Judges 7 · שופטים

Then Yerubba῾al, who is Gid῾on, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and camped beside ῾En-ĥarod: so that the host of Midyan was on the north side of them, by the hill of More, in the valley.

And the Lord said to Gid῾on, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give Midyan into their hands; lest Yisra᾽el vaunt themselves against me, saying, my own hand has saved me.

Now therefore, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gil῾ad. And there returned of the people twenty two thousand; and ten thousand remained.

And the Lord said to Gid῾on, The people are yet too many; bring them down to the water, and I will sift them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say to thee, This shall go with thee, that one shall go with thee; and of whomever I say to thee, This shall not go with thee, that one shall not go.

So he brought the people down to the water: and the Lord said to Gid῾on, Every one that laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that bows down upon his knees to drink.

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.

And the Lord said to Gid῾on, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver Midyan into thy hand: and let all the other people go every man to his place.

So the people took provisions in their hands, and their shofarot: and he sent all the rest of Yisra᾽el, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midyan was beneath him in the valley.

And it was on the same night, that the Lord said to him, Arise, go down to the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand.

But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Pura thy boy down to the camp:

and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterwards shall thy hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Pura his boy to the fringe of the armed men that were in the camp.

Now Midyan and ῾Amaleq 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 by the sea side for multitude.

And when Gid῾on was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream to his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a slice of barley bread was rolling through the camp of Midyan, and it came to a tent, and smote it so that it fell, and overturned it, so that the tent tumbled down.

And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else but the sword of Gid῾on the son of Yo᾽ash, a man of Yisra᾽el: for into his hand has God delivered Midyan, and all the camp.

And it was, when Gid῾on heard the telling of the dream, and its interpretation, that he bowed himself down to the ground, and returned to the camp of Yisra᾽el and said, Arise; for the Lord has delivered into your hand the host of Midyan.

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a shofar in every man’s hand, with empty jars, and torches within the jars.

And he said to them, Whatever you see me do, do likewise: and, behold, I am going to the edge of the camp, and it shall be, whatever I do, so shall you do.

When I blow on the shofar, I and all that are with me, then you blow your shofarot also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gid῾on.

So Gid῾on, and the hundred men that were with him, came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch; and they had newly posted the sentinels: and they blew with the shofarot, and broke the jars that were in their hands.

Then the three companies blew on the shofarot, and broke the jars, and held the torches in their left hands, and the shofarot in their right hands to blow on them: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gid῾on.

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

And the three hundred blew the horns, and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, throughout all the camp: and the host fled to Bet-hashshitta in Żerera, and to the border of Avel-meĥola, at Tabbat.

And the men of Yisra᾽el mustered together out of Naftali and out of Asher, and out of all Menashshe, and pursued after Midyan.

And Gid῾on sent messengers throughout all mount Efrayim, saying, Come down against Midyan, and seize before them the waters as far as Bet-bara and the Yarden. Then all the men of Efrayim were mustered, and took the waters as far as Bet-bara and the Yarden.

And they took two princes of Midyan, ῾Orev and Ze᾽ev; and they slew ῾Orev on the rock ῾Orev, and Ze᾽ev they slew at the winepress of Ze᾽ev, and pursued Midyan, and brought the heads of ῾Orev and Ze᾽ev to Gid῾on on the other side of the Yarden.