1 And Yerubba‛al, that is Giḏ‛on, and all the people who were with him rose up early and encamped by the fountain of Ḥaroḏ, so that the camp of Miḏyan was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 And יהוה said to Giḏ‛on, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Miḏyan into their hands, lest Yisra’ĕl boast against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
3 “And now, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him turn back, and leave Mount Gil‛aḏ.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people turned back, while ten thousand remained.
4 And יהוה said to Giḏ‛on, “The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and let Me prove them for you there. And it shall be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one goes with you,’ let him go with you. And of whomever I say to you, ‘This one does not go with you,’ let him not go.”
5 So he brought the people down to the water. And יהוה said to Giḏ‛on, “Everyone who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, separate him from everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.”
6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, and all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.