Again the Israelites ... did evil in the sight of the LORD ; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years ,
and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites , the Israelites ... - prepared shelters - in the mountains , - caves , - and strongholds.
vvv Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops , the Midianites , Amalekites , and other people of the east would come up and invade them ,
encamping against them as far as ... Gaza and destroying - the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance , neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys.
For the Midianites came with their livestock ... and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. and their camels were innumerable ... , and they entered the land to ravage it.
Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian , and the Israelites ... cried out to the LORD.
Now when the Israelites ... cried out to the LORD because of ... Midian ,
(He) ... sent them ... a prophet , who told “ This is what the LORD , the God of Israel , says : I brought you up out of Egypt , - - out of the house of slavery.
I delivered you out of the hands of Egypt (and) all your oppressors. I drove them out - before you and gave - their land.
And I said ‘ I am the LORD your God. You must not fear - the gods of the Amorites , in whose land you dwell. ’ But you did not obey Me. ” ...
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak - in Ophrah that belonged to Joash vvv the Abiezrite , where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
And the angel of the LORD appeared to (Gideon) and said ... , “ The LORD is with you , O mighty man of valor. ”
“ Please , my Lord , ” Gideon replied - , “ if the LORD is with us , why has all this happened to us ? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told saying , ‘ Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt ? ’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian. ”
The LORD turned to him and said , “ Go in the strength you have ... and save - Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you ? ”
“ Please , my Lord , ” (Gideon) replied - , “ how can I save - Israel ? Indeed , my clan is the weakest in Manasseh , and I am the youngest in my father’s house. ”
“ Surely I will be with you , ” the LORD replied - , “ and you will strike down (all) the Midianites - as one man. ”
Gideon answered - , “ If ... I have found favor in Your sight , give a sign that (it is) You speaking with me.
Please do not depart from this (place) until I return to You. Let me bring - my offering and set (it) before You. ” And (the LORD) said , “ I will stay until you return. ”
So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat ... and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth ... in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
And the angel of God said to him , “ Take - the meat and the unleavened bread , lay (them) on this rock , and pour out the broth. ” And (Gideon) did so.
Then the angel of the LORD - extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed - the meat - and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
When Gideon realized that it (was) the angel of the LORD , he said , “ Oh no , Lord GOD ! ... ... ... I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face ! ”
But the LORD said “ Peace (be) Do not be afraid , for you will not die. ”
So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah vvv of the Abiezrites.
- On that very night the LORD said “ Take - your father’s young bull ... - and a second bull seven years old , tear down - your father’s altar to Baal , - - and cut down the Asherah pole - beside it.
Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole - you cut down , take - the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering. ”
So Gideon took ten vvv of his servants and did as the LORD ... had told him. ... But because he was too afraid - of his father’s household and the men of the city , he did (it) by night (rather than) in the daytime.
When the men of the city got up in the morning , there was Baal’s altar torn down , with the Asherah pole - cut down beside it - and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.
“ Who did ... this ? ” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly ... , they were told , “ Gideon son of Joash did ... it. ”
Then the men of the city said to Joash , “ Bring out - your son. He must die , because he has torn down - Baal’s ... altar and cut down the Asherah pole - beside it. ”
But Joash said to all who stood against him , “ Are you contending for Baal ? Are you trying to save him ? - Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning ! If (Baal) is a god , let him contend with the one who has torn down - his altar. ”
So on that day ... Gideon was called Jerubbaal , that is to say , “ Let Baal contend because he had torn down - (Baal’s) altar.
Then all the Midianites , Amalekites , and other people of the east gathered together , crossed over (the Jordan) , and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
So the Spirit of the LORD came upon - Gideon , who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
- Calling them to arms , (Gideon) sent messengers throughout Manasseh , as well as - - Asher , Zebulun , and Naphtali , so that they came up to meet him.
Then Gideon said to God , “ If ... You are going to save Israel by my hand , - as You have said ,
then behold , I will place - a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only ... on the fleece and all the ground is dry , then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand , - as You have said. ”
And that is what happened. When (Gideon) arose the next morning , he squeezed - the fleece and wrung out the dew ... — vvv a bowlful of water.
Then Gideon said to God , “ Do not be angry ... let me speak one more time .... Please allow me ... one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry ... ... ... , and the ground - covered ... with dew. ”
And that night God did so. Only ... the fleece was dry , ... and dew covered ... the ground.