Judges 7:1-11 ▼

1 Then Ierobaal (who is Gedeon) and all ye people yt were with him, rose vp early, & pytched besyde the wel of Harad: so that the hoaste of the Madianites were on the northsyde of them by the hyll of Moreh in the valley.

2 And the Lord sayd vnto Gedeon: The people that are with thee, are to many for me to geue ye Madianites into their handes, lest Israel make their vaunt against me, and saye: Myne owne hand hath saued me.

3 Nowe therfore make a proclamation in the eares of people, and saye: If any man dread or be afeard, let him returne and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people 22 thousande, & there abode ten thousande.

4 And the Lord sayd vnto Gedeon: The people are yet to many, bryng them downe vnto the water, and I will trye them vnto thee there. And of whom I say vnto thee, this shal go with thee: the same shal go with thee. And of whom soeuer I say vnto thee, this shal not go with thee: the same shal not go.

5 So he brought downe the people vnto the water: And the Lord said vnto Gedeon, As many as lappe ye water with their tongues as a dogge lappeth, them put by them selues, and so do them that kneele downe vpon their knees to drincke.

6 And the number of them that put their handes to their mouthes and lapped, were three hundred men: But all ye remnaunt of ye people kneeled downe vpon their knees to dryncke water.

7 And the Lorde sayd vnto Gedeon: By these three hundred men that lapped will I saue you, and deliuer the Madianites into thyne hande: And let all the other people go euery man vnto his place.

8 They therfore of the people toke vittailes with them, and their trumpettes: And he sent all the rest of Israel, euery man vnto his tent, and retayned those three hundreth men: And the hoast of Madian was beneath him in a valley.

9 And the same nyght the Lorde sayde vnto him: Aryse, get thee downe vnto the hoast, for I haue delyuered it into thyne hand.

10 But and if thou feare to go downe, then go thou and Phara thy ladde downe to the hoast.

11 And thou shalt hearken what they say, and so shall thine handes be strong to go downe vnto ye hoast. Then went he downe & Phara his ladde vnto the outsyde of the men of armes that were in the hoast.