2 GLT Yahweh said to Gideon,“Too many are the people who are with you for my giving Midian ino their hand, lest Israel get glory themselves over me, saying,‘My own hand has saved me.’ BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
3 GLT Now therefore, announce in the ears of the people saying,‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’” So twenty- two thousand of the people turned back, but ten thousand remained. BSB BSB: Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.
4 GLT Then Yahweh said to Gideon,“Still the people are too numerous. Bring them down to the water, and I will further refine him for you there. So it will be whoever I will say to you,‘This one will go with you,’ he will go with you. But anyone of whom I will say to you,‘This one will not go with you,’ he will not go.” BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
5 GLT So he brought the people down to the water, and Yahweh said to Gideon,“Anyone who laps up with his tongue from the water, just as would lap the dog, you shall set him apart, likewise anyone who kneels down on his knees to drink.” BSB BSB: So Gideon brought the men down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”
6 GLT Now it happened that the number of those who lapped with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men, but all of the rest of the people knelt down on their knees to drink water. BSB BSB: And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.
7 GLT Then Yahweh said to Gideon,“With the three hundred men those who lapped, I will deliver you and I will give Midian over into your hand. So let the other people go back each one to his own place.” BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped the water I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand. But all the others are to go home.”
8 GLT Then the people took provision into their hand and their shofars but the other men of Israel he sent away, each man to his tents, except for the three hundred of the men he retained. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. BSB BSB: So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.
9 GLT Now it happened during that night Yahweh said to him,“Arise! Go down into the camp, for I have given him over into your hand. BSB BSB: That night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up and go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.
10 GLT But if you are afraid to go down, go down, you and Purah your armor bearer to the camp, BSB BSB: But if you are afraid to do so, then go down to the camp with your servant Purah
11 GLT and you shall hear what they are speaking, and afterwards your hands will be encouraged and you shall go down against the camp.” So he went down, he and Purah his armor bearer, to the edge of the fifty who were in the camp. BSB BSB: and listen to what they are saying. Then your hands will be strengthened to attack the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant to the outposts where armed men were guarding the camp.
12 GLT Now Midian, Amalek, and all of the sons of the east were lying down in the valley, as a locust swarm in abundance. As far as their camels they were innumerable, as the sand that is along the edge of the sea in abundance. BSB BSB: Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 GLT Gideon came, and look, a man was telling a dream to his neighbor. He said,“Look! I have dreamed a dream, and look, a round loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian. It came as far as the tent, and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent collapsed.” BSB BSB: And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
14 GLT His neighbor answered and said,“There is nothing else this can be if not the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, the man of Israel. The true God has given Midian into his hand and all of the camp.” BSB BSB: His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.”
15 GLT Now it happened when Gideon heard the narration of the dream and its interpretation, that he bowed down in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said,“Rise up! For Yahweh has given the camp of Midian into your hand.” BSB BSB: When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Get up, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”
16 GLT Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put shofars into the hand of all of them as well as empty jars, with torches inside of the jars. BSB BSB: And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.
17 GLT He said to them,“You shall look to me and thus you shall do. Watch! When I am coming along the edge of the camp, it shall be just as I do, thus you must do. BSB BSB: “Watch me and do as I do,” Gideon said. “When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do exactly as I do.
18 GLT When I blow the shofar, I and everyone who is with me, then you shall blow the shofars, also you around all of the camp. Then you shall shout,‘For Yahweh and for Gideon!’” BSB BSB: When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”
19 GLT So Gideon and one hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp, at the beginning of the middle nightwatch. They had only just stationed the guards, when they blew the shofars and they shattered the jars that were in their hand. BSB BSB: Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands.
20 GLT Then the three companies blew the shofars and they broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hand and the shofars in their right hand to blow. They shouted out,“A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon.” BSB BSB: The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
21 GLT Each man stood in his place around the camp and all of the camp ran. They shouted and fled away. BSB BSB: Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran.
22 GLT When they blew the three hundred shofars, Yahweh set the sword of each man against his comrade and against all of the camp. As a result the army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel Meholah, towards Tabbath. BSB BSB: And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
23 GLT Then the men of Israel from Naphtali, and from Asher, and from all of Manasseh were summoned, and they pursued after Midian. BSB BSB: Then the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites.
24 GLT Also Gideon sent messengers throughout all of the hill country of Ephraim, saying,“Go down opposite Midian and seize before them the waters, as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.” Thus all of the men of Ephraim were summoned and they captured the waters, as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan. BSB BSB: Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to say, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah.
25 GLT They captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued after Midian, and they brought the head of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, from across the Jordan. BSB BSB: They also captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. So they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.