The people of Midian, Amalek, and other people from the east joined together {to fight against the people of Israel}. Those people went across the Jordan River and camped in Jezreel Valley.
After a short time, the sky was covered with dark clouds. The wind began to blow, and a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab got in his chariot and started traveling back to Jezreel.
King Ahab’s palace [227] was in the city of Samaria. Near the palace there was a field of grapes. A man named Naboth owned this field. He was from Jezreel.
So I will give you to the people from the east. They will get your land. Their armies will set up their camps in your country. They will live among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.
The people of Joseph said, “It is true that the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for us. But the Canaanite people living there have powerful weapons—they have iron chariots! [62] And those people control Jezreel Valley, Beth Shean and all the small towns in that area.”
And immediately, the water stopped flowing. {The water filled behind that place like a dam.} The water piled high a long way up the river—all the way to Adam (a town near Zarethan). The people crossed the river near Jericho.
Early in the morning Jerub Baal (Gideon) and all his men set up their camp at the spring of Harod. The people of Midian were camped in the valley at the bottom of the hill called Moreh. This was north of Gideon and his men.
Gideon sent messengers through all the hill country of Ephraim. The messengers said, “Come down and attack the people of Midian. Take control of the river as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan River. Do this before the people of Midian get there.”
So Gideon sent the other men of Israel home. Gideon kept the 300 men with him. Those 300 men kept the supplies and the trumpets of the other men who went home.