Judges 7 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Gideon’s Three Hundred Chosen Men

1 Then Jerubbaal ^H3378 (that is, Gideon ^H1439) and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with him got ^H7925 up ^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 the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to Gideon ^H1439, “The people ^H5971 who ^H834 are with you are too ^H4480 many ^H7227 for Me to hand ^H5414 H3027 Midian ^H4080 over ^H5414 to them, otherwise ^H6435 Israel ^H3478 would [fn]become ^H6286 boastful ^H6286, saying ^H559, ‘My own [fn]power ^H3027 has saved ^H3467 me.’

3 Now ^H6258 therefore come ^H4994, proclaim ^H7121 in the hearing ^H241 of the people ^H5971, saying ^H559, ‘Whoever ^H4310 is ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 and worried ^H2730, is to return ^H7725 and leave ^H6852 H4480 Mount ^H2022 Gilead ^H1568.’” So twenty-two ^H6242 H8147 thousand ^H505 from the people ^H5971 returned ^H7725, but ten ^H6235 thousand ^H505 remained ^H7604.

4 Then the LORD ^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. So it shall 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. Then the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to Gideon ^H1439, “You shall put ^H3322 everyone ^H3605 who ^H834 laps ^H3952 the water ^H4325 with his tongue ^H3956 as a dog ^H3611 laps ^H3952 [fn]in one ^H905 group ^H905, and everyone ^H3605 who ^H834 kneels ^H1290 H3766 down ^H3766 to drink ^H8354 in another.” 6 Now the number ^H4557 of those who lapped ^H3952, [fn]putting their hand ^H3027 to their mouth ^H6310, was three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376; but all ^H3605 the rest ^H3499 of the people ^H5971 kneeled ^H3766 H1290 down ^H3766 to drink ^H8354 water ^H4325. 7 And the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to Gideon ^H1439, “I will save ^H3467 you with the three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 who lapped ^H3952, and will hand ^H5414 H3027 the Midianites ^H4080 over ^H5414 to you; so have all ^H3605 the other people ^H5971 go ^H1980, each ^H376 man ^H376 to his [fn]home ^H4725.” 8 So [fn]the three hundred men took ^H3947 the people’s ^H5971 provisions ^H6720 and their trumpets ^H7782 in their hands ^H3027. And [fn]Gideon dismissed ^H7971 all ^H3605 the other men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478, each ^H376 to his tent ^H168, but retained ^H2388 the three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376; and the camp ^H4264 of Midian ^H4080 was below ^H4480 H8478 him in the valley ^H6010.

9 Now on the same ^H1931 night ^H3915 it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 that the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “Arise ^H6965, go ^H3381 down ^H3381 against the camp ^H4264, for I have handed ^H5414 H3027 it over ^H5414 to you. 10 But if ^H518 you are afraid ^H3372 to go ^H3381 down ^H3381, go ^H3381 with Purah ^H6513 your servant ^H5288 down ^H3381 to the camp ^H4264, 11 so that you will hear ^H8085 what ^H4100 they say ^H1696; and afterward ^H310 [fn]you will have ^H2388 the courage ^H3027 H2388 to go ^H3381 down ^H3381 against the camp ^H4264.” So he went ^H3381 down ^H3381 with Purah ^H6513 his servant ^H5288 to the [fn]outposts ^H7097 of the army ^H2571 that was in the camp ^H4264. 12 Now the Midianites ^H4080, the Amalekites ^H6002, and all ^H3605 the [fn]people ^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 When Gideon ^H1439 came ^H935, behold ^H2009, a man ^H376 was relating ^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 collapsed ^H5307.” 14 And his friend ^H7453 replied ^H6030, “This ^H2088 is nothing ^H369 other ^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 handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to him Midian ^H4080 and all ^H3605 the camp ^H4264.”

15 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 the LORD ^H3068 has handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to you the camp ^H4264 of Midian ^H4080!” 16 And he divided ^H2673 the three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 into three ^H7969 [fn]units ^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, when I come ^H935 to the outskirts ^H7097 of the camp ^H4264, [fn]do ^H6213 as I do ^H6213. 18 When I and all ^H3605 who ^H834 are with me blow ^H8628 the trumpet ^H7782, then you also ^H1571 blow ^H8628 the trumpets ^H7782 around ^H5439 the entire ^H3605 camp ^H4264 and say ^H559, ‘For the LORD ^H3068 and for Gideon ^H1439!’”

Confusion of the Enemy

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 night ^H821 watch ^H821, when ^H389 they had just ^H389 posted ^H6965 the watch ^H8104; and they blew ^H8628 the trumpets ^H7782 and smashed ^H5310 the pitchers ^H3537 that were in their hands ^H3027.

20 When the three ^H7969 [fn]units ^H7218 blew ^H8628 the trumpets ^H7782 and broke ^H7665 the pitchers ^H3537, 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 shouted ^H7121, “A sword ^H2719 for the LORD ^H3068 and for Gideon ^H1439!” 21 And each ^H376 stood ^H5975 in ^H8478 his place ^H8478 around ^H5439 the camp ^H4264; and all ^H3605 the [fn]army ^H4264 ran ^H7323, crying ^H7321 out ^H7321 as they fled ^H5127. 22 And when they blew ^H8628 the three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 trumpets ^H7782, the LORD ^H3068 set ^H7760 the sword ^H2719 of one ^H376 against another ^H7453 even throughout ^H3605 the entire ^H3605 [fn]army ^H4264; and the [fn]army ^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, Asher ^H836, and all ^H3605 Manasseh ^H4519, and they pursued ^H7291 H310 Midian ^H4080.

24 Then Gideon ^H1439 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 throughout ^H3605 the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669, saying ^H559, “Come ^H3381 down ^H3381 [fn]against ^H7122 Midian ^H4080 and take ^H3920 control ^H3920 of the waters ^H4325 ahead of 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 took ^H3920 control ^H3920 of the waters ^H4325 as far ^H5704 as Beth-barah ^H1012 and the Jordan ^H3383. 25 And they captured ^H3920 the two ^H8147 leaders ^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, while they pursued ^H7291 Midian ^H4080; and they brought ^H935 the heads ^H7218 of Oreb ^H6159 and Zeeb ^H2062 to Gideon ^H1439 from across ^H5676 the Jordan ^H3383.