¹ καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ισραηλ τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοὺς κύριος ἐν χειρὶ μαδιαμ ἑπτὰ ἔτη

² καὶ ἴσχυσεν χεὶρ μαδιαμ ἐπὶ ισραηλ καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ υἱοὶ ισραηλ ἀπὸ προσώπου μαδιαμ τὰς τρυμαλιὰς τὰς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν καὶ τὰ σπήλαια καὶ τὰ κρεμαστά

³ καὶ ἐγένετο ἐὰν ἔσπειραν οἱ υἱοὶ ισραηλ καὶ ἀνέβαιναν μαδιαμ καὶ αμαληκ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνανέβαινον αὐτοῖς

⁴ καὶ παρενέβαλον εἰς αὐτοὺς καὶ κατέφθειραν τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῶν ἕως ἐλθεῖν εἰς γάζαν καὶ οὐ κατέλιπον ὑπόστασιν ζωῆς ἐν τῇ γῇ ισραηλ οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ποιμνίοις ταῦρον καὶ ὄνον

⁵ ὅτι αὐτοὶ καὶ αἱ κτήσεις αὐτῶν ἀνέβαινον καὶ αἱ σκηναὶ αὐτῶν παρεγίνοντο καθὼς ἀκρὶς εἰς πλῆθος καὶ αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς καμήλοις αὐτῶν οὐκ ἦν ἀριθμός καὶ ἤρχοντο εἰς τὴν γῆν ισραηλ καὶ διέφθειρον αὐτήν

⁶ καὶ ἐπτώχευσεν ισραηλ σφόδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου μαδιαμ καὶ ἐβόησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ισραηλ πρὸς κύριον

⁷ ἀπὸ προσώπου μαδιαμ

⁸ καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν κύριος ἄνδρα προφήτην πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς ισραηλ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ισραηλ ἐγώ εἰμι ὃς ἀνήγαγον ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐξήγαγον ὑμᾶς ἐξ οἴκου δουλείας ὑμῶν

⁹ καὶ ἐρρυσάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν θλιβόντων ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς ἐκ προσώπου ὑμῶν καὶ ἔδωκα ὑμῖν τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν

¹⁰ καὶ εἶπα ὑμῖν ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν οὐ φοβηθήσεσθε τοὺς θεοὺς τοῦ αμορραίου ἐν οἷς ὑμεῖς καθήσεσθε ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν καὶ οὐκ εἰσηκούσατε τῆς φωνῆς μου

¹¹ καὶ ἦλθεν ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὑπὸ τὴν τερέμινθον τὴν ἐν εφραθα τὴν ιωας πατρὸς τοῦ εσδρι καὶ γεδεων υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ῥαβδίζων σῖτον ἐν ληνῷ εἰς ἐκφυγεῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ μαδιαμ

¹² καὶ ὤφθη αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν κύριος μετὰ σοῦ ἰσχυρὸς τῶν δυνάμεων

¹³ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν γεδεων ἐν ἐμοί κύριέ μου καὶ εἰ ἔστιν κύριος μεθ' ἡμῶν εἰς τί εὗρεν ἡμᾶς τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα καὶ ποῦ ἐστιν πάντα τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ ἃ διηγήσαντο ἡμῖν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν λέγοντες μὴ οὐχὶ ἐξ αἰγύπτου ἀνήγαγεν ἡμᾶς κύριος καὶ νῦν ἐξέρριψεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς ἐν χειρὶ μαδιαμ

¹⁴ καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ εἶπεν πορεύου ἐν ἰσχύι σου ταύτῃ καὶ σώσεις τὸν ισραηλ ἐκ χειρὸς μαδιαμ ἰδοὺ ἐξαπέστειλά σε

¹⁵ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν γεδεων ἐν ἐμοί κύριέ μου ἐν τίνι σώσω τὸν ισραηλ ἰδοὺ ἡ χιλιάς μου ἠσθένησεν ἐν μανασση καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ μικρότερος ἐν οἴκῳ πατρός μου

¹⁶ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου κύριος ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ καὶ πατάξεις τὴν μαδιαμ ὡσεὶ ἄνδρα ἕνα

¹⁷ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν γεδεων εἰ δὲ εὗρον ἔλεος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ ποιήσεις μοι σήμερον πᾶν ὅ τι ἐλάλησας μετ' ἐμοῦ

¹⁸ μὴ χωρισθῇς ἐντεῦθεν ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν με πρὸς σέ καὶ ἐξοίσω τὴν θυσίαν καὶ θήσω ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ εἶπεν ἐγώ εἰμι καθίομαι ἕως τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι σε

¹⁹ καὶ γεδεων εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ἐποίησεν ἔριφον αἰγῶν καὶ οιφι ἀλεύρου ἄζυμα καὶ τὰ κρέα ἔθηκεν ἐν τῷ κοφίνῳ καὶ τὸν ζωμὸν ἔβαλεν ἐν τῇ χύτρᾳ καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν αὐτὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὴν τερέμινθον καὶ προσήγγισεν

²⁰ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ λαβὲ τὰ κρέα καὶ τὰ ἄζυμα καὶ θὲς πρὸς τὴν πέτραν ἐκείνην καὶ τὸν ζωμὸν ἐχόμενα ἔκχεε καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως

²¹ καὶ ἐξέτεινεν ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου τῆς ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἥψατο τῶν κρεῶν καὶ τῶν ἀζύμων καὶ ἀνέβη πῦρ ἐκ τῆς πέτρας καὶ κατέφαγεν τὰ κρέα καὶ τοὺς ἀζύμους καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἐπορεύθη ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ

