Judges 7:4

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Then the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and there I will test them for you. Whoever I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; and whoever I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go."

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    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.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    And the LORD said to Gideon, The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. It shall be that of whom I say to you, This one shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, This one shall not go with you, the same shall not go.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    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.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    And Jehovah{H3068} said{H559} unto Gideon,{H1439} The people{H5971} are yet too many;{H7227} bring them down{H3381} unto the water,{H4325} and I will try{H6884} them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say{H559} unto thee, This shall go{H3212} with thee, the same shall go{H3212} with thee; and of whomsoever I say{H559} unto thee, This shall not go{H3212} with thee, the same shall not go.{H3212}

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    And the LORD{H3068} said{H559}{(H8799)} unto Gideon{H1439}, The people{H5971} are yet too many{H7227}; bring them down{H3381}{(H8685)} unto the water{H4325}, and I will try{H6884}{(H8799)} them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say{H559}{(H8799)} unto thee, This shall go{H3212}{(H8799)} with thee, the same shall go{H3212}{(H8799)} with thee; and of whomsoever I say{H559}{(H8799)} unto thee, This shall not go{H3212}{(H8799)} with thee, the same shall not go{H3212}{(H8799)}.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    And the LORDE sayde vnto Gedeon. The people are yet to many: brynge them downe to the water, there wyl I proue them for ye: and of whom I saye that he shal go wt the, the same shal go with the: but of who I saie that he shal not go with the, the same shall not go.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    And the Lord said vnto Gideon, The people are yet too many: bring them downe vnto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and of whome I say vnto thee, This man shal goe with thee, the same shal go with thee: and of whomsoeuer I say vnto thee, This man shal not goe with thee, the same shal not go.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    And the Lord sayd vnto Gedeon: The people are yet to many, bryng them downe vnto the water, and I will trye them vnto thee there. And of whom I say vnto thee, this shal go with thee: the same shal go with thee. And of whom soeuer I say vnto thee, this shal not go with thee: the same shal not go.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    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.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    Yahweh 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 shall be, that of whom I tell you, This shall go with you, the same shall go with you; and of whoever I tell you, This shall not go with you, the same shall not go.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    And Jehovah saith unto Gideon, `Yet `are' the people too many; bring them down unto the water, and I refine it for thee there; and it hath been, he of whom I say unto thee, This doth go with thee -- he doth go with thee; and any of whom I say unto thee, This doth not go with thee -- he doth not go.'

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    And Jehovah 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.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    And Jehovah 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.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    Then the Lord said to Gideon, There are still more people than is necessary; take them down to the water so that I may put them to the test for you there; then whoever I say is to go with you will go, and whoever I say is not to go will not go.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    Yahweh said to Gideon, "The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. It shall be, that of whom I tell you, 'This shall go with you,' the same shall go with you; and of whoever I tell you, 'This shall not go with you,' the same shall not go."

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    The LORD spoke to Gideon again,“There are still too many men. Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more. When I say,‘This one should go with you,’ pick him to go; when I say,‘This one should not go with you,’ do not take him.”

Referenced Verses

  • Gen 22:1 : 1 After these events, God tested Abraham and said to him, 'Abraham!' And he replied, 'Here I am.'
  • 1 Sam 14:6 : 6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, 'Come, let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.'
  • 1 Sam 16:7 : 7 But the LORD told Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not see as man sees; man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
  • Job 23:10 : 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
  • Ps 7:9 : 9 The Lord will judge the peoples. Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity.
  • Ps 33:16 : 16 A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.
  • Ps 66:10 : 10 For You, God, have tested us; You have refined us like silver is refined.
  • Jer 6:27-30 : 27 I have made you a tester of metals among my people, that you may observe and test their ways. 28 All of them are stubborn rebels, going about with slander. They are bronze and iron; all of them act corruptly. 29 The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out. 30 They are called rejected silver, for the LORD has rejected them.
  • Mal 3:2-3 : 2 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, purifying the Levites and refining them like gold and silver, so they may bring offerings to the Lord in righteousness.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Judg 7:5-12
    8 verses
    86%

    5 So Gideon brought the people down to the water. There the LORD said to him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, from those who kneel down to drink."

    6 The number of those who lapped with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men. All the rest of the people knelt to drink water.

