Gideon’s 300 Chosen Men

1 Then aJerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside 1the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of 2them by the hill of bMoreh in the valley.

2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, afor Israel 1would become boastful, saying, ‘My own 2power has delivered me.’

3 “Now therefore 1come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘aWhoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’ ” So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.

4 aThen the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink.”

6 Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water.