Entonces se levantó temprano Jerobaal^a, es decir Gedeón, y todo el pueblo que estaba con él, y acamparon junto a la fuente de Harod¹; y el campamento de Madián estaba al norte de ellos², cerca de la colina de More^b, en el valle.

2 Y el SEÑOR dijo a Gedeón: El pueblo que está contigo es demasiado numeroso para que yo entregue a Madián en sus manos; no sea que Israel se vuelva orgulloso¹, diciendo: «Mi propia fortaleza² me ha librado^a». 3 Ahora pues¹, proclama a oídos del pueblo, diciendo: «Cualquiera que tenga miedo y tiemble^a, que regrese y parta del monte Galaad». Y veintidós mil personas regresaron, pero quedaron diez mil.

4 Y el SEÑOR dijo a Gedeón^a: Todavía el pueblo es demasiado numeroso; hazlos bajar al agua y allí te los probaré. Y será que de quien yo te diga: «Este irá contigo»,ese irá contigo; pero todo aquel de quien yo te diga: «Este no irá contigo»,ese no irá. 5 E hizo bajar el pueblo al agua. Y el SEÑOR dijo a Gedeón: Pondrás a un lado a todo aquel que lamiere el agua con su lengua, como lame el perro, y a todo el que se arrodille para beber. 6 Y fue el número de los que lamieron, poniendo la mano a su boca, trescientos hombres; pero todo el resto del pueblo se arrodilló para beber. 7 Entonces el SEÑOR dijo a Gedeón^a: Os salvaré con los trescientos hombres que lamieron el agua y entregaré a los madianitas en tus manos. Que todos los demás del pueblo se vayan, cada uno a su casa¹. 8 Y los trescientos hombres tomaron en sus manos las provisiones del pueblo y sus trompetas. Y Gedeón envió a todos los demás hombres de Israel, cada uno a su tienda, pero retuvo a los trescientos hombres. El campamento de Madián le quedaba abajo en el valle.

9 Y aconteció que aquella misma noche, el SEÑOR le dijo a Gedeón: Levántate, desciende contra el campamento porque lo he entregado en tus manos^a. 10 Pero si tienes temor de descender, baja al campamento con tu criado Fura, 11 y oirás lo que dicen. Entonces tus manos serán fortalecidas^a para descender contra el campamento. Y descendió con su criado Fura hasta los puestos avanzados del ejército¹ que estaban en el campamento. 12 Y los madianitas, los amalecitas y todos los hijos del oriente estaban tendidos en el valle, numerosos como langostas^a; y sus camellos eran muchos, innumerables, como la arena que está a la orilla del mar^b. 13 Cuando llegó Gedeón, he aquí que un hombre estaba contando un sueño a su amigo, y decía: He aquí, tuve¹ un sueño; un pan² de cebada iba rodando hasta el campamento de Madián, y llegó hasta la tienda y la golpeó de manera que cayó, y la volcó de arriba abajo³ y la tienda quedó extendida. 14 Respondió su amigo, y dijo: Esto no es otra cosa que la espada de Gedeón, hijo de Joás, varón de Israel; Dios ha entregado en su mano a Madián y a todo el campamento^a.

15 Cuando Gedeón oyó el relato del sueño y su interpretación, se inclinó y adoró. Volvió al campamento de Israel, y dijo: Levantaos, porque el SEÑOR ha entregado en vuestras manos el campamento de Madián. 16 Y dividió los trescientos hombres en tres compañías¹, y puso trompetas y cántaros vacíos en las manos de todos ellos, con antorchas dentro de los cántaros. 17 Y les dijo: Miradme, y haced lo mismo que yo. Y he aquí, cuando yo llegue a las afueras del campamento, como¹ yo haga, así haréis vosotros. 18 Cuando yo y todos los que estén conmigo toquemos la trompeta, entonces también vosotros tocaréis las trompetas alrededor de todo el campamento, y decid: «Por el SEÑOR y por Gedeón».

19 Y llegó Gedeón con los cien hombres que estaban con él a las afueras del campamento, al principio de la guardia de medianoche, cuando apenas habían apostado la guardia; tocaron las trompetas y rompieron los cántaros que tenían en las manos. 20 Cuando las tres compañías¹ tocaron las trompetas, rompieron los cántaros, y sosteniendo las antorchas en la mano izquierda y las trompetas en la mano derecha para tocarlas, gritaron: ¡La espada del SEÑOR y de Gedeón! 21 Cada uno se mantuvo en su lugar alrededor del campamento; y todo el ejército¹ echó a correr gritando mientras huían^a. 22 Cuando tocaron las trescientas trompetas, el SEÑOR puso la espada del uno contra el otro^a por todo el campamento; y el ejército¹ huyó hasta Bet-sita, en dirección de Zerera, hasta la orilla de Abel-mehola^b, junto a Tabat. 23 Y los hombres de Israel se reunieron, de Neftalí, de Aser y de todo Manasés^a, y persiguieron a los madianitas¹.

24 Y Gedeón envió mensajeros por toda la región montañosa de Efraín, diciendo: Descended contra¹ Madián y tomad antes que ellos los vados², hasta Bet-bara y el Jordán^a. Y todos los hombres de Efraín se reunieron y tomaron los vados³ hasta Bet-bara y el Jordán. 25 Y capturaron a los dos jefes de Madián, Oreb y Zeeb; mataron a Oreb en la peña de Oreb y mataron a Zeeb en el lagar de Zeeb, cuando perseguían a Madián^a. Y trajeron a Gedeón las cabezas de Oreb y Zeeb del otro lado del Jordán^b.

Then ^aJerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him got up early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was north of them by the hill of ^bMoreh in the valley.

2 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are too many people with you for Me to hand over Midian to them, otherwise ^aIsrael will boast about themselves against Me, saying, ‘My own ¹power has rescued me.’ 3 So now, proclaim in the hearing of the people, ‘^aWhoever is afraid and trembling, let him turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men returned home, but ten thousand remained.

4 ^aThen the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many people; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water, and the LORD said to Gideon, “You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels down to drink.” 6 Now the number of those who lapped the water, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people kneeled down to drink water. 7 And the LORD told Gideon, “^aWith the three hundred men who lapped I will rescue you, and will hand over the Midianites to you. Let all the other people go, each man to his home.” 8 So the three hundred men took people’s provisions for the journey and their trumpets made of rams’ horns in their hands. And Gideon sent away all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but kept the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

9 Now on that same night the LORD said to Gideon, “Arise, go down against their camp, for ^aI have given it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid to go down by yourself, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, 11 and you will hear what they say; and ^aafterward ¹you will have the courage to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the ²outposts of the army that was in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying camped in the valley, ^aas countless as locusts; and their camels were without number, ^bas numerous as the sand on the seashore. 13 When Gideon arrived, ¹there was a man telling a dream to his friend. And he said, “Listen carefully, I had a dream: there was a loaf of ²barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.” 14 And his friend replied, “This dream is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. ^aGod has given Midian and the entire camp into his hand.”

15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down in worship. Then he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hand.” 16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, then do likewise. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet (ram’s horn) , then all around the camp you also blow the trumpets and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the ¹middle watch, when the guards had just been changed, and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 When three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow, and they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” 21 Then each stood in his place around the camp; and the ^aentire Midianite army ran, crying out as they fled. 22 When Gideon’s men blew the three hundred trumpets, the ^aLORD set the sword of one Midianite against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of ^bAbel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 The men of Israel were summoned together from the tribes of ^aNaphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

24 Then Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of the tribe of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and ^atake control of the waters before them thereby cutting off the Midianites, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan River.” So all the men of Ephraim were assembled together and they took control of the waters, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. 25 Then the men of Ephraim took the two leaders of Midian, ^aOreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, and pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon ^bfrom across the Jordan.

Then ^aJerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him got up early, and camped beside ¹the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of ²them by the hill of ^bMoreh in the valley.

2 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to hand Midian over to them, ^aotherwise Israel would ¹become boastful, saying, ‘My own ²power has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘^aWhoever is afraid and worried, is to return and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand from the people returned, but ten thousand remained.

4 ^aThen the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. So it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You shall put everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps ¹in one group, and everyone who kneels down to drink in another.” 6 Now the number of those who lapped, ¹putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people kneeled down to drink water. 7 And the LORD said to Gideon, “I will save you ^awith the three hundred men who lapped, and will hand the Midianites over to you; so have all the other people go, each man to his ¹home.” 8 So ¹the three hundred men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And ²Gideon dismissed all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the three hundred men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

9 Now on the same night it came about that the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, ^afor I have handed it over to you. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, 11 so that you will hear what they say; and ^aafterward ¹you will have the courage to go down against the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to the ²outposts of the army that was in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the ¹people of the east were lying in the valley ^aas numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, ^bas numerous as the sand on the seashore. 13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I ¹had a dream; ²a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it ³upside down so that the tent collapsed.” 14 And his friend replied, “This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has ^ahanded over to him Midian and all the camp.”

15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. Then he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has handed over to you the camp of Midian!” 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three ¹units, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. 17 Then he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, ¹do as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets around the entire camp and say, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle night watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 When the three ¹units blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” 21 And each stood in his place around the camp; and ^aall the ¹army ran, crying out as they fled. 22 And when they blew the three hundred trumpets, the ^aLORD set the sword of one against another even throughout the entire ¹army; and the ²army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of ^bAbel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were summoned from ^aNaphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

24 Then Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down ¹against Midian and ^atake control of the waters ahead of them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they took control of the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two leaders of Midian, ^aOreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon ^bfrom across the Jordan.