Judges 7:1-8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Gideon Surprises and Routs the Midianites
7 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod, and the camp of Midian was north of them, below[a] the hill of Moreh, in the valley.(A)
2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, ‘My own hand has delivered me.’(B) 3 Now, therefore, proclaim this in the hearing of the troops, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home.’ ” Thus Gideon sifted them out;[b] twenty-two thousand returned, and ten thousand remained.(C)
4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “The troops are still too many; take them down to the water, and I will sift them out for you there. When I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you, and when I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”(D) 5 So he brought the troops down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, “All those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, you shall put to one side; all those who kneel down to drink, putting their hands to their mouths,[c] you shall put to the other side.” 6 The number of those who lapped was three hundred, but all the rest of the troops knelt down to drink water. 7 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred who lapped I will deliver you and give the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others go to their homes.”(E) 8 So the people took provisions in their hands and their trumpets, and he sent all the rest of Israel back to their own tents but retained the three hundred. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
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Judges 7:1-8
Lexham English Bible
Gideon’s Three Hundred Men
7 Then Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) rose early, and all the army that was with him. They were camped beside the spring of Harod;[a] the camp of Midian was north of the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “The troops that are with you are too many for me to give Midian into their hands; Israel will boast, saying, ‘My hand has delivered me.’ 3 So then, please proclaim in the hearing[b] of the troops, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from the Mount of Gilead.’” About twenty-two thousand troops returned, and ten thousand remained. 4 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “There are still too many troops; bring them down to the water, and I will sift through them[c] for you there. For whomever I say to you, ‘This one will go with you,’ he will go with you; and for all whom I say to you, ‘This one will not go with you,’ he will not go.” 5 So he brought down the troops to the water, and Yahweh said to Gideon, “You must separate everyone who laps up the water to drink with his tongue like a dog from those who kneel.”[d] 6 The number of those lapping up the water with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men; all the rest of the troops kneeled to drink the water. 7 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the three hundred men lapping up the water; I will give Midian into your hand, so let the other troops go, each to his own place. 8 So they took their provisions and their trumpets into their hand, and he sent all the men of Israel, each one, to his tent; but three hundred of the men he kept; the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.
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- Judges 7:1 Or “En-Harod”
- Judges 7:3 Literally “ears”
- Judges 7:4 Or “test them”
- Judges 7:5 Literally “who kneels to his knees”
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