Judges 6:33-7:15

New International Version

³³ Now all the Midianites, Amalekites^(A) and other eastern peoples^(B) joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.^{(C) 34} Then the Spirit of the Lord came on^(D) Gideon, and he blew a trumpet,^(E) summoning the Abiezrites^(F) to follow him. ³⁵ He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher,^(G) Zebulun and Naphtali,^(H) so that they too went up to meet them.^(I)

³⁶ Gideon said to God, “If you will save^(J) Israel by my hand as you have promised— ³⁷ look, I will place a wool fleece^(K) on the threshing floor.^(L) If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know^(M) that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” ³⁸ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

³⁹ Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request.^(N) Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” ⁴⁰ That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.^(O)

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

7 Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal^(P) (that is, Gideon^(Q)) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod.^(R) The camp of Midian^(S) was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.^{(T) 2} 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^(U) has saved me.’ ³ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.^(V)’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

⁴ But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many^(W) 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.”

⁵ 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.” ⁶ Three hundred of them^(X) drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

⁷ The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.^(Y) Let all the others go home.”^{(Z) 8} 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. ⁹ 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.^{(AA) 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^(AB) and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts.^(AC) Their camels^(AD) could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.^(AE)

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,^(AF) 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.^(AG) He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”^(AH)