Gideon Defeats the Midianites
1Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
4But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
5So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
13Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
14His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”
15When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” 16Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
17“Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’ ”
19Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
22When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”
So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.
Gideon Di Midianfoɔ So Nkonim
1Anɔpahema, Yerubaal (a ɔne Gideon) ne nʼakodɔm kɔɔ ara kɔsii Harod nsuo ho. Midian akodɔm nso bɔɔ dɔmpem wɔ atifi fam wɔ bɔnhwa bi a ɛbɛn More bepɔ no. 2Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Gideon sɛ, “Akofoɔ a wɔka wo ho no dɔɔso dodo. Sɛ mema mo nyinaa ko tia Midianfoɔ a, Israelfoɔ no bɛhoahoa wɔn ho akyerɛ me sɛ wɔn ara nam wɔn ahoɔden so na wɔgyee wɔn ho sii hɔ. 3Ɛno enti, ka kyerɛ nnipa no sɛ, ‘Obiara a ɔyɛ tebɔɔ anaa ɔsuro no, ɔnyi ne ho mfiri mu na ɔnkɔ efie.’ ” Wɔn mu ɔpeduonu mmienu na wɔkɔɔ fie, ɛnna ɛkaa wɔn mu ɔpedu a wɔpɛɛ sɛ wɔbɛko.
4Nanso, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Gideon sɛ, “Wɔdɔɔso ara. Fa wɔn bra asuo no ho na mɛsa wɔn mu ayi wɔn a wo ne wɔn bɛkɔ ne wɔn a wɔne wo renkɔ.”
5Ɛberɛ a Gideon de nʼakofoɔ no kɔɔ nsuo no ho no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Kyɛ nnipa no mu akuo mmienu. Fa nnipa a wɔbɔ nsuo gu wɔn nsam na wɔde wɔn tɛkrɛma tafere no sɛ nkraman no kɔ ekuo baako mu. Ekuo a ɛtɔ so mmienu no nso, fa wɔn a wɔbu nkotodwe de wɔn ano nom nsuo wɔ asuwa mu no hyɛ mu.” 6Mmarima no mu ahasa pɛ na na wɔnom nsuo firi wɔn nsa mu. Wɔn a aka no nyinaa nso, na wɔbu nkotodwe de wɔn ano nom nsuo firi asuwa no mu.
7Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Gideon sɛ, “Menam saa mmarima ahasa yi so bɛgye mo, na mama moadi Midianfoɔ no so nkonim. Ma wɔn a aka no nyinaa nkɔ fie.” 8Enti, Gideon gyegyee wɔn akwansoduane ne ntotorobɛnto firii akofoɔ no nkyɛn ma wɔkɔɔ fie. Ɛnna ɔmaa mmarima ahasa no kaa ne nkyɛn.
Na Midianfoɔ no atenaeɛ wɔ bɔnhwa a ɛwɔ Gideon ase pɛɛ. 9Anadwo no, Awurade kaa sɛ, “Sɔre! Kɔ Midianfoɔ no atenaeɛ no mu wɔ aseɛ hɔ, na mɛma mo adi wɔn so nkonim! 10Na sɛ wosuro sɛ wobɛkoto ahyɛ wɔn so a, wo ne wo ɔsomfoɔ Pura nkɔ hɔ. 11Tie deɛ Midianfoɔ no reka na ɛbɛhyɛ wo nkuran. Na wo ho bɛpere wo ama woato ahyɛ wɔn so.”
Enti, Gideon faa Pura kaa ne ho ne no kɔɔ atamfoɔ no atenaeɛ no mfikyire. 12Saa ɛberɛ no na Midianfoɔ, Amalekfoɔ ne nnipa no nkaeɛ a wɔfifiri apueeɛ fam no abɛyɛ bitibiti te sɛ ntutummɛ wɔ bɔnhwa no mu. Na wɔn nyoma nso dodoɔ te sɛ mpoano anwea. Wɔdɔɔso dodo!
