1
And the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]did[H6213]evil[H7451] in the sight[H5869] of the LORD[H3068]: and the LORD[H3068]delivered[H5414] them into the hand[H3027] of Midian[H4080]seven[H7651]years[H8141].
2
And the hand[H3027] of Midian[H4080]prevailed[H5810] against Israel[H3478]: and because[H6440] of the Midianites[H4080] the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]made[H6213] them the dens[H4492] which are in the mountains[H2022], and caves[H4631], and strong holds[H4679].
3
And so it was, when Israel[H3478] had sown[H2232], that the Midianites[H4080] came up[H5927], and the Amalekites[H6002], and the children[H1121] of the east[H6924], even they came up[H5927] against them;
4
And they encamped[H2583] against them, and destroyed[H7843] the increase[H2981] of the earth[H776], till thou come[H935] unto Gaza[H5804], and left[H7604] no sustenance[H4241] for Israel[H3478], neither sheep[H7716], nor ox[H7794], nor ass[H2543].
5
For they came[H935]up[H5927] with their cattle[H4735] and their tents[H168], and they came[H935]as[H1767]grasshoppers[H697] for multitude[H7230]; for both they and their camels[H1581] were without number[H4557]: and they entered[H935] into the land[H776] to destroy[H7843] it.
6
And Israel[H3478] was greatly[H3966]impoverished[H1809]because[H6440] of the Midianites[H4080]; and the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]cried[H2199] unto the LORD[H3068].
7
And it came to pass, when the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]cried[H2199] unto the LORD[H3068]because[H182] of the Midianites[H4080],
8
That the LORD[H3068]sent[H7971] a prophet[H376] unto the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478], which said[H559] unto them, Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478], I brought you up[H5927] from Egypt[H4714], and brought you forth[H3318] out of the house[H1004] of bondage[H5650];
9
And I delivered[H5337] you out[H1644] of the hand[H3027] of the Egyptians[H4714], and out[H1644] of the hand[H3027] of all that oppressed[H3905] you, and drave them out[H1644] from before[H6440] you, and gave[H5414] you their land[H776];
10
And I said[H559] unto you, I am the LORD[H3068] your God[H430]; fear[H3372] not the gods[H430] of the Amorites[H567], in whose land[H776] ye dwell[H3427]: but ye have not obeyed[H8085] my voice[H6963].
11
And there came[H935] an angel[H4397] of the LORD[H3068], and sat[H3427] under an oak[H424] which was in Ophrah[H6084], that pertained unto Joash[H3101] the Abiezrite[H33]: and his son[H1121]Gideon[H1439]threshed[H2251]wheat[H2406] by the winepress[H1660], to hide[H5127] it from[H6440] the Midianites[H4080].
12
And the angel[H4397] of the LORD[H3068]appeared[H7200] unto him, and said[H559] unto him, The LORD[H3068] is with thee, thou mighty[H1368] man of valour[H2428].
13
And Gideon[H1439]said[H559] unto him, Oh[H994] my Lord[H113], if[H3426] the LORD[H3068] be with us, why then is all this befallen[H4672] us? and where be all his miracles[H6381] which our fathers[H1]told[H5608] us of, saying[H559], Did not the LORD[H3068] bring us up[H5927] from Egypt?[H4714] but now the LORD[H3068] hath forsaken[H5203] us, and delivered[H5414] us into the hands[H3709] of the Midianites[H4080].
14
And the LORD[H3068]looked[H6437] upon him, and said[H559], Go[H3212] in this thy might[H3581], and thou shalt save[H3467]Israel[H3478] from the hand[H3709] of the Midianites[H4080]: have not I sent[H7971] thee?
15
And he said[H559] unto him, Oh[H994] my Lord[H136], wherewith[H4100] shall I save[H3467]Israel?[H3478] behold, my family[H504] is poor[H1800] in Manasseh[H4519], and I am the least[H6810] in my father's house[H1004].
16
And the LORD[H3068]said[H559] unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite[H5221] the Midianites[H4080] as one[H259]man[H376].
17
And he said[H559] unto him, If now I have found[H4672]grace[H2580] in thy sight[H5869], then shew[H6213] me a sign[H226] that thou talkest[H1696] with me.
18Depart[H4185] not hence, I pray thee, until I come[H935] unto thee, and bring forth[H3318] my present[H4503], and set[H3240] it before[H6440] thee. And he said[H559], I will tarry[H3427] until thou come[H935]again[H7725].
19
And Gideon[H1439] went in[H935], and made ready[H6213] a kid[H5795], and unleavened cakes[H4682] of an ephah[H374] of flour[H7058]: the flesh[H1320] he put[H7760]in[H935] a basket[H5536], and he put[H7760] the broth[H4839]in[H935] a pot[H6517], and brought it out[H3318] unto him under the oak[H424], and presented[H5066] it.
20
And the angel[H4397] of God[H430]said[H559] unto him, Take[H3947] the flesh[H1320] and the unleavened cakes[H4682], and lay[H3240] them upon this[H1975]rock[H5553], and pour out[H8210] the broth[H4839]. And he did[H6213] so.
21
Then the angel[H4397] of the LORD[H3068] put forth[H7971] the end[H7097] of the staff[H4938] that was in his hand[H3027], and touched[H5060] the flesh[H1320] and the unleavened cakes[H4682]; and there rose up[H5927]fire[H784] out of the rock[H6697], and consumed[H398] the flesh[H1320] and the unleavened cakes[H4682]. Then the angel[H4397] of the LORD[H3068]departed[H1980] out of his sight[H5869].
22
And when Gideon[H1439]perceived[H7200] that he was an angel[H4397] of the LORD[H3068], Gideon[H1439]said[H559], Alas[H162], O Lord[H136]GOD[H3069]! for because[H3651] I have seen[H7200] an angel[H4397] of the LORD[H3068]face[H6440] to face[H6440].
23
And the LORD[H3068]said[H559] unto him, Peace[H7965] be unto thee; fear[H3372] not: thou shalt not die[H4191].
24
Then Gideon[H1439]built[H1129] an altar[H4196] there unto the LORD[H3068], and called[H7121] it Jehovahshalom[H3073]: unto this day[H3117] it is yet in Ophrah[H6084] of the Abiezrites[H33].
25
And it came to pass the same night[H3915], that the LORD[H3068]said[H559] unto him, Take[H3947] thy father[H1]'s young[H6499]bullock[H7794], even the second[H8145]bullock[H6499] of seven[H7651] years old[H8141], and throw down[H2040] the altar[H4196] of Baal[H1168] that thy father[H1] hath, and cut down[H3772] the grove[H842] that is by it:
26
And build[H1129] an altar[H4196] unto the LORD[H3068] thy God[H430] upon the top[H7218] of this rock[H4581], in the ordered place[H4634], and take[H3947] the second[H8145]bullock[H6499], and offer[H5927] a burnt sacrifice[H5930] with the wood[H6086] of the grove[H842] which thou shalt cut down[H3772].
27
Then Gideon[H1439]took[H3947]ten[H6235]men[H582] of his servants[H5650], and did[H6213] as the LORD[H3068] had said[H1696] unto him: and so it was, because he feared[H3372] his father's household[H1004], and the men[H582] of the city[H5892], that he could not do[H6213] it by day[H3119], that he did[H6213] it by night[H3915].
28
And when the men[H582] of the city[H5892] arose early[H7925] in the morning[H1242], behold, the altar[H4196] of Baal[H1168] was cast down[H5422], and the grove[H842] was cut down[H3772] that was by it, and the second[H8145]bullock[H6499] was offered[H5927] upon the altar[H4196] that was built[H1129].
29
And they said[H559]one[H376] to another[H7453], Who hath done[H6213] this thing?[H1697] And when they enquired[H1875] and asked[H1245], they said[H559], Gideon[H1439] the son[H1121] of Joash[H3101] hath done[H6213] this thing[H1697].
30
Then the men[H582] of the city[H5892]said[H559] unto Joash[H3101], Bring out[H3318] thy son[H1121], that he may die[H4191]: because he hath cast down[H5422] the altar[H4196] of Baal[H1168], and because he hath cut down[H3772] the grove[H842] that was by it.
31
And Joash[H3101]said[H559] unto all that stood[H5975] against him, Will ye plead[H7378] for Baal?[H1168] will ye save[H3467] him? he that will plead[H7378] for him, let him be put to death[H4191] whilst it is yet morning[H1242]: if he be a god[H430], let him plead[H7378] for himself, because one hath cast down[H5422] his altar[H4196].
32
Therefore on that day[H3117] he called[H7121] him Jerubbaal[H3378], saying[H559], Let Baal[H1168]plead[H7378] against him, because he hath thrown down[H5422] his altar[H4196].
33
Then all the Midianites[H4080] and the Amalekites[H6002] and the children[H1121] of the east[H6924] were gathered[H622]together[H3162], and went over[H5674], and pitched[H2583] in the valley[H6010] of Jezreel[H3157].
34
But the Spirit[H7307] of the LORD[H3068]came[H3847] upon Gideon[H1439], and he blew[H8628] a trumpet[H7782]; and Abiezer[H44] was gathered[H2199]after[H310] him.
35
And he sent[H7971]messengers[H4397] throughout all Manasseh[H4519]; who also was gathered[H2199]after[H310] him: and he sent[H7971]messengers[H4397] unto Asher[H836], and unto Zebulun[H2074], and unto Naphtali[H5321]; and they came up[H5927] to meet[H7125] them.
36
And Gideon[H1439]said[H559] unto God[H430], If thou wilt[H3426]save[H3467]Israel[H3478] by mine hand[H3027], as thou hast said[H1696],
37
Behold, I will put[H3322] a fleece[H1492] of wool[H6785] in the floor[H1637]; and if the dew[H2919] be on the fleece[H1492] only, and it be dry[H2721] upon all the earth[H776] beside, then shall I know[H3045] that thou wilt save[H3467]Israel[H3478] by mine hand[H3027], as thou hast said[H1696].
38
And it was so: for he rose up early[H7925] on the morrow[H4283], and thrust[H2115] the fleece[H1492]together[H2115], and wringed[H4680] the dew[H2919] out of the fleece[H1492], a bowl[H5602]full[H4393] of water[H4325].
39
And Gideon[H1439]said[H559] unto God[H430], Let not thine anger[H639] be hot[H2734] against me, and I will speak[H1696] but this once[H6471]: let me prove[H5254], I pray thee, but this once[H6471] with the fleece[H1492]; let it now be dry[H2721] only upon the fleece[H1492], and upon all the ground[H776] let there be dew[H2919].
40
And God[H430]did[H6213] so that night[H3915]: for it was dry[H2721] upon the fleece[H1492] only, and there was dew[H2919] on all the ground[H776].