And the Lord said unto Gideon, "The people that are with thee are too
many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt
themselves against me, saying, 'Mine own hand hath saved me.' Now
therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whosoever
is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead.'"
And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there
remained ten thousand. And the Lord said unto Gideon, "The people are
yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for
thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, 'This shall
go with thee,' the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto
thee, 'This shall not go with thee,' the same shall not go."
So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto
Gideon, "Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog
lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth
down upon his knees to drink."
And the number of them that 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.
And the Lord said unto Gideon, "By the three hundred men that lapped
will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all
the people go every man unto his place."
So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he
sent all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the
three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.