Judges 7:15-23
New English Translation
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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- Judges 7:15 tn Heb “he bowed down” or “worshiped.”
- Judges 7:16 tn Heb “heads.”
- 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 The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn They hid the torches inside the earthenware jars to disguise their approach and to keep the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.
- Judges 7:17 tn Or “look.”
- Judges 7:19 tn Heb “Gideon went, along with the 100 men who were with him, to the edge of the camp.”
- Judges 7:19 tn Heb “that were in their hands.”
- Judges 7:20 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in order to blow [them].” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Judges 7:21 tn Heb “each in his place.”
- Judges 7:21 tn “Midianite” has been supplied here for clarity.
- Judges 7:21 tn Or “fled.”
- Judges 7:22 tn Heb “the Lord set the sword of each one against his friend.”
- 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.
- Judges 7:22 tn The words “they went” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 7:23 tn Heb “Midian.”
Judges 7:15-23
New Living Translation
15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord.[a] Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!” 16 He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.
17 Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. 18 As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
19 It was just after midnight,[b] after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. 20 Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
21 Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. 22 When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
23 Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, who joined in chasing the army of Midian.
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