1 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
10 But
if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:
11 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 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.
15 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.
16 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.
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
20 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.
21 And
they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran,
and cried, and fled.
22 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.
23 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.
24 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.
25 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.
