Judges 7 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Gideon’s 300 Men

1 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.

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.’

3 So now ^H6258, [fn]come ^H4994, call ^H7121 H4994 out ^H7121 in the hearing ^H241 of the people ^H5971, saying ^H559, ‘Whoever ^H4310 is ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 and trembling ^H2730, let him return ^H7725 and depart ^H6852 from Mount ^H2022 Gilead ^H1568.’” So 22,000 ^{H6242 H8147 H505} people ^H5971 returned ^H7725, but 10,000 ^H6235 H505 remained ^H7604.

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.” 5 So he brought ^H3381 the people ^H5971 down ^H3381 to the water ^H4325. And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Gideon ^H1439, “Everyone ^H3605 who ^H834 laps ^H3952 the water ^H4325 with his tongue ^H3956 as a dog ^H3611 laps ^H3952, you shall set ^H3322 him aside ^H3322 by himself ^H905, and so also everyone ^H3605 who ^H834 kneels ^H1290 H3766 to drink ^H8354.” 6 Now the number ^H4557 of those who lapped ^H3952, putting their hand ^H3027 to their mouth ^H6310, was 300 ^H7969 H3967 men ^H376; but all ^H3605 the rest ^H3499 of the people ^H5971 kneeled ^H3766 H1290 to drink ^H8354 water ^H4325. 7 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Gideon ^H1439, “I will save ^H3467 you with the 300 ^H7969 H3967 men ^H376 who lapped ^H3952 and will give ^H5414 the Midianites ^H4080 into your hands ^H3027; so let all ^H3605 the other people ^H5971 go ^H1980, each ^H376 man ^H376 to his place ^H4725.” 8 So [fn]the 300 men took ^H3947 the people’s ^H5971 provisions ^H6720 and their trumpets ^H7782 into their hands ^H3027. And [fn]Gideon sent ^H7971 all ^H3605 the other men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478, each ^H376 to his tent ^H168, but retained ^H2388 the 300 ^H7969 H3967 men ^H376; and the camp ^H4264 of Midian ^H4080 was below ^H4480 H8478 him in the valley ^H6010.

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. 10 But if ^H518 you are ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 to go ^H3381 down ^H3381, then both you and Purah ^H6513 your young ^H5288 man ^H5288, go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to the camp ^H4264, 11 and you will hear ^H8085 what ^H4100 they say ^H1696; and afterward ^H310 your hands ^H3027 will be strengthened ^H2388, that you may go ^H3381 down ^H3381 against the camp ^H4264.” So he went ^H3381 with Purah ^H6513 his young ^H5288 man ^H5288 down ^H3381 to the [fn]outskirts ^H7097 of the armed ^H2571 men ^H2571 that were in the camp ^H4264. 12 Now the Midianites ^H4080 and the Amalekites ^H6002 and all ^H3605 the sons ^H1121 of the east ^H6924 were lying ^H5307 in the valley ^H6010 as numerous ^H7230 as locusts ^H697; and their camels ^H1581 were without ^H369 number ^H4557, as numerous ^H7230 as the sand ^H2344 on the seashore ^H3220 H8193. 13 Then Gideon ^H1439 came ^H935, and behold ^H2009, a man ^H376 was recounting ^H5608 a dream ^H2472 to his friend ^H7453. And he said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, I [fn]had ^H2492 a dream ^H2472; [fn]a loaf ^H6742 of barley ^H8184 bread ^H3899 was tumbling ^H2015 into the camp ^H4264 of Midian ^H4080, and it came ^H935 to the tent ^H168 and struck ^H5221 it so that it fell ^H5307 and turned ^H2015 it [fn]upside ^H4605 down ^H4605 so that the tent ^H168 lay ^H5307 flat ^H5307.” 14 And his friend ^H7453 answered ^H6030 and said ^H559, “This ^H2088 is nothing ^H369 less ^H1115 H518 than ^H1115 H518 the sword ^H2719 of Gideon ^H1439 the son ^H1121 of Joash ^H3060, a man ^H376 of Israel ^H3478; God ^H430 has given ^H5414 Midian ^H4080 and all ^H3605 the camp ^H4264 into his hand ^H3027.”

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.” 16 And he divided ^H2673 the 300 ^H7969 H3967 men ^H376 into three ^H7969 [fn]companies ^H7218, and he put ^H5414 trumpets ^H7782 and empty ^H7386 pitchers ^H3537 into the hands ^H3027 of all ^H3605 of them, with torches ^H3940 inside ^H8432 the pitchers ^H3537. 17 Then he said ^H559 to them, “Look ^H7200 at me and do ^H6213 likewise ^H3651. And behold ^H2009, I will come ^H935 to the outskirts ^H7097 of the camp ^H4264, and it will be that just as I do ^H6213 so you do ^H6213 likewise ^H3651. 18 And I and all ^H3605 who ^H834 are with me will blow ^H8628 the trumpet ^H7782. Then you also ^H1571 shall blow ^H8628 the trumpets ^H7782 all ^H3605 around ^H5439 the camp ^H4264 and say ^H559, ‘For Yahweh ^H3068 and for Gideon ^H1439.’”

Gideon Kills the Princes of Midian

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.

20 Then the three ^H7969 [fn]companies ^H7218 blew ^H8628 the trumpets ^H7782 and broke ^H7665 the pitchers ^H3537, and they held ^H2388 the torches ^H3940 in their left ^H8040 hands ^H3027 and the trumpets ^H7782 in their right ^H3225 hands ^H3027 for blowing ^H8628 and called ^H7121 out ^H7121, “A sword ^H2719 for Yahweh ^H3068 and for Gideon ^H1439!” 21 And each ^H376 stood ^H5975 in ^H8478 his place ^H8478 around ^H5439 the camp ^H4264. Then all ^H3605 of the camp ^H4264 ran ^H7323, and they made ^H7321 a ^H7321 loud ^H7321 shout ^H7321 and fled ^H5127. 22 So they blew ^H8628 300 ^H7969 H3967 trumpets ^H7782. And Yahweh ^H3068 set ^H7760 the sword ^H2719 of one ^H376 against another ^H7453 even throughout ^H3605 the whole ^H3605 camp ^H4264. And the camp ^H4264 fled ^H5127 as far ^H5704 as Beth-shittah ^H1029 toward Zererah ^H6888, as far ^H5704 as the edge ^H8193 of Abel-meholah ^H65, by Tabbath ^H2888. 23 And the men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478 were summoned ^H6817 from Naphtali ^H5321 and Asher ^H836 and all ^H3605 Manasseh ^H4519, and they pursued ^H7291 Midian ^H4080.

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. 25 Then they captured ^H3920 the two ^H8147 princes ^H8269 of Midian ^H4080, Oreb ^H6159 and Zeeb ^H2062, and they killed ^H2026 Oreb ^H6159 at the rock ^H6697 of Oreb ^H6159, and they killed ^H2026 Zeeb ^H2062 at the wine ^H3342 press ^H3342 of Zeeb ^H2062. Then they pursued ^H7291 Midian ^H4080 and brought ^H935 the heads ^H7218 of Oreb ^H6159 and Zeeb ^H2062 to Gideon ^H1439 from across ^H5676 the Jordan ^H3383.