980 with youH854,’ he shall goH1980H854. ButH3605 ifH834 I sayH559H413, ‘ThisH2088 one shall notH3808 goH1980 with youH5973,’ heH1931 shall notH3808 goH1980.”

5So Gideon brought the menH5971 downH3381 toH413 the waterH4325, and the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 him, “SeparateH3322 thoseH3605 whoH834 lapH3952 the waterH4325 with their tonguesH3956H4480 likeH834H3952 a dogH3611 from thoseH3605 whoH834 kneelH3766H5921H1290 to drinkH8354.” 6And the numberH4557 of those who lappedH3952 the water with their handsH3027 toH413 their mouthsH6310 wasH1961 threeH7969 hundredH3967 menH376; allH3605 the othersH3499H5971 kneltH3766H5921H1290 to drinkH8354H4325.

7Then the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 GideonH1439, “With the threeH7969 hundredH3967 menH376 who lappedH3952 the water I will saveH3467 youH853 and deliverH5414 the MidianitesH4080 into your handH3027. But all the othersH3605H5971 are to goH1980H376 homeH4725.”

8So Gideon sentH7971H376 the rest ofH3605 the IsraelitesH376H3478 to their tentsH168 but keptH2388 the threeH7969 hundredH3967 menH376, who tookH3947 charge ofH3027 the provisionsH6720 and rams’ hornsH7782 of the othersH5971. AndH853 the campH4264 of MidianH4080 layH1961 belowH8478 him in the valleyH6010.

9

The Sword of Gideon

ThatH1931 nightH3915 the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 Gideon, “Get upH6965 and go downH3381 against the campH4264, forH3588 I have delivered itH5414 into your handH3027. 10But ifH518 youH859 are afraidH3373 toH3381 do so, then go downH3381 toH413 the campH4264H859 with your servantH5288 PurahH6513 11and listenH8085 to whatH4100 they are sayingH1696. ThenH310 your handsH3027 will be strengthenedH2388 to attackH3381 the campH4264.” So heH1931 wentH3381 with PurahH6513 his servantH5288 toH413 the outpostsH7097 where armed menH2571 wereH834 guarding the campH4264.

12Now the MidianitesH4080, AmalekitesH6002, and allH3605 the other peopleH1121 of the eastH6924 had settledH5307 in the valleyH6010 like a swarm ofH7230 locustsH697, and their camelsH1581 were as countlessH369H4557 as the sandH2344 onH5921 the seashoreH8193H3220H7230. 13And as GideonH1439 arrivedH935, a manH376 was tellingH5608 his friendH7453 about a dreamH2472. “BeholdH2009, I had a dreamH2472H2492,” he saidH559, “and I sawH2009 a loafH6742 of barleyH8184 breadH3899 comeH935H5704 tumblingH2015 into the MidianiteH4080 campH4264. It struckH5221 the tentH168 so hard thatH5307 the tentH168 overturnedH2015H4605 and collapsedH5307.”

14His friendH7453H559 repliedH6030: “ThisH2063 is nothingH369 less thanH1115H518 the swordH2719 of GideonH1439 sonH1121 of JoashH3101, the IsraeliteH376H3478. GodH430 has deliveredH5414 MidianH4080 andH853 the wholeH3605 campH4264 into his handH3027.”

15

Gideon Defeats Midian

When GideonH1439 heardH8085 the dreamH4557H2472 and its interpretationH7667, he bowed in worshipH7812. He returnedH7725 toH413 the campH4264 of IsraelH3478 and saidH559, “Get upH6965, forH3588 the LORDH3068 has deliveredH5414 the campH4264 of MidianH4080 into your handH3027.” 16And he dividedH2673 the threeH7969 hundredH3967 menH376 into threeH7969 companiesH7218 and gaveH5414 each manH3605 a ram’s hornH7782 in one handH3027 and a largeH7386 jarH3537 in the other, containingH8432 a torchH3940.2

17“Watch meH7200 and doH6213H2009 as I doH3651,” Gideon saidH559H413H4480. “When IH595 comeH935 to the outskirtsH7097 of the campH4264H1961, doH6213H3651 exactly asH834 I doH6213. 18When IH595 and allH3605 whoH834 are with meH854 blowH8628 our hornsH7782, then youH859 are alsoH1571 to blowH8628 your hornsH7782 from allH3605 aroundH5439 the campH4264 and shoutH559, ‘For the LORDH3068 and for GideonH1439!’”

19GideonH1439 and the hundredH3967 menH376 with himH854 reachedH935 the outskirtsH7097 of the campH4264 at the beginningH7218 of the middleH8484 watchH821, just afterH389 the changingH6965 of the guardH8104. They blewH8628 their hornsH7782 and brokeH5310 the jarsH3537 thatH834 were in their handsH3027. 20The threeH7969 companiesH7218 blewH8628 their hornsH7782 and shatteredH7665 their jarsH3537. HoldingH2388 the torchesH3940 in their leftH8040 handsH3027 and the hornsH7782H8628 in their rightH3225 handsH3027, they shoutedH7121, “A swordH2719 for the LORDH3068 and for GideonH1439!”

21EachH376 Israelite tookH5975 his positionH8478 aroundH5439 the campH4264, and the entireH3605 Midianite armyH4264 fledH7323, crying outH7321 as they ranH5127. 22And when the threeH7969 hundredH3967 rams’ hornsH7782 soundedH8628, the LORDH3068 setH7760 all the menH376 in the campH4264 against one anotherH7453H3605 with their swordsH2719. The armyH4264 fledH5127 toH5704 Beth-shittahH1029 toward ZererahH68883 asH5704 far as the borderH8193 of Abel-meholahH65 nearH5921 TabbathH2888. 23Then the menH376 of IsraelH3478 were called outH6817 fromH4480 NaphtaliH5321, AsherH836, andH4480 allH3605 ManassehH4519, and they pursuedH7291H310 the MidianitesH4080.

24GideonH1439 sentH7971 messengersH4397 throughoutH3605 the hill countryH2022 of EphraimH669 to sayH559, “Come downH3381 againstH7122 the MidianitesH4080 and seizeH3920 the watersH4325 of the JordanH3383 ahead of them as far asH5704 Beth-barahH1012.” So allH3605 the menH376 of EphraimH669 were called outH6817, and they capturedH3920 the watersH4325 of the JordanH3383 as far asH5704 Beth-barahH1012. 25They also capturedH3920 OrebH6159 and ZeebH2062, the twoH8147 princesH8269 of MidianH4080; and they killedH2026 OrebH6159 at the rockH6697 of OrebH6159 and ZeebH2062H2026 at the winepressH3342 of ZeebH2062. So they pursuedH7291 the MidianitesH4080 and broughtH935 the headsH7218 of OrebH6159 and ZeebH2062 toH413 GideonH1439 on the other sideH5676 of the JordanH3383.