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
.
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
.
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;
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
.
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.
And Israel was greatly
impoverished
because
of the Midianites
; and the children
of Israel
cried
unto the LORD
.
And it came to pass, when the children of Israel
cried
unto the LORD
because
of the Midianites
,
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
;
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
;
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
.
And there came an angel
of the LORD
, and sat
under an oak
which was in Ophrah
, that pertained unto Joash
the Abiezrite
: and his son
Gideon
threshed
wheat
by the winepress
, to hide
it from
the Midianites
.
And the angel of the LORD
appeared
unto him, and said
unto him, The LORD
is with thee, thou mighty
man of valour
.
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
.
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?
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
.
And the LORD said
unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite
the Midianites
as one
man
.
And he said unto him, If now I have found
grace
in thy sight
, then shew
me a sign
that thou talkest
with me.
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
.
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 .
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.
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
.
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
.
And the LORD said
unto him, Peace
be unto thee; fear
not: thou shalt not die
.
Then Gideon built
an altar
there unto the LORD
, and called
it Jehovahshalom
: unto this day
it is yet in Ophrah
of the Abiezrites
.
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:
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
.
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
.
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
.
And they said one
to another
, Who hath done
this thing
? And when they enquired
and asked
, they said
, Gideon
the son
of Joash
hath done
this thing
.
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.
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
.
Therefore on that day he called
him Jerubbaal
, saying
, Let Baal
plead
against him, because he hath thrown down
his altar
.
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
.
But the Spirit of the LORD
came
upon Gideon
, and he blew
a trumpet
; and Abiezer
was gathered
after
him.
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.
And Gideon said
unto God
, If thou wilt
save
Israel
by mine hand
, as thou hast said
,
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
.
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
.
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
.
And God did
so that night
: for it was dry
upon the fleece
only, and there was dew
on all the ground
.