Then the sons of Israel
adid
what
was evil
in the sight
of the LORD
; and the LORD
gave
them into the hands
of bMidian
seven
years
.
The 1power of Midian
prevailed
against
Israel
. Because
of Midian
the sons
of Israel
made
for themselves athe dens
which
were in the mountains
and the caves
and the strongholds
.
For it was when Israel
had sown
, that the Midianites
would come
up with the Amalekites
and the sons
of the east
and 1go
against
them.
So they would camp against
them and adestroy
the produce
of the earth
1as far
as Gaza
, and bleave
no
sustenance
in Israel
as well as no sheep
, ox
, or donkey
.
For they would come up with their livestock
and their tents
, they would come
in alike locusts
for number
, both they and their camels
were innumerable
; and they came
into the land
to devastate
it.
So Israel was brought
avery
low
because
of Midian
, and the sons
of Israel
cried
to the LORD
.
Now it came about when
the sons
of Israel
cried
to the LORD
on account
of Midian
,
that the LORD sent
a prophet
to the sons
of Israel
, and ahe said
to them, "Thus
says
the LORD
, the God
of Israel
, `It was I who brought
you up from Egypt
and brought
you out from the house
of 1slavery
.
`I delivered you from the hands
of the Egyptians
and from the hands
of all
your oppressors
, and dispossessed
them before
you and gave
you their land
,
and I said to you, "I am the LORD
your God
; you ashall not fear
the gods
of the Amorites
in whose
land
you live
. But you have not 1obeyed
Me.""'
Then athe angel of the LORD
came
and sat
under
the 1oak
that was in Ophrah
, which
belonged to Joash
the bAbiezrite
as his son
cGideon
was beating
out wheat
in the wine
press
in order to save
it from the Midianites
.
The angel of the LORD
appeared
to him and said
to him, "The LORD
is with you, O valiant
warrior
."
Then Gideon said
to him, "O
my lord
, if the LORD
is with us, why
then has all
this
happened
to us? And where
are all
His miracles
which
our fathers
told
us about, saying
, `Did not the LORD
bring
us up from Egypt
?' But anow
the LORD
has abandoned
us and given
us into the hand
of Midian
."
The LORD 1looked
at him and said
, " aGo
in this
your strength
and deliver
Israel
from the hand
of Midian
. Have I not sent
you?"
aHe said to Him, "O
Lord
, 1how
shall I deliver
Israel
? Behold
, my family
is the least
in bManasseh
, and I am the youngest
in my father's
house
."
aBut the LORD said
to him, "Surely
I will be with you, and you shall 1defeat
Midian
as one
man
."
So 1Gideon said to Him, "If
now
I have found
favor
in Your sight
, then show
me aa sign
that it is You who speak
with me.
"Please do not depart
from here
, until
I come
back to You, and bring
out my offering
and lay
it before
You." And He said
, "I will remain
until
you return
."
Then Gideon went
in and aprepared
a young
goat
and unleavened
bread
from an 1ephah
of flour
; he put
the meat
in a basket
2and the broth
in a pot
, and brought
them out to him under
the 3oak
and presented
them.
The angel of God
said
to him, "Take
the meat
and the unleavened
bread
and lay
them on this
rock
, and pour
out the broth
." And he did
so
.
Then the angel of the LORD
put
out the end
of the staff
that was in his hand
and touched
the meat
and the unleavened
bread
; and afire
sprang
up from the rock
and consumed
the meat
and the unleavened
bread
. Then the angel
of the LORD
1vanished
from his sight
.
aWhen Gideon saw
that he was the angel
of the LORD
, 1he said
, "Alas
, O Lord
2GOD
! For now
I have seen
the angel
of the LORD
face
to face
."
The LORD said
to him, "Peace
to you, do not fear
; you shall not die
."
Then Gideon built
an altar
there
to the LORD
and named
it 1The LORD
is Peace
. To this
day
it is still
ain Ophrah
of the Abiezrites
.
Now on the same night
the LORD
said
to him, "Take
your father's
bull
1and a second
bull
seven
years
old, and pull
down
the altar
of Baal
which
belongs to your father
, and cut
down
the 2 aAsherah
that is beside
it;
and build an altar
to the LORD
your God
on the top
of this
stronghold
in an orderly
manner
, and take
a second
bull
and offer
a burnt
offering
with the wood
of the Asherah
which
you shall cut
down
."
Then Gideon took
ten
men
of his servants
and did
as the LORD
had spoken
to him; and because
he was too afraid
of his father's
household
and the men
of the city
to do
it by day
, he did
it by night
.
When the men of the city
arose
early
in the morning
, behold
, the altar
of Baal
was torn
down
, and the Asherah
which
was beside
it was cut
down
, and the second
bull
was offered
on the altar
which had been built
.
They said to one
another
, "Who
did
this
thing
?" And when they searched
about and inquired
, they said
, "Gideon
the son
of Joash
did
this
thing
."
Then the men of the city
said
to Joash
, "Bring
out your son
, that he may die
, for he has torn
down
the altar
of Baal
, and indeed
, he has cut
down
the Asherah
which
was beside
it."
But Joash said
to all
who
stood
against
him, "Will you contend
for Baal
, or
will you deliver
him? Whoever
will 1plead
for him shall be put
to death
by morning
. If
he is a god
, let him contend
for himself, because
someone has torn
down
his altar
."
Therefore on that day he named
him aJerubbaal
, that is to say
, "Let Baal
contend
against him," because
he had torn
down
his altar
.
Then all the Midianites
and the Amalekites
and the sons
of the east
assembled
themselves; and they crossed
over
and camped
in athe valley
of Jezreel
.
So athe Spirit of the LORD
1came
upon Gideon
; and he bblew
a trumpet
, and the Abiezrites
were called
together
to follow
him.
He sent messengers
throughout
Manasseh
, and they also
were called
together
to follow
him; and he sent
messengers
to Asher
, aZebulun
, and Naphtali
, and bthey came
up to meet
them.
Then Gideon said
to God
, " aIf
You will
deliver
Israel
1through
me, as You have spoken
,
behold, I will put
a fleece
of wool
on the threshing
floor
. If
there is dew
on the fleece
only
, and it is dry
on all
the ground
, then I will know
that You will deliver
Israel
1through
me, as You have spoken
."
And it was so. When he arose
early
the next
morning
and squeezed
the fleece
, he drained
the dew
from the fleece
, a bowl
full
of water
.
Then Gideon said
to God
, " aDo not let Your anger
burn
against me that I may speak
once
more
; please
let me make
a test
once
more
with the fleece
, let it now
be dry
only
on the fleece
, and let there be dew
on all
the ground
."
God did
so
that night
; for it was dry
only
on the fleece
, and dew
was on all
the ground
.