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15 Now it happened that when Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. Then he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for Yahweh has given the camp of Midian into your hands.” 16 And he divided the 300 men into three [a]companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. 17 Then he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, I will come to the outskirts of the camp, and it will be that just as I do so you do likewise. 18 And I and all who are with me will blow the trumpet. Then you also shall blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For Yahweh and for Gideon.’”

Gideon Kills the Princes of Midian

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set up the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 Then the three [b]companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing and called out, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon!” 21 And each stood in his place around the camp. Then (A)all of the camp ran, and they made a loud shout and fled. 22 So they blew 300 trumpets. And (B)Yahweh set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole camp. And the camp fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of (C)Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were summoned from (D)Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 7:16 Lit heads
  2. Judges 7:20 Lit heads

15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped.(A) He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”(B) 16 Dividing the three hundred men(C) into three companies,(D) he placed trumpets(E) and empty jars(F) in the hands of all of them, with torches(G) inside.

17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets,(H) then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars(I) that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches(J) in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword(K) for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.(L)

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded,(M) the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other(N) with their swords.(O) The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah(P) near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher(Q) and all Manasseh were called out,(R) and they pursued the Midianites.(S)

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