God Selects Gideon’s Army

7 Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops who were with him, got up early and camped beside the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them, below the hill of Moreh, in the valley. ² The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say,^[a] ‘I saved myself.’ ³ Now announce to the troops, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’”^(A) So twenty-two thousand of the troops turned back, but ten thousand remained.