    7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men who lapped, I will save you and hand Midian over to you. Let all the others go home."

    8 So the three hundred men took provisions and their trumpets. The rest of the men of Israel were sent away, each to his own home, but Gideon kept the three hundred men. Meanwhile, the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

    9 That night the LORD said to him, "Get up and go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands.

    10 But if you are afraid to go down, take your servant Purah with you and go down to the camp.

    11 Listen to what they are saying, and afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the armed men who were in the camp.

    12 Midian, Amalek, and all the people of the east were lying in the valley as thick as locusts. Their camels were too numerous to count, like the sand on the seashore.

  • Judg 7:1-3
    3 verses
    83%

    1 Early in the morning, Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people with him set up camp beside the spring of Harod. Meanwhile, the camp of Midian was to the north of them, by the hill of Moreh in the valley.

    2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many people with you for me to hand Midian over to them, lest Israel boast against me, claiming, 'My own strength has delivered me.'

    3 Now therefore, announce to the people: 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and depart from Mount Gilead.'" So, twenty-two thousand men returned, but ten thousand remained.

  • Judg 7:14-25
    12 verses
    77%

    14 His companion responded, "This can only mean the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian and the entire camp into his hands."

    15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down in worship. He returned to the Israelite camp and said, "Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands."

    16 Gideon divided the three hundred men into three groups. He placed trumpets and empty jars, with torches inside the jars, into the hands of all of them.

    17 He said to them, "Watch me and do as I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.

    18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then you also blow your trumpets all around the camp and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon!'"

    19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the guards had been changed. They blew their trumpets and smashed the jars in their hands.

    20 The three groups blew their trumpets and broke the jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

    21 Each man stood in his place around the camp, and the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

    22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.

    23 The men of Israel from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.

    24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down and attack the Midianites. Capture the waters around Beth Barah and the Jordan." So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they secured the waters as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.

    25 They captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, across the Jordan.

  • Judg 6:11-14
    4 verses
    76%

    11 Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.

    12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.'

    13 Gideon said to him, 'Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about, saying, ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.'

    14 The Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?'

  • Judg 8:3-4
    2 verses
    75%

    3 God gave the leaders of Midian—Oreb and Zeeb—into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?' At this, their anger toward him subsided when he said this.

    4 Then Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet pursuing, came to the Jordan and crossed it.

  • Judg 6:33-40
    8 verses
    73%

    33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east joined forces, crossed the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

    34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew the trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

    35 He also sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, calling them to arms, and to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. They too came up to meet him.

    36 Gideon said to God, 'If you are truly going to use me to save Israel as you have promised,

    37 Look, I am placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is only on the fleece, and the ground remains dry, then I will know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have said.

    38 And that is exactly what happened. When Gideon rose early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung enough dew from it to fill a bowl with water.

    39 Then Gideon said to God, 'Please do not be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Allow me to test just once more with the fleece. Let the fleece remain dry, while dew covers the ground around it.'

    40 That night, God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and the ground around it was covered with dew.

  • 16 The Lord said to him, 'I will be with you, and you will strike down Midian as if it were one man.'

  • 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the city, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

  • 7 "I will draw Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his horde to the Kishon River and deliver him into your hand."

  • Judg 8:22-23
    2 verses
    70%

    22 The Israelites said to Gideon, 'Rule over us—you, your son, and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.'

    23 But Gideon replied, 'I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.'

  • 14 In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord selects shall come forward clan by clan; the clan the Lord selects shall come forward family by family; and the family the Lord selects shall come forward man by man.

  • 5 The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim tried to cross over, they would say, "Let me cross over." The men of Gilead would respond, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No,"

  • 7 But a man of God came to him and said, 'O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel—not with any of the people of Ephraim.'

  • 7 So Gideon said, 'Very well, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, I will tear your flesh with thorns of the wilderness and briars.'

  • 20 He then said to Jether, his firstborn, 'Get up and kill them.' But the young man did not draw his sword because he was afraid, still being just a boy.

  • 11 Gideon went up by the route of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the camp while the army was unprepared.

  • 25 That same night the Lord said to him, 'Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.'

  • 10 We will take ten men out of every hundred, a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand across all the tribes of Israel. They will gather provisions for the army, so we can act against Gibeah in Benjamin for their disgraceful act in Israel.