The Book of Judges

Jdg 7:1 Then Jer-ub-ba´-al, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Ha´-rod: so that the host of the Mid´-i-an-ites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Mo´-reh, in the valley.

Jdg 7:2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Mid´-i-an-ites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

Jdg 7:3 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 Gil´-e-ad. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

Jdg 7:4 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.

Jdg 7:5 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.

Jdg 7:6 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.

Jdg 7:7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Mid´i-an-ites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

Jdg 7:8 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 Mid´-ian was beneath him in the valley.

Jdg 7:9 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.

Jdg 7:10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phu´-rah thy servant down to the host:

Jdg 7:11 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 Phu´rah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.

Jdg 7:12 And the Mid´-i-an-ites and the Am´-a-lek-ites 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.

Jdg 7:13 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 Mid´-i-an, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

Jdg 7:14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Jo´-ash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Mid´-i-an, and all the host.

Jdg 7:15 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 Mid´-i-an.

Jdg 7:16 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.

Jdg 7:17 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.

Jdg 7:18 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.

Jdg 7:19 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.

Jdg 7:20 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.

Jdg 7:21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

Jdg 7:22 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 Beth–shit´-tah in Zer´-e-rath, and to the border of A´-bel–me-ho´lah, unto Tab´-bath.

Jdg 7:23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naph´ta-li, and out of Asher, and out of all Ma-nas´-seh, and pursued after the Mid´-i-an-ites.

Jdg 7:24 And Gideon sent messengers through out all mount E´-phra-im, saying, Come down against the Mid´-i-anites, and take before them the waters unto Beth–ba´-rah and Jordan. Then all the men of E´-phra-im gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth–ba´-rah and Jordan.

Jdg 7:25 And they took two princes of the Mid´-i-an-ites, O´-reb and Ze´-eb; and they slew O´-reb upon the rock O´-reb, and Ze´-eb they slew at the winepress of Ze´-eb, and pursued Mid´-i-an, and brought the heads of O´-reb and Ze´-eb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.