¶ Then Jerubbaal¹, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up² early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh³, in the valley.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many⁴ for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel⁵ vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own⁶ hand hath saved me.

Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever⁷ is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead⁸. And there returned of the people twenty⁹ and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people¹⁰ are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will¹¹ try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth¹² of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth 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.

¹³And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets¹⁴: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley¹⁵.

¶ And it came to pass the same¹⁶ night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise¹⁷, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered¹⁸ it into thine hand.

¶¹⁹But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:

And thou shalt²⁰ hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands²¹ be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men²² that were in the host.

And the Midianites²³ and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers²⁴ for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake²⁵ of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

And his fellow²⁶ answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand²⁷ hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof,²⁸ that he worshipped²⁹, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise³⁰; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

¶ And he divided the three hundred men into three companies³¹, and he put a trumpet³² in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps³³ within the pitchers.

³⁴And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye³⁵ the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword³⁶ of the LORD, and of Gideon.

So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning³⁷ of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew³⁸ the trumpets, and brake³⁹ the pitchers that were in their hands.

¶ And the three companies blew⁴⁰ the trumpets, and brake⁴¹ the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

And they stood⁴² every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host⁴³ ran, and cried, and fled.

And the three hundred blew⁴⁴ the trumpets, and the LORD⁴⁵ set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in⁴⁶ Zererath, and to the border⁴⁷ of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath⁴⁸.

¶⁴⁹And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

And Gideon sent⁵⁰ messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before⁵¹ them the waters unto Bethbarah⁵² and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.

And they took two princes⁵³ of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock⁵⁴ Oreb⁵⁵, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought⁵⁶ the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side⁵⁷ Jordan.