1 ¶ And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hands of Midian for seven years.

Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,

2 A nd the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel, and because of the Midianites the sons of Israel made dens in the mountains and caves and strongholds.

and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains.

3 F or when those of Israel had sown, the Midianites would come up and the Amalekites and the sons of the east. They would come up against them

So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.

4 a nd encamp against them and destroy the fruits of the earth as far as Gaza, and they would leave nothing to eat in Israel neither sheep nor ox nor ass.

Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey.

5 F or they would come up with their livestock and their tents in a great multitude like locusts, for there was no number in them nor in their camels, and they would enter into the land destroying it.

For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it.

6 A nd Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD.

So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.

7 ¶ And when the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,

And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites,

8 t he LORD sent a prophet unto the sons of Israel who said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt and brought you forth out of the house of slavery;

that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage;

9 I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all that oppressed you and drove them out from before you and gave you their land;

and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land.

10 a nd I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell, but ye have not heard my voice.

Also I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not obeyed My voice.’” Gideon

11 ¶ And the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah that pertained unto Joash, the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.

12 A nd the angel of the LORD appeared unto him and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

13 A nd Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this befallen us? And where are all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

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 now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

14 A nd the LORD looked upon him and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Do I not send thee?

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

15 T hen he replied unto him, Oh my Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

16 A nd the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

17 A nd he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou hast spoken with me.

Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me.

18 D o not depart from here, I pray thee, until I come unto thee and bring forth my present and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”

19 A nd Gideon went in and made ready a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour; the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot and brought it out unto him under the oak and presented it.

So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them.

20 A nd the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and lay them upon this rock and pour out the broth. And he did so.

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.

21 T hen the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

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 fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.

22 A nd when Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.

Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”

23 A nd the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; do not fear, thou shalt not die.

Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.”

24 T hen Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD and called it The LORD is the Peace, unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The- Lord - Is -Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 ¶ And it came to pass the same night that the LORD said unto him, Take a bullock of thy father’s house and a second bullock seven years old and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father has and cut down the grove that is by it

Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it;

26 a nd build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, according to due order, and take the second bullock and offer a burnt sacrifice upon the wood of the grove which thou shall have cut down.

and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”

27 T hen Gideon took ten men of his slaves and did as the LORD had said unto him. But he feared to do it by day because of his father’s family and the men of the city, so he did it by night.

So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night. Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

28 A nd when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, there was the altar of Baal, torn down; and the wooden image that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was being offered on the altar which had been built.

29 A nd they said one to another, Who has done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon, the son of Joash, has done this thing.

So they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And when they had inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”

30 T hen the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son that he may die because he has cast down the altar of Baal and because he has cut down the grove that was by it.

Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was beside it.”

31 A nd Joash replied unto all that stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Will ye save him? Whoever will contend for him, let him be put to death while it is yet morning; if he is God, let him contend for himself with the one who has cast down his altar.

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!”

32 T herefore, on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him because he has thrown down his altar.

Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, “Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar.”

33 ¶ Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east gathered themselves together as one and went over and pitched camp in the valley of Jezreel.

Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34 A nd the Spirit of the LORD clothed himself in Gideon, who when he had blown the shofar, Abiezer joined with him.

But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.

35 A nd he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh who also joined with him; likewise he sent messengers unto Asher and unto Zebulun and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. The Sign of the Fleece

36 A nd Gideon said unto God, Wilt thou save Israel by my hand as thou hast said?

So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—

37 B ehold, I will put a fleece of wool in the threshing floor; and if the dew is on the fleece only and it is dry upon all the earth beside it, then I shall know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand as thou hast said.

look, I shall 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 shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”

38 A nd it was so, for he rose up early in the morning, and wringing the fleece, he took the dew out of it, a bowl full of water.

And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.

39 B ut Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me if I speak again on this occasion; only let me prove again now with the fleece. I pray thee, let it be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.”

40 A nd God did so that night for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.