Faith's Math: Three Hundred Against Thousands

1. Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod. Midian’s camp was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2. Yahweh said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel brag 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.’” So twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. 4. Yahweh said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. It shall be, that those whom I tell you, ‘This shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and whoever I tell you, ‘This shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” 5. So he brought down the people to the water; and Yahweh said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, like a dog laps, you shall set him by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.” 6. 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 on their knees to drink water. 7. Yahweh said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, each to his own place.” 8. So the people took food 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. 9. That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Arise, go down into the camp; for I have delivered it into your hand. 10. But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp. 11. You will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened to go down into the camp.” Then went he down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp. 12. The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is on the seashore for multitude. 13. When Gideon had come, behold, there was a man telling a dream to his fellow. He said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream; and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” 14. His fellow answered, “This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian into his hand, with all the army.” 15. It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and its interpretation, that he worshiped. Then he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise; for Yahweh has delivered the army of Midian into your hand!” 16. He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. 17. He said to them, “Watch me, and do likewise. Behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so you shall do. 18. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and shout, ‘For Yahweh and for Gideon!’” 19. So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch. Then they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. 20. The three companies blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they shouted, “The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon!” 21. They each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight. 22. They blew the three hundred trumpets, and Yahweh set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. 23. The men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued Midian. 24. Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan!” So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth Barah, even the Jordan. 25. They took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at Oreb’s rock, and Zeeb they killed at Zeeb’s wine press; and pursued Midian. Then they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan. 1. The men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you treated us this way, that you didn’t call us when you went to fight with Midian?” They rebuked him sharply. 2. He said to them, “What have I now done in comparison with you? Isn’t the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3. God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb! What was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. 4. Gideon came to the Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing. 5. He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6. The princes of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” 7. Gideon said, “Therefore when Yahweh has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8. He went up there to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9. He spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” 10. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the children of the east; for there fell one hundred twenty thousand men who drew sword. 11. Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and struck the army; for the army was secure. 12. Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued them. He took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and confused all the army. 13. Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle from the ascent of Heres. 14. He caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described for him the princes of Succoth, and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15. He came to the men of Succoth, and said, “See Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’” 16. He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17. He broke down the tower of Penuel, and killed the men of the city. 18. Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “They were like you. Each one resembled the children of a king.” 19. He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” 20. He said to Jether his firstborn, “Get up, and kill them!” But the youth didn’t draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was yet a youth. 21. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents that were on their camels’ necks. 22. Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you, and your son, and your son’s son also; for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.” 23. Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. Yahweh shall rule over you.” 24. Gideon said to them, “I do have a request, that you would each give me the earrings of his plunder.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25. They answered, “We will willingly give them.” They spread a garment, and every man threw the earrings of his plunder into it. 26. The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels’ necks. 27. Gideon made an ephod out of it, and put it in Ophrah, his city. Then all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house. 28. So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. 29. Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30. Gideon had seventy sons conceived from his body, for he had many wives. 31. His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. 32. Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33. As soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and played the prostitute following the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god. 34. The children of Israel didn’t remember Yahweh their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side; 35. neither did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown to Israel. 1. Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2. “Please speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are seventy persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” 3. His mother’s brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words. Their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, “He is our brother.” 4. They gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal Berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. 5. He went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 6. All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem. 7. When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, cried out, and said to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8. The trees set out to anoint a king over themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ 9. “But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I stop producing my oil, with which they honor God and man by me, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?’ 10. “The trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and reign over us.’ 11. “But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?’ 12. “The trees said to the vine, ‘Come and reign over us.’ 13. “The vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?’ 14. “Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come and reign over us.’ 15. “The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ 16. “Now therefore, if you have dealt truly and righteously, in that you have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him according to the deserving of his hands 17. (for my father fought for you, and risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian; 18. and you have risen up against my father’s house today, and have slain his sons, seventy persons, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother); 19. if you then have dealt truly and righteously with Jerubbaal and with his house today, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you; 20. but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.” 21. Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and lived there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. 22. Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. 23. Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24. that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25. The men of Shechem set an ambush for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them, and Abimelech was told about it. 26. Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. 27. They went out into the field, harvested their vineyards, trod the grapes, held festival, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. 28. Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal? Isn’t Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him? 29. I wish that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech.” He said to Abimelech, “Increase your army, and come out!” 30. When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. 31. He sent messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and behold, they incite the city against you. 32. Now therefore, go up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33. It shall be that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early, and rush on the city. Behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, then may you do to them as you shall find occasion.” 34. Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. 35. Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with him, from the ambush. 36. When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” Zebul said to him, “You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.” 37. Gaal spoke again and said, “Behold, people are coming down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Meonenim.” 38. Then Zebul said to him, “Now where is your mouth, that you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Isn’t this the people that you have despised? Please go out now and fight with them.” 39. Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40. Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many fell wounded, even to the entrance of the gate. 41. Abimelech lived at Arumah; and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shechem. 42. On the next day, the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 43. He took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and behold, the people came out of the city. So, he rose up against them, and struck them. 44. Abimelech and the companies that were with him rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and the two companies rushed on all who were in the field, and struck them. 45. Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people in it. He beat down the city, and sowed it with salt. 46. When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith. 47. Abimelech was told that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48. Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done!” 49. All the people likewise each cut down his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them at the base of the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire on them; so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women. 50. Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. 51. But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women of the city fled there, and shut themselves in, and went up to the roof of the tower. 52. Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and came near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53. A certain woman cast an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, and broke his skull. 54. Then he called hastily to the young man his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword, and kill me, that men not say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ His young man thrust him through, and he died.” 55. When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they each departed to his place. 56. Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in killing his seventy brothers; 57. and God repaid all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads; and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came on them.

1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope; 2. to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3. As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine, 4. and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith— 5. but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith; 6. from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking; 7. desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm. 8. But we know that the law is good, if a person uses it lawfully, 9. as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10. for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine; 11. according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 12. And I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service; 13. although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14. The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15. The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16. However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life. 17. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 18. This instruction I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare; 19. holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith; 20. of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme. 1. I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men: 2. for kings and all who are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence. 3. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4. who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. 5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6. who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times; 7. to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8. I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting. 9. In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety; not just with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing; 10. but (which becomes women professing godliness) with good works. 11. Let a woman learn in quietness with full submission. 12. But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness. 13. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14. Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience; 15. but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and sanctification with sobriety. 1. This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer, he desires a good work. 2. The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; 3. not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4. one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence; 5. (but if a man doesn’t know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?) 6. not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7. Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8. Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money; 9. holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10. Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless. 11. Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12. Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13. For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. 14. These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly; 15. but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in God’s house, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16. Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.

1. May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us. Selah. 2. That your way may be known on earth, and your salvation among all nations, 3. let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you. 4. Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth. Selah. 5. Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you. 6. The earth has yielded its increase. God, even our own God, will bless us. 7. God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him.