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Gideon Routs the Enemy

15 When Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he praised God.[a] Then he went back to the Israelite camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord is handing the Midianite army over to you!” 16 He divided the 300 men into three units.[b] He gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches inside them.[c] 17 He said to them, “Watch me and do as I do. Watch closely![d] I am going to the edge of the camp. Do as I do! 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, you also blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”

19 Gideon took 100 men to the edge of the camp[e] at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guards. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars they were carrying.[f] 20 All three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right.[g] Then they yelled, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 They stood in order[h] all around the camp. The whole Midianite[i] army ran away; they shouted as they scrambled away.[j] 22 When the 300 men blew their trumpets, the Lord caused the Midianites to attack one another with their swords[k] throughout[l] the camp. The army fled to Beth Shittah on the way to Zererah. They went[m] to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites.[n]

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 7:15 tn Heb “he bowed down” or “worshiped.”
  2. Judges 7:16 tn Heb “heads.”
  3. Judges 7:16 tn Heb “the jars.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn They hid the torches inside the earthenware jars to disguise their approach and to keep the torches from being extinguished by the breeze.
  4. Judges 7:17 tn Or “look.”
  5. Judges 7:19 tn Heb “Gideon went, along with the 100 men who were with him, to the edge of the camp.”
  6. Judges 7:19 tn Heb “that were in their hands.”
  7. Judges 7:20 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in order to blow [them].” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  8. Judges 7:21 tn Heb “each in his place.”
  9. Judges 7:21 tn “Midianite” has been supplied here for clarity.
  10. Judges 7:21 tn Or “fled.”
  11. Judges 7:22 tn Heb “the Lord set the sword of each one against his friend.”
  12. Judges 7:22 tc MT has “and throughout the camp,” but the conjunction (“and”) is due to dittography and should be dropped. Compare the ancient versions, which lack the conjunction here.
  13. Judges 7:22 tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  14. Judges 7:23 tn Heb “Midian.”

15 As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.” 16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with (A)torches inside the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, (B)‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

Gideon Defeats 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 the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. (C)And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the camp, (D)and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 (E)When they blew the 300 trumpets, (F)the Lord set (G)every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah,[a] as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 7:22 Some Hebrew manuscripts Zeredah