Chapter 6

And the children of Israel did⁴ evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered⁴ them into the hand of Midian seven years.

And the hand of Midian prevailed⁴ against Israel: [and] because of the Midianites the children of Israel made¹ them the dens which [are] in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

And [so] it was, when Israel had sown,¹ that the Midianites came up,¹ and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up¹ against them;

And they encamped⁴ against them, and destroyed⁵⁵ the increase of the earth, till thou come² unto Gaza, and left⁵⁵ no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

For they came up⁴ with their cattle and their tents, and they came^{1 935 4} as grasshoppers for multitude; [for] both they and their camels were without number: and they entered⁴ into the land to destroy¹⁵ it.

And Israel was greatly impoverished¹¹ because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried⁴ unto the LORD.

And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried¹ unto the LORD because of the Midianites,

That the LORD sent⁴ a prophet ⁵⁰³⁰ unto the children of Israel, which said⁴ unto them, Thus saith¹ the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up⁵² from Egypt, and brought you forth⁵⁵ out of the house of bondage;

And I delivered⁵⁵ you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed⁵ you, and drave them out¹⁷ from before you, and gave⁴ you their land;

And I said⁴ unto you, I [am] the LORD your God; fear⁴ not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:⁶ but ye have not obeyed¹ my voice.

And there came⁴ an angel of the LORD, and sat⁴ under an oak which [was] in Ophrah, that [pertained] unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed⁶ wheat by the winepress, to hide⁵³ [it] from the Midianites.

And the angel of the LORD appeared¹¹ unto him, and said⁴ unto him, The LORD [is] with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

And Gideon said⁴ unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen¹ us? and where [be] all his miracles¹² which our fathers told¹⁴ us of, saying,² Did not the LORD bring us up⁵² from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken¹ us, and delivered⁴ us into the hands of the Midianites.

And the LORD looked⁴ upon him, and said,⁴ Go³ in this thy might, and thou shalt save⁵² Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent¹ thee?

And he said⁴ unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save⁵⁵ Israel? behold, my family ⁵⁰⁵ [is] poor in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in my father's house.

And the LORD said⁴ unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite⁵² the Midianites as one man.

And he said⁴ unto him, If now I have found¹ grace in thy sight, then shew¹ me a sign that thou talkest¹⁸ with me.

Depart⁴ not hence, I pray thee, until I come² unto thee, and bring forth⁵² my present, and set⁵² [it] before thee. And he said,⁴ I will tarry⁴ until thou come again.²

And Gideon went in,¹ and made ready⁴ a kid, ¹⁴²³ and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put¹ in a basket, and he put¹ the broth in a pot, and brought [it] out⁵⁵ unto him under the oak, and presented⁵⁵ [it].

And the angel of God said⁴ unto him, Take³ the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay⁵⁴ [them] upon this rock, and pour out³ the broth. And he did⁴ so.

Then the angel of the LORD put forth⁴ the end of the staff that [was] in his hand, and touched⁴ the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up⁴ fire out of the rock, and consumed⁴ the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed¹ out of his sight.

And when Gideon perceived⁴ that he [was] an angel of the LORD, Gideon said,⁴ Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen¹ an angel of the LORD face to face.

And the LORD said⁴ unto him, Peace [be] unto thee; fear⁴ not: thou shalt not die.⁴

Then Gideon built⁴ an altar there unto the LORD, and called⁴ it Jehovahshalom: ^{7965 3073} unto this day it [is] yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said⁴ unto him, Take³ thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down¹ the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down⁴ the grove that [is] by it:

And build¹ an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take¹ the second bullock, and offer⁵² a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.⁴

Then Gideon took⁴ ten men of his servants, and did⁴ as the LORD had said¹⁴ unto him: and [so] it was, because he feared¹ his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do² [it] by day, that he did⁴ [it] by night.

And when the men of the city arose early⁵⁵ in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down,²⁷ and the grove was cut down²⁷ that [was] by it, and the second bullock was offered⁹⁰ upon the altar [that was] built.⁷

And they said⁴ one to another, Who hath done¹ this thing? And when they enquired⁴ and asked,¹⁷ they said,⁴ Gideon the son of Joash hath done¹ this thing.

Then the men of the city said⁴ unto Joash, Bring out⁵⁴ thy son, that he may die:⁴ because he hath cast down¹ the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down¹ the grove that [was] by it.

And Joash said⁴ unto all that stood¹ against him, Will ye plead⁴ for Baal? will ye save⁵⁵ him? he that will plead⁴ for him, let him be put to death⁹³ whilst [it is yet] morning: if he [be] a god, let him plead⁴ for himself, because [one] hath cast down¹ his altar.

Therefore on that day he called⁴ him Jerubbaal, saying,² Let Baal plead⁴ against him, because he hath thrown down¹ his altar.

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered⁸ together, and went over,⁴ and pitched⁴ in the valley of Jezreel.

But the Spirit of the LORD came upon¹ Gideon, and he blew⁴ a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered¹¹ after him.

And he sent¹ messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered¹¹ after him: and he sent¹ messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up⁴ to meet² them.

And Gideon said⁴ unto God, If thou wilt save⁵⁶ Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,¹⁴

Behold, I will put⁵⁶ 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 know¹ that thou wilt save⁵⁵ Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.¹⁴

And it was so: for he rose up early⁵⁵ on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together,⁴ and wringed⁴ the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

And Gideon said⁴ unto God, Let not thine anger be hot⁴ against me, and I will speak¹⁷ but this once: let me prove,¹⁷ 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 did⁴ so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.