1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try 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. 5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. 6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. 8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 ¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. 13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
15 ¶ And it was so , when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. 17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that , as I do, so shall ye do. 18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
19 ¶ So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.
24 ¶ And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. 25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
Gideona uzvara
1 Tad Jerubaals, tas ir Gideons, un visi ļaudis, kas bija kopā ar viņu, rīta agrumā apmetās nometnē pie Harodas avota. Midjāna nometne bija uz ziemeļiem ielejā pie Mores kalna. 2 Un Kungs teica Gideonam: “Pārāk daudz ļaužu ir kopā ar tevi, lai es nodotu Midjānu viņu rokās, ka Israēls nepaaugstinātos, sacīdams: mūsu paša roka ir mūs izglābusi! 3 Tāpēc izziņo, ļaudīm dzirdot: kurš bīstas un baiļojas, lai griežas atpakaļ un dodas prom no Gileāda kalna!” Tad divdesmit divi tūkstoši no ļaudīm griezās atpakaļ, bet desmit tūkstoši palika.
4 Kungs teica Gideonam: “Vēl ir par daudz ļaužu. Noved tos pie ūdens, tur es tev tos atlasīšu. Par kuru es tev teikšu, ka tam jāiet tev līdzi, tas lai iet tev līdzi, bet visi, par kuriem es teikšu, ka tiem nav jāiet tev līdzi, lai neiet!” 5 Tad viņš noveda ļaudis pie ūdens, un Kungs teica Gideonam: “Visus tos, kas lok ūdeni ar mēli kā suns, nostādi atsevišķi, un tāpat visus, kas metas ceļos, lai dzertu.” 6 Tie, kuri laka no rokas mutē, bija trīs simti vīru, bet visi pārējie ļaudis ūdeni dzēra, nometušies ceļos.
7 Tad Kungs teica Gideonam: “Ar šiem trīs simti vīriem, kuri laka, es jūs izglābšu un nodošu Midjānu jūsu rokā, bet pārējie ļaudis lai dodas mājās.” 8 Ļaudis ņēma pārtiku un savus pūšamos ragus, un viņš aizsūtīja uz teltīm visus pārējos Israēla vīrus, bet tos trīs simtus viņš paturēja. Un midjāniešu nometne bija ielejā lejpus tiem.
9 Tajā pašā naktī Kungs viņam teica: “Celies, ej lejā pret nometni, jo es to esmu nodevis tavā rokā! 10 Bet, ja tu baidies doties lejā, ej uz nometni kopā ar savu puisi Puru 11 un ieklausies, ko viņi runā, – tad tavas rokas kļūs stipras, un tad dodies pret nometni!” Un viņš kopā ar savu puisi Puru nokāpa līdz nometnes priekšējām rindām. 12 Midjānieši, amālēkieši un visi austrumnieku dēli gulēja ielejā kā siseņu bars, un viņu kamieļi bija bez skaita – tik daudz kā smiltis jūrmalā! 13 Gideons nāca, un, redzi, kāds vīrs atstāstīja sapni savam biedram. Viņš sacīja: “Redzi, es redzēju sapni. Skatos – apaļš miežu maizes klaips veļas uz midjāniešu nometni, nonāk līdz teltij, atsitas pret to, un tā krīt. Apgāž telti kājām gaisā, un tā paliek guļam.” 14 Viņa biedrs atbildēja: “Tas nav nekas cits kā israēliešu vīra Gideona, Joāša dēla, zobens! Dievs ir nodevis viņa rokā Midjānu un visu šo nometni!”
15 Kad Gideons dzirdēja sapņa atstāstījumu un skaidrojumu, viņš zemojās un, atgriezies Israēla nometnē, sacīja: “Celieties, jo Kungs midjāniešu nometni ir nodevis jūsu rokā!” 16 Viņš sadalīja tos trīs grupās ar vadītājiem, deva visiem pūšamos ragus un tukšas krūkas, kurās iekšā bija lāpas. 17 Viņš tiem teica: “Skatieties uz mani un dariet tāpat. Redzi, kad es nonākšu līdz nometnes malai, tad dariet tāpat kā es. 18 Kad es pūtīšu ragu – tad lai visi, kas kopā ar mani, dara tāpat kā es! Tad arī jūs pūtiet ragus visapkārt nometnei un sauciet: Kungam un Gideonam!”
19 Gideons kopā ar simts vīriem nonāca līdz nometnes malai vidējās sardzes sākumā, kad tie tikko bija nomainījuši sargus. Viņi pūta ragus un sadauzīja krūkas, kas tiem bija rokās. 20 Visas trīs grupas pūta ragus un sasita krūkas, turēdami kreisajā rokā lāpas un labajā – ragus, ko pūst. Viņi kliedza: “Zobens Kungam un Gideonam!” 21 Ikviens palika stāvam savā vietā apkārt nometnei. Bet nometnē visi skraidīja, bļaustījās un bēga. 22 Kad skanēja trīs simti ragu, Kungs vērsa ikviena zobenu pret katru un pret visiem, un viss karaspēks bēga līdz pat Bēt-Šitai uz Cerēras pusi un līdz Ābel-Mholas robežai pie Tabātas. 23 Tad tika sasaukti Israēla vīri no Naftālī, Ašēra un visa Manases, un tie vajāja Midjānu. 24 Gideons izsūtīja vēstnešus visos Efraima kalnos, vēstīdams: “Nāciet lejā pret Midjānu un ieņemiet pirms tiem ūdeņus līdz Bēt-Bārai un Jardānu.” 25 Viņi sagūstīja divus Midjāna vadoņus – Orēbu un Zeēvu. Orēbu viņi nokāva pie Orēba klints, bet Zeēvu – pie Zeēva vīnspaida. Tā viņi vajāja Midjānu. Bet Orēba un Zeēva galvas pāri Jardānai viņi atnesa Gideonam.
