1 A nd the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth them into the hand 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 a nd 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.

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 A nd 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,

For when Israel had planted seeds, the Midianites and Amalekites and the people of the east would come and fight against them.

4 a nd 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;

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 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.

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

So Israel became very poor because of Midian. The people of Israel cried to the Lord.

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

The people of Israel cried to the Lord because of Midian.

8 t hat 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,

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 a nd 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,

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 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.'

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 A nd 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;

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 a nd the messenger of Jehovah appeareth unto him, and saith unto him, `Jehovah with thee, O mighty one of valour.'

The angel of the Lord showed himself to Gideon and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O powerful soldier.”

13 A nd 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.'

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 A nd 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.'

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 A nd 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.'

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 A nd Jehovah saith unto him, `Because I am with thee -- thou hast smitten the Midianites as one man.'

But the Lord said to him, “For sure I will be with you. You will destroy Midian as one man.”

17 A nd 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.

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 M ove 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.'

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 A nd 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.

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 A nd 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.

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 A nd 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.

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 A nd 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!'

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 A nd Jehovah saith to him, `Peace to thee; fear not; thou dost not die.'

The Lord said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. You will not die.”

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

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 A nd 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,

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 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.'

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 A nd 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.

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 A nd 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.

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 A nd 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.'

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 A nd 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.'

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 A nd 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.'

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 A nd he calleth him, on that day, Jerubbaal, saying, `The Baal doth plead against him, because he hath broken 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 A nd all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east have been gathered together, and pass over, and encamp 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 a nd the Spirit of Jehovah hath clothed Gideon, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and Abi-Ezer is called after him;

But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. He blew a horn and called together the Abiezerites to follow him.

35 a nd 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.

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

Then Gideon said to God, “Save Israel through me, as You have said.

37 l o, 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;'

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 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.

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 A nd 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.'

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 A nd God doth so on that night, and there is drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth there hath been dew.

God did so that night. For it was dry only on the wool. And all the ground was wet around it.