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.

And the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth them into the hand of Midian 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 is strong against Israel, from the presence of Midian have the sons of Israel made for themselves the flowings which in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

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

And it hath been, if Israel hath sowed, that Midian hath come up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east, yea, they have come up against him,

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.

and encamp against them, and destroy the increase of the land till thine entering Gaza; and they leave no sustenance in Israel, either sheep, or ox, or ass;

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 and their cattle come up, with their tents; they come in as the fulness of the locust for multitude, and of them and of their cattle there is no number, and they come into 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.

And Israel is very weak from the presence of Midian, and the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah.

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

And it cometh to pass when the sons of Israel have cried unto Jehovah, concerning Midian,

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 Jehovah sendeth a man, a prophet, unto the sons of Israel, and he saith to them, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I -- I have brought you up out of Egypt, and I bring you out from a house of servants,

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 deliver you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all your oppressors, and I cast them out from your presence, and I give to 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.

and I say to you, I Jehovah your God, ye do not fear the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are dwelling: -- and ye have not hearkened to My voice.'

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.

And the messenger of Jehovah cometh and sitteth under the oak which in Ophrah, which to Joash the Abi-Ezrite, and Gideon his son is beating out wheat in the wine-press, to remove from the presence of 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 messenger of Jehovah appeareth unto him, and saith unto him, `Jehovah with thee, O mighty one of valour.'

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.

And Gideon saith unto him, `O, my lord -- and Jehovah is with us! -- and why hath all this found us? and where all His wonders which our fathers recounted to us, saying, Hath not Jehovah brought us up out of Egypt? and now Jehovah hath left us, and doth give us into the hand of Midian.'

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?

And Jehovah turneth unto him and saith, `Go in this -- thy power; and thou hast saved Israel out of the hand of Midian -- have not I sent thee.'

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.

And he saith unto him, `O, my lord, wherewith do I save Israel? lo, my chief weak in Manasseh, and I the least in the house of my father.'

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

And Jehovah saith unto him, `Because I am with thee -- thou hast smitten 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.

And he saith unto Him, `If, I pray Thee, I have found grace in Thine eyes, then Thou hast done for me a sign that Thou art speaking 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.

Move not, I pray Thee, from this, till my coming in unto Thee, and I have brought out my present, and put it before Thee;' and he saith, `I -- I do abide till thy return.'

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.

And Gideon hath gone in, and prepareth a kid of the goats, and of an ephah of flour unleavened things; the flesh he hath put in a basket, and the broth he hath put in a pot, and he bringeth out unto Him, unto the place of the oak, and bringeth nigh.

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.

And the messenger of God saith unto him, `Take the flesh and the unleavened things, and place on this rock -- and the broth pour out;' and he doth 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.

And the messenger of Jehovah putteth forth the end of the staff which in His hand, and cometh against the flesh, and against the unleavened things, and the fire goeth up out of the rock and consumeth the flesh and the unleavened things -- and the messenger of Jehovah hath gone from his eyes.

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.

And Gideon seeth that He a messenger of Jehovah, and Gideon saith, `Alas, Lord Jehovah! because that I have seen a messenger of Jehovah face to face!'

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

And Jehovah saith to him, `Peace to thee; fear not; thou dost 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.

And Gideon buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and calleth it Jehovah-Shalom, unto this day it yet in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites.

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

And it cometh to pass, on that night, that Jehovah saith to him, `Take the young ox which to thy father, and the second bullock of seven years, and thou hast thrown down the altar of Baal which to thy father, and the shrine which by it thou dost cut down,

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 thou hast built an altar to Jehovah thy God on the top of this stronghold, by the arrangement, and hast taken the second bullock, and caused to ascend a burnt-offering with the wood of the shrine which thou cuttest 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.

And Gideon taketh ten men of his servants, and doth as Jehovah hath spoken unto him, and it cometh to pass, because he hath been afraid of the house of his father, and the men of the city, to do by day, that he doth by night.

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 the men of the city rise early in the morning, and lo, broken down hath been the altar of Baal, and the shrine which is by it hath been cut down, and the second bullock hath been offered on the altar which is 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.

And they say one to another, `Who hath done this thing?' and they inquire and seek, and they say, `Gideon son of Joash hath 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.

And the men of the city say unto Joash, `Bring out thy son, and he dieth, because he hath broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the shrine which by 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.

And Joash saith to all who have stood against him, `Ye, do ye plead for Baal? ye -- do ye save him? he who pleadeth for him is put to death during the morning; if he a god he himself doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.'

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

And he calleth him, on that day, Jerubbaal, saying, `The Baal doth plead against him, because he hath broken 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.

And all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east have been gathered together, and pass over, and encamp 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.

and the Spirit of Jehovah hath clothed Gideon, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and Abi-Ezer is called after 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 messengers he hath sent into all Manasseh, and it also is called after him; and messengers he hath sent into Asher, and into Zebulun, and into Naphtali, and they come up to meet them.

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

And Gideon saith unto God, `If Thou art Saviour of Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken,

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.

lo, I am placing the fleece of wool in the threshing-floor: if dew is on the fleece alone, and on all the earth drought -- then I have known that Thou dost save Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken;'

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 is so, and he riseth early on the morrow, and presseth the fleece, and wringeth dew out of the fleece -- the fulness of the bowl, 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.

And Gideon saith unto God, `Let not Thine anger burn against me, and I speak only this time; let me try, I pray Thee, only this time with the fleece -- let there be, I pray Thee, drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth 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 doth so on that night, and there is drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth there hath been dew.