Judges 7:2-8 ▼

2 The LORD said to Gideon, |The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'

3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.' There returned of the people twenty-two thousand; but ten thousand remained.

4 The LORD said to Gideon, |The people are yet too many; bring them down to the water, and I will try them for you there: and it shall be, that of whom I tell you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whoever I tell you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.

5 So he brought down the people to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, |Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall put to one side; and everyone who gets down on his knees to drink with hand to mouth shall be on the other side.|

6 The number of those who lapped with their tongues was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.

7 The LORD said to Gideon, |By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand; and let all the people go every man to his home.|

8 So the people took food in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.