1
And the sons of Israel did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah gave them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2
And the hand of Midian became··strong against Israel; from the faces of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens◦ which are in the mountains, and caves, and forts.
3
And it was, when▫ Israel had sown, that Midian came··up and Amalek and the sons of the east, and they came··up against them;
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and they encamped against them, and destroyed the produce of the land, until thou come to Gaza, and left not in Israel anything living, neither sheep◦, nor ox, nor donkey.
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For they◦ and their livestock came··up, and their tents; they came as enough locusts for a multitude. There was no number for them and for their camels; and they came into the land to destroy her.
6
And Israel became· exceedingly ·poor because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried unto▵ Jehovah.
7
And it was, when◦ the sons of Israel cried unto▵ Jehovah, on account◦ of Midian,
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that Jehovah sent a man◦, a prophet, unto▵ the sons of Israel, and said unto them, Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: I▵ brought· you ·up from Egypt, and brought· you ·out from the house of servitude*.
9
And I rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all who subjugated you, and drove· them ·out from before you, and gave you their land.
10
And I said unto you, I◦ am Jehovah your God; fear not the gods of the Amorite in whose land you◦ dwell; but you did not obey my voice.
11
And the angel of Jehovah came and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon was beating··out wheat in the wine··press◦ to hide it* from before Midian.
12
And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto▵ him, and said unto▵ him, Jehovah is with▵ thee, thou mighty··man of valor.
13
And Gideon said to▵ him, In··me, O my Lord, and if Jehovah be◦ with us, why has all this found us? And where◦ be all His wonders, which our fathers recounted◦ to us, saying, Did not Jehovah bring· us ·up from Egypt? But now Jehovah has abandoned us, and given us into the palm of the hand of Midian.
14
And Jehovah turned· His ·face to▵ him and said, Go in this thy power, and save Israel from the hand◦ of Midian; have I not sent thee?
15
And he said unto▵ Him, In··me, O Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my thousand are the most poor in Manasseh, and I▵ am the youngest▵ in the house of my father.
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And Jehovah said unto▵ him, Because◦ I will be with▵ thee, and thou shalt smite Midian as one man◦.
17
And he said unto▵ Him, If now◦ I have··found grace in Thine eyes, then make me a sign that Thou◦ speakest with▵ me.
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Depart not hence, I pray◦ Thee, until I come unto▵ Thee, and bring··out my gift··offering and place it before Thee. And He said, I▵ will sit until thou◦ return.
19
And Gideon came··in and made ready a kid of the goats and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal; the flesh he set in a basket and the broth he set into a pan, and he brought· it ·out unto▵ Him under the oak, and presented it.
20
And the angel of God said to▵ him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and place them on this rock◦, and spill··out the broth. And he did so.
21
And the angel of Jehovah put··forth◦ the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the fire went··up, fire from the rock, and devoured the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of Jehovah was gone◦ from before his eyes.
22
And Gideon saw that he◦ was the angel of Jehovah, and Gideon said, Alas, Lord Jehovih*, forasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to▵ face.
23
And Jehovah said unto him, Peace unto thee; fear not; thou shalt not die.
24
And Gideon built an altar there unto Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom; to◦ this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrite.
25
And it was that◦ night, that Jehovah said to him, Take the bullock of the ox which is of thy father, and the second bullock of seven years, and break··down the altar of Baal that thy father has, and cut··off the grove which is by◦ it.
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And build an altar to Jehovah thy God on the head of this stronghold, in array, and take the second bullock and offer··up a burnt··offering with the wood of the grove which thou◦ shalt cut··off.
27
And Gideon took ten men◦ of his servants, and did as◦ Jehovah had spoken unto▵ him; and it was, because he feared the house of his father, and the men◦ of the city, that he did not do it by··day, but did it by night.
28
And the men◦ of the city got··up··early in the morning, and behold, the altar of Baal was torn··down, and the grove was cut··off that was by◦ it, and the second bullock was offered··up on the altar that was built.
29
And they said, a man◦ unto▵ his companion, Who has done this thing? and they inquired and sought it out, and said, Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.
30
And the men◦ of the city said unto▵ Joash, Bring··out thy son that he may··die, because◦ he has torn··down the altar of Baal, and because◦ he has cut··off the grove that was by◦ it.
31
And Joash said unto all who stood by◦ him, Will you◦ strive for Baal, will you◦ save him? He who will strive for him, let him be··put··to··death this morning; if he◦ be a god, let him strive for himself, because one has torn··down his altar.
32
And on that◦ day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal strive against him, because◦ one has torn··down his altar.
33
And all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east were gathered together, and crossed··over and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
34
And the spirit of Jehovah filled Gideon, and he sounded a shophar* and Abiezer was called··up after him.
35
And he sent messengers into all Manasseh, and they also were called··up after him, and he◦ sent messengers into Asher and into Zebulun and into Naphtali, and they came··up to meet him.
36
And Gideon said to▵ God, If it is◦ so, that Thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as◦ Thou hast spoken,
37
Behold, I▵ will place◦ a fleece of wool in the threshing··floor; if the dew be on the fleece alone, and on all the earth it be dry◦, then◦ shall I know that Thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as◦ Thou hast spoken.
38
And it was so; and he got··up··early on the morrow, and he compressed the fleece, and pressed· the dew ·out from the fleece, a dish◦ full of water.
39
And Gideon said to▵ God, Let not Thine anger be··fierce against me, and I will speak only▵ this time◦. Let me tempt only this time◦ with the fleece: let it now◦ be dry◦ only on the fleece, and on all the earth let there be dew.
40
And God did so in that◦ night, and it was dry◦ on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the earth.
