Judges 7 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Gideon’s 300 Men

Then Jerubbaal^H3378 (that is, Gideon^H1439) and all^H3605 the people^H5971 who^H834 were with him rose^H7925 early^H7925 and camped^H2583 beside^H5921 [fn]the spring^H5869 of Harod^H5878; and the camp^H4264 of Midian^H4080 was on the north^H6828 side^H6828 of [fn]them by the hill^H1389 of Moreh^H4176 in the valley^H6010.

Jdg 7:2

And Yahweh^H3068 said^H559 to Gideon^H1439, “The people^H5971 who^H834 are with you are too^H4480 many^H7227 for Me to give^H5414 Midian^H4080 into their hands^H3027, lest^H6435 Israel^H3478 honor^H6286 themselves^H6286, saying^H559, ‘My own hand^H3027 has saved^H3467 me.’

Jdg 7:3

Jdg 7:3“So now, [fn]come, call out in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’” So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.

Jdg 7:4

Then Yahweh^H3068 said^H559 to Gideon^H1439, “The people^H5971 are still^H5750 too many^H7227; bring^H3381 them down^H3381 to the water^H4325, and I will test^H6884 them for you there^H8033. And it will be that he of whom^H834 I say^H559 to you, ‘This^H2088 one^H2088 shall go^H1980 with you,’ he shall go^H1980 with you; but everyone^H3605 of whom^H834 I say^H559 to you, ‘This^H2088 one^H2088 shall not go^H1980 with you,’ he shall not go^H1980.”

Jdg 7:5

Jdg 7:5So he brought the people down to the water. And Yahweh said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, you shall set him aside by himself, and so also everyone who kneels to drink.”

Jdg 7:6

Jdg 7:6Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water.

Jdg 7:7

Jdg 7:7And Yahweh said to Gideon, “I will save you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his place.”

Jdg 7:8

Jdg 7:8So [fn]the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And [fn]Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

Jdg 7:9

Now it happened^H1961 the same^H1931 night^H3915 that Yahweh^H3068 said^H559 to him, “Arise^H6965, go^H3381 down^H3381 against the camp^H4264, for I have given^H5414 it into your hands^H3027.

Jdg 7:10

Jdg 7:10“But if you are afraid to go down, then both you and Purah your young man, go down to the camp,

Jdg 7:11

Jdg 7:11and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened, that you may go down against the camp.” So he went with Purah his young man down to the [fn]outskirts of the armed men that were in the camp.

Jdg 7:12

Jdg 7:12Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

Jdg 7:13

Jdg 7:13Then Gideon came, and behold, a man was recounting a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I [fn]had a dream; [fn]a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it [fn]upside down so that the tent lay flat.”

Jdg 7:14

Jdg 7:14And his friend answered and said, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.”

Jdg 7:15

Now it happened that when Gideon^H1439 heard^H8085 the account^H4557 of the dream^H2472 and its interpretation^H7667, he bowed^H2331 in^H2331 worship^H2331. Then he returned^H7725 to the camp^H4264 of Israel^H3478 and said^H559, “Arise^H6965, for Yahweh^H3068 has given^H5414 the camp^H4264 of Midian^H4080 into your hands^H3027.”

Jdg 7:16

Jdg 7:16And he divided the 300 men into three [fn]companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers.

Jdg 7:17

Jdg 7:17Then he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, I will come to the outskirts of the camp, and it will be that just as I do so you do likewise.

Jdg 7:18

Jdg 7:18“And I and all who are with me will blow the trumpet. Then you also shall blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For Yahweh and for Gideon.’”

Gideon Kills the Princes of Midian

Jdg 7:19

So Gideon^H1439 and the hundred^H3967 men^H376 who^H834 were with him came^H935 to the outskirts^H7097 of the camp^H4264 at the beginning^H7218 of the middle^H8484 watch^H821, when^H389 they had just^H389 set^H6965 up^H6965 the watch^H8104; and they blew^H8628 the trumpets^H7782 and smashed^H5310 the pitchers^H3537 that were in their hands^H3027.

Jdg 7:20

Jdg 7:20Then the three [fn]companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing and called out, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon!”

Jdg 7:21

Jdg 7:21And each stood in his place around the camp. Then all of the camp ran, and they made a loud shout and fled.

Jdg 7:22

Jdg 7:22So they blew 300 trumpets. And Yahweh set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole camp. And the camp fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

Jdg 7:23

Jdg 7:23And the men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

Jdg 7:24

Now Gideon^H1439 had sent^H7971 messengers^H4397 throughout^H3605 all^H3605 the hill^H2022 country^H2022 of Ephraim^H669, saying^H559, “Come^H3381 down^H3381 to meet^H7122 Midian^H4080 and capture^H3920 the waters^H4325 before them, as far^H5704 as Beth-barah^H1012 and the Jordan^H3383.” So all^H3605 the men^H376 of Ephraim^H669 were summoned^H6817, and they captured^H3920 the waters^H4325 as far^H5704 as Beth-barah^H1012 and the Jordan^H3383.

Jdg 7:25

Jdg 7:25Then they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan.