7:1 Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men 1 got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod. 2 The Midianites 3 were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley. 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. 4 Israel might brag, 5 ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’ 6 7:3 Now, announce to the men, 7 ‘Whoever is shaking with fear 8 may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’” 9 Twenty-two thousand men 10 went home; 11 ten thousand remained. 7:4 The Lord spoke to Gideon again, “There are still too many men. 12 Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more. 13 When I say, ‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go; 14 when I say, 15 ‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.” 16 7:5 So he brought the men 17 down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “Separate those who lap the water as a dog laps from those who kneel to drink.” 18 7:6 Three hundred men lapped; 19 the rest of the men 20 kneeled to drink water. 7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army 21 and I will hand Midian over to you. 22 The rest of the men should go home.” 23 7:8 The men 24 who were chosen 25 took supplies 26 and their trumpets. Gideon 27 sent all the men of Israel back to their homes; 28 he kept only three hundred men. Now the Midianites 29 were camped down below 30 in the valley.
7:9 That night the Lord said to Gideon, 31 “Get up! Attack 32 the camp, for I am handing it over to you. 33 7:10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant