Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people with him rose up early and pitched their camp beside the well of Harod. The host of the Midianites was encamped on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.

The Lord said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. If Israel boasts against me and says, 'My own hand has saved me,' then I will not be glorified." So Gideon was instructed to tell the people, "Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead."

Twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. The Lord said to Gideon, "Bring these remaining ten thousand down to the water, and I will test them there." Of those who drank the water by lapping it up with their tongues like dogs or by bending down on their knees, only three hundred men were set apart for this task.

The rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink. The Lord said to Gideon, "By these three hundred men who lapped up water, I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand." He instructed them to let all the other people go each to their own place, taking provisions and their trumpets with them.

The host of Midian lay beneath them in the valley. That same night, the Lord said to Gideon, "Arise, go down into the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand." But if you fear to go down, He instructed Gideon to go with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp and listen to what they say. Then his hands would be strengthened to go down.

Gideon went down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp. The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude, with their camels without number as the sand on the seashore.

When Gideon arrived, a man was telling his fellow about a dream he had dreamed, saying, "I saw a cake of barley bread tumble into the Midianite camp and strike a tent." The interpretation of this dream was that the Lord would deliver the army of Midian into their hands. When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped.

Then he returned to the Israelite camp and said, "Arise, for the Lord has delivered the army of Midian into your hand." He divided the three hundred men into three companies and put a trumpet in every man's hand with empty pitchers containing lamps within. They were instructed to watch him and do likewise when they came to the outermost part of the camp.

When he blew with a trumpet, Gideon and all that were with him, then the other two groups were to blow their trumpets on every side of the camp, saying, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" Gideon and the hundred men with him came to the outer edge of the enemy camp at the start of the middle watch, when they had just set the guards. They blew their trumpets while breaking the pitchers in their hands.

The three companies blew their trumpets, broke the pitchers in their hands, and held torches in their left hands with the trumpets in their right to blow, crying out, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" The Israelites stood every man in his place around the camp. All the host ran, shouted, and fled.

The three hundred blew their trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow throughout the entire army, causing them to flee in disarray to Beth-shittah in Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah by Tabbath. The men of Israel gathered together from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh to pursue the Midianites.

Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against Midian and take the waters before them as far as Beth Barah, even to the Jordan." So all the men of Ephraim gathered together and took the waters as far as Beth Barah, even to the Jordan. They took two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; they killed Oreb at his rock and Zeeb at his wine press.

The Israelites pursued Midian, bringing the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.