The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And Yerubba‛al, that is Giḏ‛on, and all the people who were with him rose up early and encamped by the fountain of Ḥaroḏ, so that the camp of Miḏyan was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. 2And יהוה said to Giḏ‛on, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Miḏyan into their hands, lest Yisra’ĕl boast against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3“And now, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him turn back, and leave Mount Gil‛aḏ.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people turned back, while ten thousand remained. 4And יהוה said to Giḏ‛on, “The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and let Me prove them for you there. And it shall be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one goes with you,’ let him go with you. And of whomever I say to you, ‘This one does not go with you,’ let him not go.” 5So he brought the people down to the water. And יהוה said to Giḏ‛on, “Everyone who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, separate him from everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.” 6And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, and all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. 7And יהוה said to Giḏ‛on, “By the three hundred men who lapped I save you, and shall give Miḏyan into your hand. Let all the other people go, each to his place.” 8And the people took food and their ram’s horns in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Yisra’ĕl, each to his tent, but kept those three hundred men. Now the camp of Miḏyan was below him in the valley. 9And it came to be, on that night, that יהוה said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10“But if you are afraid to go down, go down, you and Purah your servant, to the camp. 11“And you shall hear what they say, and after that let your hands be strengthened. And you shall go down against the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to the edge of the formation of fives who were in the camp. 12And Miḏyan and Amalĕq, and all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as many as locusts. And their camels were as numerous as the sand by the seashore. 13And Giḏ‛on came, and see, a man was relating a dream to his companion, and said, “See I had a dream, and see, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Miḏyan, and it came to a tent and smote it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent fell down.” 14And his companion answered and said, “This is nil else than the sword of Giḏ‛on son of Yo’ash, a man of Yisra’ĕl. Elohim has given Miḏyan and all the camp into his hand.” 15And it came to be, when Giḏ‛on heard this dream related, and its interpretation, that he bowed himself down. And he returned to the camp of Yisra’ĕl, and said, “Arise, for יהוה has given the camp of Miḏyan into your hand.” 16And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a ram’s horn into the hands of all of them, with empty jars, and torches inside the jars. 17And he said to them, “Watch me and do likewise. And see, when I come to the edge of the camp do as I do. 18“And I shall blow the ram’s horn, I and all those with me, then you shall also blow the ram’s horns round about all the camp, and say, ‘For יהוה and for Giḏ‛on!’ ” 19And Giḏ‛on and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, as they had but newly posted the watch. And they blew the ram’s horns and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20And the three companies blew the ram’s horns and broke the jars, and held the torches in their left hands and the ram’s horns in their right hands for blowing. And they cried, “For יהוה and for Giḏ‛on!” 21And each stood in his place, round about the camp. And all the army ran and cried out and fled, 22and the three hundred blew the ram’s horns, and יהוה set the sword of each one against the other throughout all the camp. And the army fled to Bĕyth Shittah, toward Tserĕrah, as far as the border of Aḇĕl Meḥolah, by Tabbath. 23And the men of Yisra’ĕl were called from Naphtali, and from Ashĕr, and from all Menashsheh, and pursued Miḏyan. 24Then Giḏ‛on sent messengers throughout all the mountains of Ephrayim, saying, “Come down to meet Miḏyan, and capture from them the watering places as far as Bĕyth Barah and the Yardĕn.” So all the men of Ephrayim were called and captured the watering places as far as Bĕyth Barah and the Yardĕn. 25And they captured two princes of Miḏyan, Orĕḇ and Ze’ĕḇ, and slew Orĕḇ at the rock of Orĕḇ, and Ze’ĕḇ they slew at the winepress of Ze’ĕḇ while they pursued Miḏyan. And they brought the heads of Orĕḇ and Ze’ĕḇ to Giḏ‛on beyond the Yardĕn. |