1 And Jerub-Baal {Yerubba‘al: Baal challenger}—that is, Gideon—rose early with all who were with him, and they made camp by the spring of Harod {Charod: trembling water}; the camp of Midian was on their north side, near the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
2 And the LORD {YHWH, Covenant King} said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hand, or else Israel will boast over Me and say, ‘My own hand {yad: personal power} has rescued me.’”
3 So now call out, please, in the hearing of the people: “Whoever is fearful {yare: fearing danger} and trembling, let him turn back and depart immediately from Mount Gilead.” Then twenty-two thousand of the people withdrew {yashav: left the ranks}, and ten thousand remained.
4 The LORD {YHWH, Divine Refiner} said to Gideon, “The people remain far too numerous; bring them down to the water {mayim: place of trial}, and I will refine them for you there. Then whoever I declare ‘This one shall go with you’ will accompany you, and whoever I declare ‘This one shall not go with you’ will not accompany you.”
5 So he brought the people down to the water, and the LORD {YHWH, Divine Instructor} said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, you shall set him apart {tatsig: mark out individually} by himself; and likewise you shall set apart everyone who kneels on his knees to drink.”
6 And the number of those who lapped {mallakqim: water-lapping group}, bringing their hand up to their mouth, was three hundred men; and all the rest of the people knelt on their knees {birkehem: kneeling posture} to drink water.
7 And the LORD {YHWH, Deliverer} said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped {malakak: drank by scooping} I will save you and give Midian into your hand. Let all the others go, each man to his place.”
8 So they took the provisions {tsedah: battlefield supplies} and their trumpets into their hands, and he sent every man of Israel to his tent, but he retained {hechezik: held fast} three hundred men. The Midianite camp lay beneath him in the valley.
9 And that same night the LORD {YHWH, Night Revealer} said to him, “Get up; go down into the camp, for I have given {netativ: committed to your control} it into your hand.”
10 And if you are afraid {yare: experiencing dread} to descend, then descend with Purah your attendant {na'ar: young attendant} to the camp.
11 And you shall hear what they are saying, and afterward your hands {yad: physical capability} will be strengthened, and you shall go down into the camp {machaneh: military formation}. Then he and Purah his servant went down to the edge of the armed men who were in the camp.
12 And the Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the sons of the East lay in the valley like locusts {arbeh: densely swarming} in abundance, and their camels were without number {mispar: innumerable count}, like the sand on the seashore.
13 And Gideon came, and behold, a man was recounting {mesapper: narrating vividly} a dream to his companion, saying, “Behold, I dreamed a dream; then a round loaf of barley bread {seorim: barley grain bread} rolled into the camp of Midian, reached a tent, struck it down, flipped it over, and the tent collapsed.”
14 And his friend replied, “This is nothing but the sword of Gideon, son of Joash, a man of Israel. God {haElohim, Supreme Giver} has placed Midian and the entire camp into his hand {yad: authority and possession}.”
15 And it was that when Gideon heard the report of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down {hishtachawah: prostration of reverence}, went back to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise! For the LORD {YHWH, Deliverer of Israel} has given the camp of Midian into your hand.”
16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies {roshim: groups/companies}, and he gave trumpets {shofarot: ram’s horn instruments} to all, along with empty jars and torches concealed within the jars.
17 And he said to them, “Look at me {mimmeni: demonstration in action}, and so you shall do. And behold, when I come to the edge {biktzeh: boundary line} of the camp, whatever I do, you shall do.”
18 When I blow {taqati: blast a call} the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also shall blow the trumpets all around the camp and you shall say, “For the LORD {YHWH, Battle Commander} and for Gideon.”
19 Gideon and his hundred companions advanced to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch {ashmoret: nightly watch division}; just as the guards were posted, they blew the trumpets and shattered the jars {kadim: earthen vessels} they held.
20 The three companies sounded the trumpets {shofarot: ram’s horns} and shattered the jars; holding torches in their left hands and trumpets in their right hands ready to blow, they cried out, “A sword for the LORD {YHWH, Divine Deliverer} and for Gideon.”
21 And each man stood at his post {takhtav: fixed stance} around the camp {machaneh: enemy encampment}; then the entire camp ran, sounded an alarm, and fled.
22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD {YHWH, Divine Warrior} set each man’s sword against his comrade {re'a: trusted ally} and against all the army throughout the camp, and the soldiers fled toward Beth-Shittah, Zererah, and as far as the border of Abel-Meholah near Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel were summoned {yitza’ek: urgent call} from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all of Manasseh, and they gave pursuit {vayirdəphū: zealous pursuit} to the Midianites.
24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Go down to meet Midian and seize the waters {ha-ma-yim: strategic supply lines} as far as Beth Barah {Barah: key crossing point} and the Jordan.” Then all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they seized the waters as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.
25 They captured the two chiefs of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and they killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. Then they pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon {gidon: Mighty Warrior} from beyond the Jordan {yarden: Dividing River}.