Open English Translation JDG Chapter 7

7 Then Gid’on (also known as Yeruba’al) and the warriors with him got up early and went to Harod spring. The Midyanite camp was north of them in the valley below the Moreh hill.

2 Then Yahweh told Gid’on, “You’ve got too many warriors with you for me to give victory over the Midyanites, because what if Yisrael (Israel) takes the glory for themselves thinking that their own strength saved them. 3 So tell the men that anyone who’s afraid or trembling can leave Mt. Gilead and go back home.”[ref] Twenty-two thousand of them went back, leaving only ten thousand.

4 “That’s still too many,” Yahweh told Gid’on. “Bring them down to the spring and I’ll short-list them there. Anyone I tell you to go with you, can do so, but anyone that I say won’t go with you, won’t go.” 5 So he took them down to the water and Yahweh told him, “Separate out those who lap up the water with their tongues like a dog would, along with those who kneel down to drink.” 6 It turned out that only three hundred men used their hands to bring water to their mouths, and all the rest knelt down to drink the water. 7 “I’ll rescue you all from Midyan with the three hundred men who lapped the water from their hands,” Yahweh told Gid’on. “Let all the others go back to their homes.” 8 Then the three-hundred warriors collected the food and ram’s horns from the others before Gid’on sent the others back to their own homes.

The Midyan camp was below them down in the valley 9 and during the night Yahweh told Gid’on, “Get ready and lead them down into the camp, because I have made you victorious. 10 But if you’re afraid to attack, take your servant Purah down to their camp 11 and you’ll hear what they’re saying, then you’ll have the courage to go down and attack the camp.” So Gid’on and his servant Purah went quietly down to the unit at the edge of the camp.

12 The Midyanites and Amalekim and others from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts. Even their camels were as numerous as sand grains on the beach. 13 When Gid’on got close, a man was telling his companion about his dream. “Listen,” he said, “I had a dream and wow, a round loaf of barley bread was tumbling into our camp. It came as far as the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, and collapsed completely.”

14 “That could only be the sword of Yoash’s son Gid’on from Yisrael (Israel),” the other man replied. “The true God has caused Midyan and all of the camp to be defeated by him.”

15 When Gid’on heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he thanked God, then they returned to their camp and commanded, “Get ready to go because Yahweh has given you all victory over the Midyanite camp.” 16 Then he divided the three hundred men into three units, and gave each of them rams’ horns and clay jars with burning torches inside them, 17 and instructed them, “Watch me and do what I do. See, when I get to the edge of their camp, do the same as me. 18 When I blow the ram’s horn trumpet, all of you with horns should blow them and everyone will shout, ‘For Yahweh and for Gid’on!’ ”

19 When Gid’on and the hundred men with him got to the edge of the camp, it was the beginning of the middle nightwatch and the fresh guards had just gotten into their places. Gid’on and his unit blew their trumpets and smashed the jars that they were carrying. 20 Then all three units blew the trumpets and smashed their jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, and they shouted out, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gid’on.” 21 Then everyone stood in their place around the camp, but the Midyanite army cried out in alarm and took off. 22 When the three hundred ram’s horns sounded, Yahweh caused the Midyanite army to start fighting each other with their swords, and the army fled as far as Beyt-Hashitah (towards Tsererah) and towards the border of Avel-Meholah (towards Tabat).

23 Then the warriors from Naftali (Naphtali), Asher, and from all of Menasheh (Manasseh) were summoned to help with pursuing the Midyanites. 24 Gid’on also sent messengers through Efrayim’s (Ephraim) hill country to tell them, “Go down to the Yarden (Jordan) river opposite Midyan and take control of the crossings to capture them between as far as Beyt-Barah.” So all the men of Efrayim were summoned and they commandeered the Yarden crossings as far as Beyt-Barah. 25 They chased after the Midyanites and captured their two princes, Orev and Ze’ev. They killed Orev at the rock now called ‘Orev’s rock’, and they killed Ze’ev in a wine-pressing pit now called ‘Ze’ev’s wine-press’, and they brought their heads back across the Yarden to Gid’on.