13Gideon weaweaa kɔduruu hɔ no, na ɔbarima bi reka ne daeɛ a ɔsoeɛ akyerɛ nʼadamfo bi sɛ, “Mesoo daeɛ na burodo kurukuruwa bi ate abɛhwe Midianfoɔ atenaeɛ. Ɛkɔpem ntomadan no bi na ɛbu faa so ma ɛkɔhwee ase!”
14Nʼadamfo no kaa sɛ, “Wo daeɛ no kyerɛ adeɛ baako pɛ. Onyankopɔn de Midian ne ne mpamfoɔ nyinaa so nkonimdie ahyɛ Yoas babarima Gideon, Israelni no nsa.”
15Ɛberɛ a Gideon tee daeɛ no ne nʼasekyerɛ no, ɔkoto sɔree Onyankopɔn. Ɔsane baa Israel atenaeɛ mu teaam sɛ, “Monsɔre! Awurade de Midianfoɔ ahyɛ mo nsa.” 16Ɔkyɛɛ mmarima ahasa no mu akuakuo mmiɛnsa. Ɔde ntotorobɛnto ne dɔteɛ kuruwa a ogyatɛn hyehyɛ mu maa wɔn.
17Afei, ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monhwɛ me. Monni mʼakyi. Sɛ meduru atenaeɛ no mfikyire a, deɛ mɛyɛ biara no, monyɛ bi. 18Sɛ me ne wɔn a wɔka me ho nyinaa hyɛn ntotorobɛnto no a, mo a moatwa atenaeɛ no ho ahyia no nyinaa, mo nso monhyɛn mo deɛ na monteam sɛ, ‘Yɛko ma Awurade ne Gideon.’ ”
19Anadwo dasuo mu a wɔasesa awɛmfoɔ no awie pɛ, na Gideon ne mmarima ɔha a wɔka ne ho no kɔduruu Midianfoɔ atenaeɛ mfikyire. Mpofirim wɔhyɛnee wɔn ntotorobɛnto no, bobɔɔ dɔteɛ nkuruwa a na ɛhyehyɛ wɔn nsam no. 20Afei akuo mmiɛnsa no nyinaa hyɛnee wɔn ntotorobɛnto bobɔɔ wɔn nkuruwa. Na wɔkurakura ogyatɛn a ɛrederɛ no wɔ wɔn nsa benkum mu na wɔkurakura ntotorobɛnto wɔ wɔn nsa nifa mu, wɔteaam sɛ, “Awurade akofena yɛ Gideon akofena!” 21Ɔbarima biara gyinaa nʼafa wɔ atenaeɛ no ho, hwɛɛ Midianfoɔ no sɛ wɔabɔ huboa reteateam na wɔredwane.
22Ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ ahasa no hyɛnee wɔn ntotorobɛnto no, Awurade maa wɔn atamfoɔ akofoɔ a wɔwɔ atenaeɛ hɔ no twaa wɔn ho de akofena ne wɔn ho koeɛ. Wɔn a wɔanwu no dwane kɔduruu Bet-Sita a ɛbɛn Serera ne Abel-Mehola hyeɛ a ɛbɛn Tabat so.
23Afei, Gideon soma kɔfaa Naftali, Aser ne Manase akofoɔ a wɔbɛboa ma wɔtaa Midian akodɔm a wɔredwane no. 24Gideon tuu abɔfoɔ kɔɔ Efraim mmepɔ aman no so kɔkaa sɛ “Mommra mmɛto nhyɛ Midianfoɔ so. Montware wɔn wɔ Yordan aworɔso a ɛwɔ Bet-Bera hɔ no.”
Na Efraim mmarima no yɛɛ sɛdeɛ wɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn no. 25Wɔkyeree Oreb ne Seeb a na wɔyɛ Midian asahene. Wɔkumm Oreb wɔ Oreb botan so ɛnna wɔkumm Seeb nso wɔ Seeb nsakyiamena ho. Na wɔkɔɔ so taa Midianfoɔ no. Akyire no, Israelfoɔ no de Oreb ne Seeb tiri no brɛɛ Gideon a na saa ɛberɛ no ɔwɔ Yordan ho no.
