Gideon (or Jerubbaal) and all his people got up early and camped by the spring of Harod. The camp of the Midianites there is located in the valley north of Mount Moreh.
The Lord said to Gideon,
"There are too many men with you, whom I will use to defeat the Midianites. Then the Israelites will say that they won because of their power and they will not honor me. Tell your army that those who are afraid can go home. "
So 22,000 returned and only 10,000 remained.
The Lord said to Gideon,
"There are still too many of them. Take them to the river and I will try them for you. The one I send with you will go with you, and the one I will not send with you will not go with you. "
Then Gideon brought the people to the river, and the Lord said to him, "Separate everyone who cheats on the water like a dog from those who bow down to drink."
Then 300 men drew water with their hands and dried it. Some knelt down to drink.
Then the Lord said to Gideon, "I will save you and give you 300 men to escape the Midianites. Let the others go home. "
Gideon sent all the Israelites away, except the 300 men, and took away the instruments and the horns. The camp of the Midianites was on the plain below them.
That night the Lord said to Gideon,
"Arise and attack the camp, for I will give it to you. But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp of Midian with your servant Purah.
You will hear what they say, and you will have the courage to attack them.
" So Gideon and his servant Purah went down to the enemy camp. The Midianites, the Amalekites, and the people of the wilderness, were scattered in the valley like locusts, and their camels were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
When Gideon came, he heard a man telling his friend the dream.
He said, "I dreamed that a whole loaf of barley rolled into our camp and hit the tent. The tent fell and spread to the ground. "
And his friend answered and said, It is the sword of Gideon the son of Joash the Israelite. There is no other meaning to that! God will send Gideon against Midian and all our army