MLV(i)
2 And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.
3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand and there remained ten thousand.
4 And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are yet too many. Bring them down to the water and I will try them for you there. And it will be, that of whom I say to you, This man will go with you, the same will go with you and of whomever I say to you, This man will not go with you, the same will not go. 5 So he brought down the people to the water. And Jehovah said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you will set him by himself. Likewise everyone who bows down upon his knees to drink.
6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 And Jehovah said to Gideon, By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you* and deliver the Midianites into your hand. And let all the people go every man to his place. 8 So the people took provision in their hand and their trumpets. And he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
4 And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are yet too many. Bring them down to the water and I will try them for you there. And it will be, that of whom I say to you, This man will go with you, the same will go with you and of whomever I say to you, This man will not go with you, the same will not go. 5 So he brought down the people to the water. And Jehovah said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you will set him by himself. Likewise everyone who bows down upon his knees to drink.
6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
7 And Jehovah said to Gideon, By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you* and deliver the Midianites into your hand. And let all the people go every man to his place. 8 So the people took provision in their hand and their trumpets. And he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.