1 Early the next morning Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) encamped by Enharod with all his soldiers. The camp of Midian was in the valley north of Gibeath-hammoreh.
2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many soldiers with you for me to deliver Midian into their power, lest Israel vaunt itself against me and say, 'My own power brought me the victory.'
3 Now proclaim to all the soldiers, 'If anyone is afraid or fearful, let him leave.'" When Gideon put them to this test on the mountain, twenty-two thousand of the soldiers left, but ten thousand remained.
4 The LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many soldiers. Lead them down to the water and I will test them for you there. If I tell you that a certain man is to go with you, he must go with you. But no one is to go if I tell you he must not."
5 When Gideon led the soldiers down to the water, the LORD said to him, "You shall set to one side everyone who laps up the water as a dog does with its tongue; to the other, everyone who kneels down to drink."
6 Those who lapped up the water raised to their mouths by hand numbered three hundred, but all the rest of the soldiers knelt down to drink the water.
7 The LORD said to Gideon, "By means of the three hundred who lapped up the water I will save you and will deliver Midian into your power. So let all the other soldiers go home."
8 Their horns, and such supplies as the soldiers had with them, were taken up, and Gideon ordered the rest of the Israelites to their tents, but kept the three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 That night the LORD said to Gideon, "Go, descend on the camp, for I have delivered it up to you.
10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your aide Purah.
11 When you hear what they are saying, you will have the courage to descend on the camp." So he went down with his aide Purah to the outposts of the camp.
12 The Midianites, Amalekites, and all the Kedemites lay in the valley, as numerous as locusts. Nor could their camels be counted, for these were as many as the sands on the seashore.
13 When Gideon arrived, one man was telling another about a dream. "I had a dream," he said, "that a round loaf of barley bread was rolling into the camp of Midian. It came to our tent and struck it, and as it fell it turned the tent upside down."
14 "This can only be the sword of the Israelite Gideon, son of Joash," the other replied. "God has delivered Midian and all the camp into his power."
15 When Gideon heard the description and explanation of the dream, he prostrated himself. Then returning to the camp of Israel, he said, "Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your power."
16 He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and provided them all with horns and with empty jars and torches inside the jars.
17 "Watch me and follow my lead," he told them. "I shall go to the edge of the camp, and as I do, you must do also.
18 When I and those with me blow horns, you too must blow horns all around the camp and cry out, '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 middle watch, just after the posting of the guards. They blew the horns and broke the jars they were holding.
20 All three companies blew horns and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hands, and in their right the horns they were blowing, and cried out, "A sword for the LORD and Gideon!"
21 They all remained standing in place around the camp, while the whole camp fell to running and shouting and fleeing.
22 But the three hundred men kept blowing the horns, and throughout the camp the LORD set the sword of one against another. The army fled as far as Beth-shittah in the direction of Zarethan, near the border of Abel-meholah at Tabbath.
23 The Israelites were called to arms from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.
24 Gideon also sent messengers throughout the mountain region of Ephraim to say, "Go down to confront Midian, and seize the water courses against them as far as Beth-barah, as well as the Jordan." So all the Ephraimites were called to arms, and they seized the water courses as far as Beth-barah, and the Jordan as well.
25 They captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, killing Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian and carried the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
Versículos relacionados com Judges, 7:
Judges 7 narrates the story of Gideon, an Israeli leader who is chosen by God to lead a battle against the Midian's army. God instructs Gideon to reduce his army from 32,000 to only 300 men, so that victory may be clearly attributed to God and not to men. Below are five verses related to the topics covered in judges 7:
1 Corinthians 1:27: "But God has chosen the crazy things of the world to embarrass the wise, and chose the weak things of the world to embarrass the strong." This verse talks about how God often chooses people and methods that seem weak and foolish to perform their purposes. It is relevant to judges 7, where God instructs Gideão to reduce his army to only 300 men.
Isaiah 41:10: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will hold you with my victorious right hand." This verse talks about how God is with His people and strengthens them. It is relevant to judges 7, where God strengthens Gideon and his army of only 300 men to overcome the Midian army.
Psalm 23:4: "Even though I walk through a dark valley like death, I won't fear any harm, for you are with me; your stick and your staff protect me." This verse talks about how God protects your people even in dangerous situations. It is relevant to judges 7, where God protects Gideon and his army of only 300 men during the battle against the Midian army.
2 Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is enough for you, for my power is perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will gloring myself even more happily in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest in me." This verse talks about how human weakness can be a vehicle for the manifestation of God's power. It is relevant to judges 7, where God instructs Gideo to reduce his army to only 300 men so that victory can be clearly attributed to God and not to men.
Philippians 4:13: "I can do everything in him who strengthens me." This verse talks about how we can do all things through the strength God gives us. It is relevant to judges 7, where God strengthens Gideon and his army of only 300 men to overcome the Midian army.
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