Judges 7

1Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

1Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all his army got up early and set up camp at the spring of Harod. The Midianite camp was north of them in the valley, near the hill of Moreh.

2And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

2The LORD said to Gideon, 'You have too many soldiers with you for me to hand Midian over to them. I don’t want Israel to brag that they saved themselves by their own strength.'

3Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

3'So, make an announcement to the people: Anyone who is afraid or trembling may leave Mount Gilead and go home.' Twenty-two thousand men went home, leaving ten thousand behind.

4And Jehovah 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.

4But the LORD said to Gideon, 'There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will sort them out for you there. If I say, "This one shall go with you," he will go. If I say, "This one shall not go with you," he will not go.'

5So he brought down the people unto the water: and Jehovah 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.

5So Gideon took the men down to the water. The LORD told him, 'Separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue like a dog from everyone who kneels down to drink.'

6And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

6Three hundred men lapped the water by cupping it in their hands to their mouths. All the rest of the men got down on their knees to drink.

7And Jehovah said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the people go every man unto his place.

7The LORD said to Gideon, 'I will save you and hand the Midianites over to you using the three hundred men who lapped the water. Let all the other men go home.'

8So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

8So the three hundred men took the supplies and trumpets from the others. Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred. The Midianite camp was below him in the valley.

9And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said unto him, Arise, get thee down into the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand.

9That night the LORD said to Gideon, 'Get up and go down against the camp, because I have handed it over to you.'

10But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp:

10'If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah.'

11and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost part of the armed men that were in the camp.

11'Listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will have the courage to attack the camp.' So he and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the enemy outposts.

12And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude.

12The Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the people from the east were spread out in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore.

13And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow; and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.

13Gideon arrived just as a man was telling his friend about a dream. 'I had a dream,' the man was saying. 'A loaf of barley bread came rolling into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.'

14And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all the host.

14His friend replied, 'This can be nothing else than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed Midian and the whole army over to him.'

15And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped; and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Jehovah hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

15When Gideon heard the dream and its meaning, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and shouted, 'Get up! The LORD has handed the Midianite army over to you.'

16And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.

16He divided the three hundred men into three groups. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar with a torch inside it.

17And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

17'Watch me,' he told them. 'Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly what I do.'

18When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon.

18'When I and everyone with me blow our trumpets, then you also blow your trumpets all around the camp and shout, "For the LORD and for Gideon!"'

19So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.

19Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the guards had been changed. They blew their trumpets and smashed the jars they were carrying.

20And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.

20The three groups blew their trumpets and smashed their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, they shouted, 'A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!'

21And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight.

21While each man stayed in his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran away, crying out as they fled.

22And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

22When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn their swords against each other. The army fled toward Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

23And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.

23Israelite men from Naphtali, Asher, and all of Manasseh were called out to chase the Midianites.

24And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan.

24Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, 'Come down and attack the Midianites. Capture the watering places ahead of them as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan River.' So all the men of Ephraim gathered and took control of the waters as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.

25And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

25They captured two Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They continued to pursue the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was on the other side of the Jordan.