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Then Yerubaal, who is Gid’on, and kol haAm that were with him, rose up early and encamped by Ein Charod; so that the Machaneh Midyan was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

And Hashem said unto Gid’on, The people that are with thee are too rav (many) for Me to give Midyan into their hands, lest Yisroel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own yad hath saved me.

Now therefore go to, proclaim in the oznei haAm, saying, Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Har HaGil‘ad. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

And Hashem said unto Gid’on, HaAm are yet too many; bring them down unto the mayim, and I will sift them for thee there; and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

So he brought down haAm unto the mayim; and Hashem said unto Gid’on, Every one that laps the mayim with his leshon, as a kelev laps, him shalt thou separate by himself; likewise every one that kneels down upon his knees to drink.

And the number of the ones lapping, putting their yad to their mouth, were three hundred ish; but all the rest of haAm kneeled down upon their knees to drink mayim.

And Hashem said unto Gid’on, By the three hundred ish that lapped will I save you, and deliver Midyan into thine yad; and let all the other people go every ish unto his makom (place, home).

So the [retained] people took provision in their yad, and their shofarot; and he sent kol ish Yisroel every ish unto his ohel, but retained those three hundred haIsh; and the Machaneh Midyan was below him in the valley.

And it came to pass the same lailah, that Hashem said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the Machaneh; for I have delivered it into thine yad.

10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy eved down to the machaneh;

11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the machaneh. Then he went down with Phurah his eved unto the outposts of the armed men that were in the machaneh.

12 And Midyan and Amalek and kol Bnei Kedem lay along in the valley like arbeh for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the chol (sand) on the seashore for multitude.

13 And when Gid’on arrived, hinei, there was an ish that told a chalom unto his re’a, and said, Hinei, I dreamed a chalom, and, hinei, a round loaf of lechem se’orim tumbled into the Machaneh Midyan, and came unto an ohel, and struck it that it fell, and overturned it, that the ohel collapsed.

14 And his re’a answered and said, This is nothing else but the cherev Gid’on ben Yoash, an ish Yisroel; for into his yad hath HaElohim delivered Midyan, and kol hamachaneh.

15 And it was so, when Gid’on heard the telling of the chalom, and the shever (breaking [of a dream, i.e., its interpretation]) thereof, that he worshiped, and returned into the machaneh Yisroel, and said, Arise; for Hashem hath delivered into your yad the Machaneh Midyan.

16 And he divided the three hundred haIsh into three companies, and he put a shofar in every man’s yad, with empty jars, and torches within the jars.

17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise; and, hinei, when I come to the edge of the machaneh, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

18 When I blow the shofar, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the shofarot also on every side of all the machaneh, and say, "For Hashem, and for Gid’on."

19 So Gid’on, and the hundred ish that were with him, came unto the outside of the machaneh in the beginning of the ashmoret hatikhonah (middle watch); and they had just set the shomrim; and they blew the shofar, and broke the jars that were in their hands.

20 And the three companies blew the shofar, and broke the jars, and held the torches in their left hands, and the shofarot in their right hands to blow withal; and they cried, A Cherev for Hashem and for Gid’on.

21 And they held every ish his position round about the machaneh; and kol hamachaneh ran, and cried out, and fled.

22 And the three hundred blew the shofarot, and Hashem caused every man’s cherev to be against his re’a, even throughout all the machaneh; and the machaneh fled to Beit-Sheetah in Tzererah, and to the border of Avel Mecholah, by Tabat.

23 And the Ish Yisroel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, out of Asher, and out of all Menasheh, and pursued after Midyan.

24 And Gid’on sent malachim throughout all Har Ephrayim, saying, Come down against Midyan, and seize ahead of them the mayim as far as Beit Barah and Yarden. Then kol ish Ephrayim gathered themselves together, and took the mayim unto Beit Barah and Yarden.

25 And they took two sarim (princes) of Midyan, Orer and Ze’ev; and they killed Orev upon the Tzur Orev, and Ze’ev they killed at the Yekev (winepress) of Ze’ev, and pursued Midyan, and brought the heads of Orev and Ze’ev to Gid’on beyond the Yarden.

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal(A) (that is, Gideon(B)) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod.(C) The camp of Midian(D) was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.(E) The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength(F) has saved me.’ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.(G)’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many(H) men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred of them(I) drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.(J) Let all the others go home.”(K) So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.

Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.(L) 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites(M) and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts.(N) Their camels(O) could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.(P)

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash,(Q) the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped.(R) He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”(S) 16 Dividing the three hundred men(T) into three companies,(U) he placed trumpets(V) and empty jars(W) in the hands of all of them, with torches(X) 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,(Y) 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(Z) that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches(AA) in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword(AB) 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.(AC)

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded,(AD) the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other(AE) with their swords.(AF) The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah(AG) near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher(AH) and all Manasseh were called out,(AI) and they pursued the Midianites.(AJ) 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan(AK) ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”

So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb(AL). They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb,(AM) and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites(AN) and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.(AO)