6 There were 300 men who used their hands to bring water to their mouths. They lapped it as a dog does. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “I will save you, using the 300 men who lapped the water. And I will allow you to defeat Midian. Let all the other men go to their homes.”
8 So Gideon sent the rest of Israel to their homes. But he kept 300 men. He took the jars and the trumpets of those who went home.Now the camp of Midian was in the valley below Gideon.
9 That night the Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, “Get up. Go down and attack the camp of the Midianites. I will allow you to defeat them.
10 But if you are afraid to go down, take your servant Purah with you.
11 When you come to the camp of Midian, you will hear what they are saying. Then you will not be afraid to attack the camp.”So Gideon and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the enemy camp.
12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the peoples from the east were camped in that valley. There were so many of them they seemed like locusts. They had so many camels no one could count them. There were as many as there are grains of sand on the seashore!