Gideon Eliminates Some of the Army According to the Lord’s Plan |
Judges 7:1-25 The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks] |
Then, Jerubbaal, who is [also named,] Gideon, & all the people, [who] were with him, rose up early, & pitched [their tents] beside the Well of Harod, [so] that the [army] of the Midianites were [camped] on the North side of them, by the Hill of Moreh, in the valley. |
The Lord said to Gideon, There are too many people with you, for Me to [turn] the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel [boasts] themselves against Me, saying, [My] own hand [has] saved me. |
Therefore, now, go to [declare] in the ears of the people, saying, [Whoever] is fearful & afraid, [can] return & [leave] early from Mount Gilead. And 22,000 of the people returned, & 10,000 remained there. And the Lord said to Gideon, [There] are [still] too many people. |
Bring them down to the water, & I will [test] them for you there. And it shall be, that of [those,] whom I say to you, This [person] shall go with you, the same [person] shall go with you. And [whomever] I say to you, This [person] shall not go with you, the same [person] shall not go [with you.] So, [Gideon] brought down the people, [who still remained,] to the water. |
And the Lord said to Gideon, Everyone [who laps] the water with his tongue [like] a dog [laps,] you [shall] set him [apart] by himself. [Also, do the same] [with] everyone, [who bows] down upon his knees to drink water. |
[There] were 300 men, [who] lapped [the water,] putting their hand to their mouth. But all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. The Lord said to Gideon, I will save you by the 300 men, [who] lapped [the water,] & [will] deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.] |
So, the people took [food] & their trumpets in their [hands,] & [Gideon] sent all the rest of [the men] of Israel to his tent. And [Gideon kept] those 300 men, [who lapped the water with their tongues.] |
The [camp] of the [Midianite’s army] was [below them,] in the valley. And it [happened] the same night, that the Lord said to [Gideon,] Arise [& go] down to [their] [army;] for I have delivered it into your hand. |
But if you [are afraid,] to go down, [take] Phurah, your servant, with you to the [army’s camp.] And you [shall] hear what they say; & afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go [into] the [army’s camp.] Then, [Gideon] went down with Phurah, to the [outer side] of the armed men [of the army.] |
And the: Midianites, Amalekites & all the children, [a.k.a. people,] of the East lay along the valley like [a] multitude [of] grasshoppers, & their camels were without number, [like] the multitude [of] sand [on] the [seashore.] |
And when Gideon [had] come, [observed,] a man there [from camp,] [who] told [his] dream to his [companion,] & said, [See,] I [had] a dream, & saw,] a cake of barley bread tumbled into the [army’s camp] of [the] Midian, [& rolled] [into] a tent, & [attacked] it, & that [tent] fell [over,] & lay [on its side.] |
And his [companion] said, This [could be done by] [no other than,] [by] the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel. For God [has] delivered [the] Midian, & all the [army] into his hand. |
And it [happened,] when Gideon heard [the man] telling the dream,] & the interpretation [of it,] he worshiped [the Lord God,] & returned to the [army’s camp] of Israel & said, Arise, for the Lord has delivered the [army] of the Midian into your hand. |
And [Gideon] divided the 300 men into 3 companies, & he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, & lamps, [a.k.a. torches, inside] the pitchers. And Gideon said to them, Look [at] me, & do likewise, & [see] when I come to the outside of the camp, you shall do [exactly] as I do. |
When I blow [the] trumpet, then you, [who] are with me, also blow your trumpets on every side of the [whole] camp, & say, The sword of the Lord & of Gideon. So Gideon, & 100 men, [who] were with him, [went] outside the camp, [during the 1st part] of the middle watch, [with a new shift of guards.] |
And they blew the trumpets, & [broke] the pitchers that were in their hands. And the 3 [other] companies blew [their] trumpets, & [broke] the pitchers. And held the [torches] in their left hands, & [held] the trumpets in their right hands to blow [with it.] |
And they cried [out,] The sword of the Lord, & of Gideon. Every man stood in his place [all around] the [Midianite] camp, & all the [army] ran, cried [out,] & fled. |
The 300 blew the trumpets & the Lord [put] every man’s sword against his [opponent,] even throughout all the [camp, as the Midianite] [army] fled to Beth Shittah in Zererath, to the border of Abel Meholah, [all the way] to Tabbath. |
And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of [the tribes of:] Naphtali, Asher & Manasseh, & pursued after the Midianites. |
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all [of] Mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites & take [in front of] them the waters, [all the way] to Beth Barah & [the] Jordan [River.] Then, all the men [from] Ephraim, gathered themselves together, & [captured] the waters, [all the way] to Beth Barah, & [the] Jordan [River.] |
And they took 2 princes of the Midianites, Oreb & Zeeb & [killed] Oreb on the Rock [of] Oreb, & [killed] Zeeb at the Winepress of Zeeb. [They] pursued [the Midianites,] & brought the heads of Oreb & Zeeb to Gideon on the other side [of the] Jordan [River.] |