1   Therefore Ierobaal, which is also Gedeon, rysing in the night, and al the people with him, came to the fountaine that is called Harad. and the campe of Madian was

Gedeon. in the valley on the North side of the high hil.

2   And our Lord said to Gedeon: There is much people with thee, neither shal Madian be deliuered into their hand: lest Israel glorie against me, and say: By myne owne force I am deliuered.

3   Speake to the people, and proclame in al their hearing: He that is fearful and timorous, let him returne. And they departed from mount Galaad, and there returned two and twentie thousand men, and onlie ten thousand remained.

4   And our Lord said to Gedeon: Yet there is a great multitude, leade them to the waters, and there I wil proue them: and of whom I shal tel thee that he goe with thee, let him goe: whom I shal forbid to goe, let him returne.

5   And when the people were come downe to the waters, our Lord said to Gedeon: They that shal lappe the water with their tongues, as dogges are wont to lappe, thou shalt separate them apart: but they that shal drinke bowing downe their knees, shal be on the other part.

6   The number therfore of them that had lapped watter, their hand casting it to their mouth, was three hundred men: and al the rest of the multitude had drunck kneeling.

7   And our Lord said to Gedeon: In the three hundred men, that lapped water, I wil deliuer you, and geue Madian in thy hand: but let al the rest of the multitude returne into their place.

8   Taking therfore victuals and trumpettes according to the number, al the rest of the multitude he commanded to depart to their tabernacles: and him selfe with the three hundred gaue him selfe to the battel. And the campe of Madian was beneath in the valley.

9   The same night our Lord said to him: Arise, and goe downe into the campe: because I haue deliuered them into thy hand.

10   But if thou be afraid to goe alone, let Phara thy seruant goe downe with thee.

11   And when thou shalt heare what they speake, then shal thy handes be strengthned, and thou shalt goe downe more secure to the enemies campe. He therfore went downe and Phara his seruant into part of the campe, where the watch was of men in armes.

12   But Madian and Amalec, and al the East peoples lay scattered in the valley, as a multitude of locustes: their camels also were innumerable, as the sand that lieth in the sea shore.

13   And when Gedeon was come, one told his neighbour ^note a dreame: & in this manner he reported that which he had seene: I saw a dreame, & there semed to me as it were a harth loafe of barlie to roll, & to come

Gedeon. into the campe of Madian: and when it was come to the tabernacle, it stroke it, and ouerthrew it, and beate it al flatte with the earth.

14   He to whom he spake, answered: This is no other thing, but the sword of Gedeon the sonne of Ioas the man of Israel. For the Lord hath deliuered Madian into his handes, and al their campe.

15   And when Gedeon had heard the dreame, and the interpretation therof, he adored: and turned to the campe of Israel, and said: Arise ye, for our Lord hath deliuered the campe of Madian into our handes.

16   And he diuided the three hundred men into three partes, and gaue them trumpettes in their handes, and ^note emptie pitchers, and lampes in the middes of their pitchers.

17   And he said to them: What you shal see me doe, that doe ye: I wil enter into part of the campe, and that which I shal doe folow you.

18   When the trumpet shal sound in my hand, doe you also sound and crie together round about the campe: To our Lord ^note and to Gedeon.

19   And Gedeon went in, and the three hundred that were with him, into part of the campe, the watch of midnight beginning, and raysing vp the watch men they began to sound with their ^note trumpettes, and to clappe the pitchers one against an other.

20   And when they sounded in three places round about the campe, and had broken the pitchers, they held the lampes in the left handes, and with the right chey sounded the trumpettes, and cried: The sword of our Lord and of Gedeon:

21   standing euerie one in his place round about the enemies campe. Therfore the whole campe was trubled, and crying out and howling they fled:

22   and the three hundred men neuertheles persisted sounding with the trumpettes. And our Lord sent in the sword in al the campe, and they murdered one an other,

23   fleeing as farre as Bethsetta, and the brinke of Abelmehula in Tebbath. But the men of Israel of Nephthali, and Aser shoutting together, and al Manasses pursewed Madian.

24   And Gedeon sent messengers into al mount Ephraim, saving: Come downe to meete Madian, and take the waters before them to Bethbera and Iordan. And al Ephraim shouted, and tooke the waters before them and Iordan vnto Bethbera.

25   And two men that were apprehended of Madian, Oreb, and Zeb: Oreb he flew in the Rocke of Oreb, Zeb in the Presse of Zeb. And they pursewed Madian, carying the heades of Oreb and Zeb to Gedeon beyond the streames of Iordan.

Gedeon.

Previous section

Next section