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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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.”