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chapter 7
1
Then
Jerobaal, who is the same as Gedeon, rising up early and all the people with
him, came to the fountain that is called Harad. Now the camp of Madian was in
the valley on the north side of the high hill.
2 And the Lord said to Gedeon: The people that are with
thee are many, and Madian shall not be delivered into their hands: lest Israel
should glory against me, and say: I was delivered by my own strength.
3 Speak to the people, and proclaim in the hearing of
all, I Whosoever is fearful and timorous, let him return. So two and twenty
thousand men went away from mount Galaad and returned home, and only ten
thousand remained.
4 And the Lord said to Gedeon: The people are still too
many, bring them to the waters, and there I will try them: and of whom I shall
say to thee, This shall go with thee, let him go: whom I shall forbid to go,
let him return.
5 And when the people were come down to the waters, the
Lord said to Gedeon: They that shall lap the water with their tongues, as dogs
are wont to lap, thou shalt set apart by themselves: but they that shall drink
bowing down their knees, shall be on the other side.
6 And the number of them that had lapped water, casting
it with the hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: and all the rest of the
multitude had drunk kneeling.
7 And the Lord said to Gedeon: By the three hundred
men, that lapped water, I will save you, and deliver Madian into thy hand: but
let all the rest of the people return to their place.
8 So taking victuals and trumpets according to their
number, he ordered all the rest of the multitude to depart to their tents: and
he with the three hundred gave himself to the battle. Now the camp of Madian
was beneath him in the valley.
9 The same night the Lord said to him: Arise, and go
down into the camp: because I have delivered them into thy hand.
10 But if thou be afraid to go alone, let Phara thy
servant go down with thee.
11 And when thou shalt hear what they are saying, then
shall thy hands be strengthened, and thou shalt go down more secure to the
enemies' camp. And he went down with Phara his servant into part of the camp,
where was the watch of men in arms.
12 But Madian and Amalec, and all the eastern people
lay scattered in the valley, as a multitude of locusts: their camels also were
innumerable as the sand that lieth on the sea shore.
13 And when Gedeon was come, one told his neighbour a
dream: and in this manner related what he had seen: I dreamt a dream, and it
seemed to me as if a hearth cake of barley bread rolled and came down into the
camp of Madian: and when it was come to a tent it struck it, and beat it down
flat to the ground.
14 He to whom he spoke, answered: This is nothing else
but the sword of Gedeon the son of Joas a man of Israel. For the Lord hath
delivered Madian, and all their camp into his hand.
15 And when Gedeon had heard the dream, and the
interpretation thereof, he adored: and returned to the camp of Israel, and
said: Arise, for the Lord hath delivered the camp of Madian into our hands.
16 And he divided the three hundred men into three
parts, and gave them trumpets in their hands, and empty pitchers, and lamps
within the pitchers.
17 And he said to them: What you shall see me do, do
you the same: I will go into one part of the camp, and do you as I shall do.
18 When the trumpet shall sound in my hand, do you also
blow the trumpets on every side of the camp.
19 And Gedeon, and the three hundred men that were with
him, went into part of the camp, at the beginning of the midnight watch, and
the watchmen being alarmed, they began to sound their trumpets, and to clap the
pitchers one against another.
20 And when they sounded their trumpets in three places
round about the camp, and had broken their pitchers, they held their lamps in
their left hands, and with their right hands the trumpets which they blew, and
they cried out: The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon;
21 Standing every man in his place round about the
enemies' camp. So all the camp was troubled, and crying out and howling they
fled away.
22 And the three hundred men nevertheless persisted
sounding the trumpets. And the Lord sent the sword into all the camp, and they
killed one another,
23 Fleeing as far as Bethsetta, and the border of
Abelmahula in Tebbath. But the men of Israel shouting from Nephtali and Aser,
and from all Manasses pursued after Madian.
24 And Gedeon sent messengers into all mount Ephraim,
saying: Come down to meet Madian, and take the waters before them to Bethbera
and the Jordan. And all Ephraim shouted, and took the waters before them and
the Jordan as far as Bethbera.
25 And having taken two men of Madian, Oreb and Zeb:
Oreb they slew in the rock of Oreb, and Zeb in the winepress of Zeb. And they
pursued Madian, carrying the heads of Oreb and Zeb to Gedeon beyond the waters
of the Jordan.
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