²² καὶ εἶδεν γεδεων ὅτι ἄγγελος κυρίου οὗτός ἐστιν καὶ εἶπεν γεδεων ἆ ἆ κύριέ μου κύριε ὅτι εἶδον ἄγγελον κυρίου πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον

²³ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος εἰρήνη σοι μὴ φοβοῦ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς

²⁴ καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ γεδεων θυσιαστήριον τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἐπεκάλεσεν αὐτῷ εἰρήνη κυρίου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ἐν εφραθα πατρὸς τοῦ εσδρι

²⁵ καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος λαβὲ τὸν μόσχον τὸν ταῦρον ὅς ἐστιν τῷ πατρί σου καὶ μόσχον δεύτερον ἑπταετῆ καὶ καθελεῖς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ βααλ ὅ ἐστιν τῷ πατρί σου καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ' αὐτὸ ὀλεθρεύσεις

²⁶ καὶ οἰκοδομήσεις θυσιαστήριον κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου ἐπὶ κορυφὴν τοῦ μαουεκ τούτου ἐν τῇ παρατάξει καὶ λήμψῃ τὸν μόσχον τὸν δεύτερον καὶ ἀνοίσεις ὁλοκαύτωμα ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τοῦ ἄλσους οὗ ἐξολεθρεύσεις

²⁷ καὶ ἔλαβεν γεδεων δέκα ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν δούλων ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ὃν τρόπον ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτὸν κύριος καὶ ἐγενήθη ὡς ἐφοβήθη τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας τῆς πόλεως τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἡμέρας καὶ ἐποίησεν νυκτός

²⁸ καὶ ὤρθρισαν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως τὸ πρωί καὶ ἰδοὺ καθῄρητο τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ βααλ καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ὠλέθρευτο καὶ εἶδαν τὸν μόσχον τὸν δεύτερον ὃν ἀνήνεγκεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ᾠκοδομημένον

²⁹ καὶ εἶπεν ἀνὴρ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ τίς ἐποίησεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καὶ ἐπεζήτησαν καὶ ἠρεύνησαν καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι γεδεων υἱὸς ιωας ἐποίησεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο

³⁰ καὶ εἶπον οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως πρὸς ιωας ἐξένεγκε τὸν υἱόν σου καὶ ἀποθανέτω ὅτι καθεῖλεν τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ βααλ καὶ ὅτι ὠλέθρευσεν τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ

³¹ καὶ εἶπεν ιωας τοῖς ἀνδράσιν πᾶσιν οἳ ἐπανέστησαν αὐτῷ μὴ ὑμεῖς νῦν δικάζεσθε ὑπὲρ τοῦ βααλ ἢ ὑμεῖς σώσετε αὐτόν ὃς ἐὰν δικάσηται αὐτῷ θανατωθήτω ἕως πρωί εἰ θεός ἐστιν δικαζέσθω αὐτῷ ὅτι καθεῖλεν τὸ θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ

³² καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ιαρβααλ λέγων δικασάσθω ἐν αὐτῷ ὁ βααλ ὅτι καθῃρέθη τὸ θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ

³³ καὶ πᾶσα μαδιαμ καὶ αμαληκ καὶ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν κοιλάδι εζερεελ

³⁴ καὶ πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐνεδυνάμωσεν τὸν γεδεων καὶ ἐσάλπισεν ἐν κερατίνῃ καὶ ἐφοβήθη αβιεζερ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ

³⁵ καὶ ἀγγέλους ἀπέστειλεν εἰς πάντα μανασση καὶ ἐν ασηρ καὶ ἐν ζαβουλων καὶ νεφθαλι καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν

³⁶ καὶ εἶπεν γεδεων πρὸς τὸν θεόν εἰ σὺ σῴζεις ἐν χειρί μου τὸν ισραηλ καθὼς ἐλάλησας

³⁷ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ τίθημι τὸν πόκον τοῦ ἐρίου ἐν τῇ ἅλωνι ἐὰν δρόσος γένηται ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ξηρασία γνώσομαι ὅτι σώσεις ἐν χειρί μου τὸν ισραηλ καθὼς ἐλάλησας

³⁸ καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως καὶ ὤρθρισεν τῇ ἐπαύριον καὶ ἐξεπίασεν τὸν πόκον καὶ ἔσταξεν δρόσος ἀπὸ τοῦ πόκου πλήρης λεκάνη ὕδατος

³⁹ καὶ εἶπεν γεδεων πρὸς τὸν θεόν μὴ δὴ ὀργισθήτω ὁ θυμός σου ἐν ἐμοί καὶ λαλήσω ἔτι ἅπαξ πειράσω δὲ καί γε ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐν τῷ πόκῳ καὶ γενέσθω ἡ ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν γενηθήτω δρόσος

⁴⁰ καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἐγένετο ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐγενήθη δρόσος

¹ And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

² And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

³ And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

⁴ And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

⁵ For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

⁶ And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

⁷ And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,

⁸ That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

⁹ And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

¹⁰ And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

¹¹ And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

¹² And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, the LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

¹³ And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

¹⁴ And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

¹⁵ And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

¹⁶ And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

¹⁷ And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

¹⁸ Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

¹⁹ And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

²⁰ And the angel of God said unto 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 the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

²² And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

²³ And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

²⁴ Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

²⁵ And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

²⁶ And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.

²⁷ Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

²⁸ And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

²⁹ And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

³⁰ Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

³¹ And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

³² Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

³³ Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

³⁴ But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi-ezer was gathered after him.

³⁵ And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

³⁶ And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

³⁷ Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

³⁸ And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

³⁹ And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, 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 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.