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
.
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.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
But if thou fear to go down
, go
thou with Phurah
thy servant
down
to the host
:
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
And they stood every man
in his place round about
the camp
: and all the host
ran
, and cried
, and fled
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.