1Then Jerubbaal , who is Gideon , and all the people that were with him , rose up early , and encamped beside the spring of Harod : and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them , by the hill of Moreh , in the valley . 2And Jehovah said unto Gideon , The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand , lest Israel vaunt themselves against me , saying, Mine own hand hath saved me . 3Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people , saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling , let him return and depart from mount Gilead . And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 4And Jehovah said unto Gideon , The people are yet too many ; bring them down unto the water , and I will 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 . 5So he brought down the people unto the water : and Jehovah said unto Gideon , Every one that lappeth 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 . 6And the number of them that lapped , putting their hand to their mouth , was three hundred men : but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water . 7And Jehovah said unto Gideon , By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you , and deliver the Midianites into thy hand ; and let all the people go every man unto his place . 8So the people took victuals in their hand , and their trumpets ; and he sent all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men : and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley .
The Midianite Camp and God's Assurance
9And it came to pass the same night , that Jehovah said unto him , Arise , get thee down into the camp ; for I have delivered it into thy hand . 10But if thou fear to go down , go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp : 11and thou shalt hear what they say ; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down into the camp . Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost part of the armed men that were in the camp . 12And the Midianites and the Amalekites 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 which is upon the sea-shore for multitude . 13And when Gideon was come , behold , there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow ; and he said, Behold , I dreamed a dream ; and , lo , a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian , and came unto the tent, and smote it so that it fell , and turned it upside down , so that the tent lay flat . 14And his fellow answered and said , This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash , a man of Israel : into his hand God hath delivered Midian , and all the host . 15And it was so , when Gideon heard the telling of the dream , and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped ; and he returned into the camp of Israel , and said , Arise ; for Jehovah hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian .
The Strategy of the 300
16And he divided the three hundred men into three companies , and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets , and empty pitchers , with torches within the pitchers . 17And he said unto them , Look on me , and do likewise : and , behold , when I come to the outermost part of the camp , it shall be that , as I do , so shall ye do . 18When I blow the trumpet , I and all that are with me , then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp , and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon . 19So Gideon , and the hundred men that were with him , came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch , when they had but newly set the watch : and they blew the trumpets , and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands . 20And the three companies blew the trumpets , and brake the pitchers , and held the torches in their left hands , and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow ; and they cried , The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon . 21And they stood every man in his place round about the camp ; and all the host ran ; and they shouted , and put them to flight . 22And they blew the three hundred trumpets , and Jehovah set every man ’s sword against his fellow , and against all the host ; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah , as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath .
The Victory and Its Implications
23And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali , and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh , and pursued after Midian . 24And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian , and take before them the waters , as far as Beth-barah , even the Jordan . So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together , and took the waters as far as Beth-barah , even the Jordan . 25And they took the two princes of Midian , Oreb and Zeeb ; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb , and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb , and pursued Midian : and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan .