Judges 6

1 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years.

And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

2 The power of Midian oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the people of Israel made shelters for themselves from the dens in the hills, the caves, and the strongholds.

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

3 It happened that any time the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people from the east would attack the Israelites.

And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the sons of the east, they came up against them.

4 They would set up their army on the land and destroy the crops, all the way to Gaza. They would leave no food in Israel, and no sheep, nor cattle or donkeys.

And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come to Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.

5 Whenever they and their livestock and tents came up, they would come as a swarm of locusts, and it was impossible to count either the people or their camels. They invaded the land in order to destroy it.

For they came up with their cattle and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number, and they came into the land to destroy it.

6 Midian weakened the Israelites so severely that the people of Israel called out to Yahweh.

And Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah.

7 When the people of Israel called out to Yahweh because of Midian,

And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah because of Midian,

8 Yahweh sent a prophet to the people of Israel. The prophet said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought you up from Egypt; I brought you out of the house of slavery.

that Jehovah sent a prophet to the sons of Israel. And he said to them, Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage.

9 I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all who were oppressing you. I drove them out before you, and I gave you their land.

And 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.

10 I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God; I commanded you not to worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” But you have not obeyed my voice.'”

And I said to you, I am Jehovah your God. Ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell, but ye have not hearkened to my voice.

11 Now the angel of Yahweh came and sat under the oak in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash (the Abiezrite), while Gideon, Joash's son, was separating out the wheat by beating it on the floor, in the winepress—to hide it from the Midianites.

And the agent of Jehovah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah that pertained to Joash the Abiezrite. And his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

12 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you strong warrior!”

And the agent of Jehovah appeared to him, and said to him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.

13 Gideon said to him, “Oh, my master, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers told us about, when they said, 'Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?' But now Yahweh has abandoned us and gave us into the hand of Midian.”

And Gideon said to him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, then why has all this befallen us? And where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? But now Jehovah has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

14 Yahweh looked at him and said, “Go in the strength you already have. Deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”

And Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent thee?

15 Gideon said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? See, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important in my father's house.”

And he said to him, Oh, Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

16 Yahweh said to him, “I will be with you, and you will defeat the entire Midianite army as one man.”

And Jehovah said to him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shall smite the Midianites as one man.

17 Gideon said to him, “If you are pleased with me, then give me a sign that it is you who is speaking to me.

And he said to him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou who talk with me.

18 Please, do not leave here, until I come to you and bring out my gift and set it before you.” Yahweh said, “I will wait until you return.”

Depart not from here, I pray thee, until I come to thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat and from an ephah of flour he made unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot and brought them to him under the oak tree, and presented them.

And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the flesh in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.

20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and put them on this rock, and pour out the broth over them.” That is what Gideon did.

And the agent of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

21 Then the angel of Yahweh reached out with the end of the staff in his hand. With it he touched the flesh and the unleavened bread; a fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of Yahweh went away and Gideon could no longer see him.

Then the agent of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the agent of Jehovah departed out of his sight.

22 Gideon understood that this was the angel of Yahweh. Gideon said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! For I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face!”

And Gideon saw that he was the agent of Jehovah. And Gideon said, Alas, O lord Jehovah! Inasmuch as I have seen the agent of Jehovah face to face.

23 Yahweh said to him, “Peace to you! Do not be afraid, you will not die.”

And Jehovah said to him, Peace be to thee. Fear not; thou shall not die.

24 So Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh. He called it, “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it still stands at Ophrah of the clan of Abiezer.

Then Gideon built an altar there to Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom. To this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 That night Yahweh said to him, “Take your father's bull, and a second bull that is seven years old, and pull apart the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it.

And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said to him, Take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.

26 Build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this place of refuge, and construct it the correct way. Offer the second bull as a burnt offering, using the wood from the Asherah that you cut down.”

And build an altar to Jehovah thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shall cut down.

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as Yahweh had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the town to do it during the day, he did it at night.

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had spoken to him. And it came to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

28 In the morning when the men of the town got up, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar that had been built.

And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

29 The men of the city said to one another, “Who has done this?” When they talked with others and searched for answers, they said, “Gideon son of Joash has done this thing.”

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

30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son so that he may be put to death, because he pulled apart the altar of Baal, and because he cut down the Asherah beside it.”

Then the men of the city said to Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.

31 Joash said to all who opposed him, “Will you plead the case for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever pleads the case for him, let him be put to death while it is still morning. If Baal is a god, let him defend himself when someone pulls his altar apart.”

And Joash said to all who stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or will ye save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death while it is morning. If he be a god, let him contend for himself because he has broken down his altar.

32 Therefore on that day they called Gideon “Jerub Baal,” because he said, “Let Baal defend himself against him,” because Gideon broke down Baal's altar.

Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him because he has broken down his altar.

33 Now all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the people of the east gathered together. They crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves together. And they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.

34 But the Spirit of Yahweh came over Gideon. Gideon blew a trumpet, calling out the clan of Abiezer, so they might follow him.

But the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered together after him.

35 He sent messengers all throughout Manasseh, and they too, were called out to follow him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet him.

And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together after him. And he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

36 Gideon said to God, “If you intend to use me to save Israel, as you have said—

And Gideon said to God, If thou will save Israel by my hand, as thou have spoken,

37 Look, I am putting a woolen fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said.”

behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor. If there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then I shall know that thou will save Israel by my hand as thou have spoken.

38 This is what happened—Gideon rose early the next morning, he pressed the fleece together, and wrung out the dew from the fleece, enough to fill a bowl with water.

And it was so, for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, I will speak one more time. Please allow me one more test using the fleece. This time make the fleece dry, and let there be dew on all the ground around it.”

And Gideon said to God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me make trial, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.

40 God did what he asked for that night. The fleece was dry, and there was dew on all the ground around it.

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