1 T hen the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.
Then the people of Israel sinned in the eyes of the Lord. And the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian for seven years.
2 T he power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.
Midian was stronger than Israel. Because of Midian the people of Israel made big caves in the sides of the mountains where they could live which were safe places for themselves.
3 F or it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them.
For when Israel had planted seeds, the Midianites and Amalekites and the people of the east would come and fight against them.
4 S o they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey.
They would set up their tents beside them and destroy the food of the field as far as Gaza. They would leave no food for Israel, and no sheep, cattle or donkeys.
5 F or they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it.
They would come with their animals and their tents. They were like locusts, there were so many of them. There were too many of them and their camels to number. And they came into the land to destroy it.
6 S o Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord.
So Israel became very poor because of Midian. The people of Israel cried to the Lord.
7 N ow it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord on account of Midian,
The people of Israel cried to the Lord because of Midian.
8 t hat the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he 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 slavery.
And the Lord sent a man to speak for Him to the people of Israel. The man said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I brought you here from Egypt. I brought you out of the house where you were made to work.
9 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,
I set you free from the power of the Egyptians and from the hands of all who made it hard for you. I drove them away from in front of you and gave you their land.
10 a nd I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me.”’” Gideon Is Visited
I said to you, “I am the Lord your God. Do not be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live.” But you have not obeyed Me.’”
11 T hen the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.
Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. The angel came as Joash’s son Gideon was beating out grain where grapes are crushed, to save it from the Midianites.
12 T he angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.”
The angel of the Lord showed himself to Gideon and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O powerful soldier.”
13 T hen 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 abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
Gideon said to him, “O sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His powerful works which our fathers told us about? They said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has left us alone. He has put us under the power of Midian.”
14 T he Lord looked at him and said, “ Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”
The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this strength of yours. And save Israel from the power of Midian. Have I not sent you?”
15 H e said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
Gideon said to Him, “O Lord, how can I save Israel? See, my family is the least in Manasseh. And I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
16 B ut the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”
But the Lord said to him, “For sure I will be with you. You will destroy Midian as one man.”
17 S o Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me.
Gideon said to Him, “If I have found favor in Your eyes, show me something to prove that it is You Who speaks with me.
18 P lease 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.”
I ask of You, do not leave here until I return to You with my gift and lay it before You.” And the Lord said, “I will stay until you return.”
19 T hen Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.
Then Gideon went into his house and got a young goat ready. He made bread without yeast from a basket of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the water from boiling the meat in a pot. Then he brought them out to him under the tree and set them down in front of him.
20 T he 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.
The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the bread without yeast and lay them on this rock. Then pour out the water.” Gideon did so.
21 T hen 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 sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.
The angel of the Lord put out the end of the stick that was in his hand and touched the meat and the bread without yeast. And fire came up from the rock and burned up the meat and the bread without yeast. Then the angel of the Lord was seen no more.
22 W hen Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”
So Gideon knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And he said, “I am afraid, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”
23 T he Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.”
The Lord said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. You will not die.”
24 T hen Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord. He gave it the name, The Lord is Peace. It is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites to this day.
25 N ow on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it;
That same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old. Use them to pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father. And cut down the tree of the false goddess Asherah that is beside it.
26 a nd 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.”
Build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this strong place. Set the stones in the right way. Then take a second bull and give a burnt gift. Use the wood of the tree of the false goddess Asherah which you cut down.”
27 T hen 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. The Altar of Baal Destroyed
Gideon took ten of his servants and did what the Lord had told him to do. But he was too afraid of those of his father’s house and the men of the city to do it during the day. So he did it during the night.
28 W hen 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.
When the men of the city got up early in the morning, they saw that the altar of Baal was torn down. They saw that the false goddess Asherah which was beside it was cut down. And the second bull was given on the altar which had been built.
29 T hey 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.”
The men said to one another, “Who did this?” After they had looked around and asked, they were told, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.”
30 T hen 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.”
Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so he may die. For he has torn down the altar of Baal. And he has cut down our goddess Asherah which was beside it.”
31 B ut Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead 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.”
But Joash said to all who were gathered against him, “Will you fight for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever will fight for him will be put to death this morning. If he is a god, let him fight for himself because someone has torn down his altar.”
32 T herefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.
So on that day he gave Gideon the name Jerubbaal, which means, “Let Baal fight against him.” Because he tore down his altar.
33 T hen all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel.
Then all the Midianites and Amalekites and people of the east gathered together. They crossed the Jordan and set up their tents in the valley of Jezreel.
34 S o the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him.
But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. He blew a horn and called together the Abiezerites to follow him.
35 H e sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them. Sign of the Fleece
He sent men with news to go through Manasseh. And the Manassites were called together to follow him. He sent men with news to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali. And they came to meet him.
36 T hen Gideon said to God, “ If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken,
Then Gideon said to God, “Save Israel through me, as You have said.
37 b ehold, 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 through me, as You have spoken.”
See, I will put wool on the floor where grain is crushed. If the wool is wet, and it is dry on the ground, I will know that You will save Israel through me, as You have said.”
38 A nd 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.
It was so. Gideon got up early the next morning and took the wool in his hand. Enough water poured from the wool to fill a pot.
39 T hen Gideon said to God, “ Do 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.”
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me for speaking to You once again. Let me make one more test with the wool. Let it be dry only on the wool. And let the ground be wet all around it.”
40 G od did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.
God did so that night. For it was dry only on the wool. And all the ground was wet around it.