1 De madrugada Jerubaal, isto é, Gideão, e todo o seu exército acampou junto à fonte de Harode. O acampamento de Midiã estava ao norte deles, no vale, perto do monte Moré.
2 E o Senhor disse a Gideão: "Você tem gente demais, para eu entregar Midiã nas suas mãos. A fim de que Israel não se orgulhe contra mim, dizendo que a sua própria força o libertou,
3 anuncie, pois, ao povo que todo aquele que estiver tremendo de medo poderá ir embora do monte Gileade". Então vinte e dois mil homens partiram, e ficaram apenas dez mil.
4 Mas o Senhor tornou a dizer a Gideão: "Ainda há gente demais. Desça com eles à beira d’água, e eu separarei os que ficarão com você. Se eu disser: Este irá com você, ele irá; mas, se eu disser: Este não irá com você, ele não irá".
5 Assim Gideão levou os homens à beira d’água, e o Senhor lhe disse: "Separe os que beberem a água lambendo-a como faz o cachorro, daqueles que se ajoelharem para beber".
6 O número dos que lamberam a água levando-a com as mãos à boca foi de trezentos homens. Todos os demais se ajoelharam para beber.
7 O Senhor disse a Gideão: "Com os trezentos homens que lamberam a água livrarei vocês e entregarei os midianitas nas suas mãos. Mande para casa todos os outros homens".
8 Gideão mandou os israelitas para as suas tendas, mas reteve os trezentos. E estes ficaram com as provisões e as trombetas dos que partiram. O acampamento de Midiã ficava abaixo deles, no vale.
9 Naquela noite o Senhor disse a Gideão: "Levante-se, e desça ao acampamento, pois vou entregá-lo nas suas mãos.
10 Se você está com medo de atacá-los, desça ao acampamento com o seu servo Pura
11 e ouça o que estiverem dizendo. Depois disso você terá coragem para atacar". Então ele e o seu servo Pura desceram até os postos avançados do acampamento.
12 Os midianitas, os amalequitas e todos os outros povos que vinham do leste haviam se instalado no vale; eram numerosos como nuvens de gafanhotos. Assim como não se pode contar a areia da praia, também não se podia contar os seus camelos.
13 Gideão chegou bem no momento em que um homem estava contando seu sonho a um amigo. "Tive um sonho", dizia ele. "Um pão de cevada vinha rolando dentro do acampamento midianita, e atingiu a tenda com tanta força que ela tombou e se desmontou".
14 Seu amigo respondeu: "Não pode ser outra coisa senão a espada de Gideão, filho de Joás, o israelita. Deus entregou os midianitas e todo o acampamento nas mãos dele".
15 Quando Gideão ouviu o sonho e a sua interpretação, adorou a Deus. Voltou para o acampamento de Israel e gritou: "Levantem-se! O Senhor entregou o acampamento midianita nas suas mãos".
16 Dividiu os trezentos homens em três companhias, pôs nas mãos de todos eles trombetas e jarros vazios, com tochas dentro.
17 E ele lhes disse: "Observem-me. Façam o que eu fizer. Quando eu chegar à extremidade do acampamento, façam o que eu fizer.
18 Quando eu e todos os que estiverem comigo tocarmos as nossas trombetas ao redor do acampamento, toquem as suas, e gritem: Pelo Senhor e por Gideão! "
19 Gideão e os cem homens que o acompanhavam chegaram aos postos avançados do acampamento pouco depois da meia noite, assim que foram trocadas as sentinelas. Tocaram as suas trombetas e quebraram os jarros que tinham nas mãos;
20 as três companhias tocaram as trombetas e despedaçaram os jarros. Empunhando as tochas com a mão esquerda e as trombetas com a direita, gritaram: "À espada, pelo Senhor e por Gideão! "
21 Cada homem mantinha a sua posição em torno do acampamento, e todos os midianitas fugiam correndo e gritando.
22 Quando as trezentas trombetas soaram, o Senhor fez que em todo o acampamento os homens se voltassem uns contra os outros com as suas espadas. Mas muitos fugiram para Bete-Sita, na direção de Zererá, até a fronteira de Abel-Meolá, perto de Tabate.
23 Os israelitas de Naftali, de Aser e de todo o Manassés foram convocados, e perseguiram os midianitas.
24 Gideão enviou mensageiros a todos os montes de Efraim, dizendo: "Desçam para atacar os midianitas e cerquem as águas do Jordão à frente deles até Bete-Bara". Foram, pois, convocados todos os homens de Efraim, e eles ocuparam as águas do Jordão até Bete-Bara.
25 Eles prenderam dois líderes midianitas, Orebe e Zeebe. Mataram Orebe na rocha de Orebe, e Zeebe no tanque de prensar uvas de Zeebe. E, depois de perseguir os midianitas, trouxeram a cabeça de Orebe e a de Zeebe a Gideão, que estava do outro lado do Jordão.
1 Then Jerubbaal, the same, is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped by the fountain of Harod,and, the camp of Midian, was on the north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the vale.
2 And Yahweh said unto Gideon, Too many, are the people that are with thee, for me to deliver the Midianites into their hand,lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand, hath saved me.
3 Now, therefore, proclaim, I pray thee, in the ears of the people, saying, Whoso feareth and tremblethlet him turn and go hack from Mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and, ten thousand, remained.
4 Then said Yahweh unto GideonYet, are the people too many, take them down unto the waters, that I may prove them for thee, there,and it shall be, that, he of whom I say unto thee, This one, shall go with thee, the same, shall go with thee, and, every one of whom I say unto thee, This one, shall not go with thee, the same, shall not go.
5 So he took down the people unto the waters,and Yahweh said unto GideonEvery one that lappeth with his tongue of the water, as a dog lappeth, thou shalt set him by himself, likewise, every one that boweth down upon his knees, to drink.
6 And so it was, that, the number of them that lapped with their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men,but, all the rest of the people, bowed down on their knees, to drink water.
7 Then said Yahweh unto GideonBy the three hundred men that lapped, will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let, all the people, go every man to his own place.
8 So the people took provisions in their hand, and their horns, but, every man of Israel besides, sent he away every man to his home, whereas, the three hundred men, he retained. Now, the camp of Midian, was beneath him in the vale.
9 And it came to pass, on that night, that Yahweh said unto him, Arise! go down against the camp,for I have delivered it into thy hand.
10 Or, if, thou, art afraid to go down, go downthou and Purah thy young man, unto the camp;
11 so shalt thou hear what they shall say,and, afterward, shall thy hands grow strong, and thou shalt go down against the camp. Then went he down, he and Purah his young man, unto the outmost part of the armed men that were in the camp.
12 Now, the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east, were lying along in the vale, like locusts for multitude,their camels also, were without number, as the sand that is by the sea side, for multitude.
13 And Gideon came in, and lo! a man relating to his neighbour a dream,and he saidLo! a dream, have I dreamt, and lo! a round cake of barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came as far as the tentand smote it that it fell, and turned it upside down, and the tent lay along.
14 Then responded his neighbour and said:Nothing else, is this, than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel,God hath delivered into his hand, both Midian and all the host.
15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the story of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he bowed himself down,and returned unto the camp of Israel, and saidArise! for Yahweh hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
16 And he divided the three hundred men, into three companies,and put horns into the hands of them all, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
17 Then he said unto them, On me, shall ye look, and, in like manner, shall ye do,and lo! when I am coming unto the outermost part of the camp, then shall it be, that, as I do, so, shall ye do.
18 When I shall blow with the horn, I and all who are with me, then shall, ye also, round about all the camp, blow with your horns, and shall say, For Yahweh and for Gideon!
19 So Gideon came, and the hundred men that were with him, unto the outermost part of the camp, at the beginning of the middle watch, they had but, newly set, the watchers,and they blew with the horns, and brake in pieces the pitchers, that were in their hand.
20 Yea the three companies blew with the horns, and shivered the pitchers, and caught holdwith their left handsof the torches, while, in their right hands, were the horns, to blow with,and they cried, A sword for Yahweh, and for Gideon!
21 And they stood still, every man in his place, round about the camp,and all the host ran and shouted, and fled.
22 When the three hundred blew the horns, Yahweh set the sword of every man, against his neighbour, and against all the host,and the host fled, as far as the Place of Acacias, towards Zererath, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel were called together, out of Naphtali and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh,and pursued Midian.
24 And, messengers, did Gideon send through all the hill country of Ephraim, sayingGo down to meet Midian, and capture, before them, the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and captured the waters, as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan.
25 And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and slew Oreb at Orebs Rock, and, Zeeb, they slew at Zeebs Winepress, and pursued Midian,and, the heads of Oreb and Zeeb, brought they in unto Gideon at the ford of the Jordan.