Judges 7:4

WEB

⁴The LORD 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,’ shall go with you; and whoever I tell you, ‘This shall not go with you,’ shall not go.”

KJV

⁴And 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.

BSB

⁴Then the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go. But if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

FBV

⁴Then the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many soldiers. Take them down to the water and I will reduce^[+] them for you. Whoever I tell you, ‘He shall go with you,’ he shall go. But anyone that I say, ‘He shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

Extra References

Psalms 33:16

¹⁶There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

1 Samuel 16:7

⁷But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Malachi 3:2-3

²“But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ soap; ³and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to the LORD offerings in righteousness.

1 Samuel 14:6

⁶Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come! Let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for there is no restraint on the LORD to save by many or by few.”

Job 23:10

¹⁰But he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I will come out like gold.

Psalms 7:9

⁹Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.

Psalms 66:10

¹⁰For you, God, have tested us. You have refined us, as silver is refined.

Genesis 22:1

¹After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”

Jeremiah 6:27-30

²⁷“I have made you a tester of metals and a fortress among my people, that you may know and try their way. ²⁸They are all grievous rebels, going around to slander. They are bronze and iron. All of them deal corruptly. ²⁹The bellows blow fiercely. The lead is consumed in the fire. In vain they go on refining, for the wicked are not plucked away. ³⁰Men will call them rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”