Judges · Chapter 7

[ edit] Thanne Jeroboal, þe which and Gedeon, fro nyȝt ryſynge, and al þe puple wiþ hym, cam to þe wel þat is clepid Arad. Forſoþe þe tentis of Madian weren in þe valey, at þe norþ cooſt of þe hiȝe hil. And þe Lord ſeide to Gedeon, Myche is þe puple wiþ þee, and leſt Yrael glorie aȝens me, Madian ſhal not be taak into þe hoondis of hym, and leſt he ſeye, Bi my ſtrengþis I am delyuerd. Spek to þe puple, and alle herynge, preche, Who is feerful and dredy, turne he aȝen. And þere wenten aȝen fro þe hil of Galaad, and ben turned aȝen of þe puple two and twenti þowſand of men; and onely ten þowſand beden ſtil.

And þe Lord ſeide to Gedeon, Ȝit þere is myche puple; lede hem to þe watris, and þere I ſhal preue hem, and of whom Y ſhal ſeye to þee, þat goo wiþ þee, he goo; whom I ſhal defende to goo, he turne aȝen. And whanne þe puple was goon doon to þe watris, þe Lord ſeide to Gedeon, Þilk þat wiþ hoond and wiþ tonge lapen þe watris, as houndis ben woned to lape, þou ſhalt ſeuere hem aſide; forſoþe þilk, þat bowiden þe knees drynkynge, in þat oþer paart ſhulen be. And ſo was þe noumbre of hem, þat wiþ hoond þrowynge to þe mouþ watris hadden lapid, þre hundrid men; forſoþe al þat oþer multitude þe knee bowid dronke.

And þe Lord ſeiþ to Gedeon, In þree hundrid men, þat lapiden watris, Y ſhal delyuer ȝou, and taak Madian in þin hoond; forſoþe al þat oþer multitude be turned aȝen into his place. And ſo metis taken for þe noumbre, and trompis, al þat oþir multitude he comaundide to goon to her tabernaclis; and he, wiþ þre hundrid men, ȝaf hym ſilf to þe bateil. Forſoþe þe tentis of Madian weren vndur in þe valey. Þe ſame nyȝt þe Lord ſeide to hym, Riſe, and go doun into þe tentis, for Y haue taak hem in þin hoond; forſoþe if alone þou drediſt to goo, go doun wiþ þee Phara, þi child.

And whanne þou heriſt what þei ſpeken, þanne þin hoondis ſhulen be coumfortid, and ſikerer þou ſhalt goo doun to þe tentis of þe enemyes. Þanne deſcendide he, and Phara, his child, into a paart of þe tentis, where weren þe watchis of armed men. Forſoþe Madian, and Amalech, and alle þe eſte puplis ſhed layen in þe valey, as multitude of locuſtis; forſoþe camels vnnoumbrable þere weren, as grauel þat lieþ in þe brenk of þe ſee.

And whanne Gedeon was comen, a man tolde a ſweuen to his neiȝbore, and in þis maner he toolde þat he ſawȝ, Y ſawȝ a ſweuen, and it ſeemed to me, as a loof of barlich maad vndir aſſhen to be trendlid, and into þe tentis of Madyan to goo doun; and whanne it were comyn to þe tabernacle, it ſmoot it, and turnede vpſedoun, and al doun to þe erþe euenede. He, to whom he ſpak, anſwerde, Þis is noon oþere þing, but þe ſwerd of Gedeon, ſone of Joas, a man of Irael; forſoþe þe Lord haþ takun into þe hoondis of hym Madian and alle þe tentis of it.

And whanne Gedeon hadde herd þe ſweuen, and þe remenynge of it, he heryede, and, turned aȝen to þe tentis of Yrael, ſeiþ, Ryſe ȝe; forſoþe þe Lord haþ takun into oure hoondis þe tentis of Madian. And he dyuydide þe þre hundrid men in þre parties, and he ȝaf trompis in þe hoondis of hem, and voyd wyn pottys, and laumpis in þe myddis of þe pottis. And he ſeide to hem, What ȝe ſeen me doon, þat doo ȝe; Y ſhall goo into a paart of þe tentis, and what Y ſhal doo, folwiþ. Whanne þe trompe fulſowneþ in myn hoond, forſoþe ȝe bi þe enuyroun of þe tentis trompiþ, and crieþ to gidre, To þe Lord and to Gedeon.

And Gedeon wente in, and þre hundred men þat weren wiþ hym, into a part of þe tentis, bigynnynge þe watchis of þe mydnyȝt; and, þe kepers reryd, þei bigunnen wiþ trompis to cryen, and clappen togidre bitwix hem ſeluen þe wyn pottis. And whanne bi enuyroun of þe tentis in þre placis þei fulſowneden, and þe ſtenys hadden broken, þei heelden wiþ þe left hoondis þe laumpis, and wiþ þe riȝt þe ſownynge trompis; and þei crieden, Þe ſwerd of þe Lord and of Gedeon; ſtondynge eche in his place, by enuyroun of þe enemyes tentis. And ſo alle þe tentis ben diſturblid; and criynge out and ȝellynge, flowen; and neuerþelater þe þre hundryd men ſtoden to ſtedfaſtli, ſownynge wiþ trompis.

And þe Lord ſente yn ſwerd in alle þe tentis, and þei kutten of hem ſeluen bi ſleynge echon oþer, fleynge into Beþſaka, and bi þe cop of þe brenke, fro Elmonla into Thebbaþ. Þe men of Irael forſoþe criynge togidre, of Neptalym, and Aſer, and al Manaſſe, purſueden Madian; and þe Lord ȝaf to þe puple of Yrael victory in þat day. And Gedeon ſente meſſangers into al þe hil of Effraym, ſeiynge, Comiþ doun into aȝen metynge of Madian, and occupieþ þe watres vnto Beþhem and Jordan. And al Effraym criede, and forn occupiede þe watres and Jordan vnto Beþhara.

And two men of Madian takun, Oreb and Zeb, he ſlowȝ; Oreb in þe ſtoon of Oreb, forſoþe Zeb in þe preſſynge place of Zeb; and þei purſueden Madian, þe heedys of Oreb and of Zeb berynge to Gedeon, ouer þe floodis of Jordan.