Judg 6 | ABEn | STEP | And [ 4 acted 1 the 2 sons 3 of Israel] wickedly before the lord , and [ 2 delivered them over 1 the lord ] into the hand of Midian for seven years.

‏ Judges 6

CHAPTER 6 Midian and Amalek Ascend against Israel

1 And [⁴acted ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] wickedly before the lord, and [²delivered them over ¹the lord] into the hand of Midian for seven years. 2 And [³prevailed ¹the hand ²of Midian] against Israel. Because of the presence of Midian [⁴made ⁵for themselves ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] havens in the mountains, and in the caves, and in the fortresses. 3 And it came to pass when [³sowed ¹a man ²of Israel], that there ascended up Midian and Amalek; even the sons of the east were ascending against them. 4 And they camped by them, and they ruined the resources of the land unto the coming unto Gaza. And there was not left behind support for life in Israel, even for the flock, and calf, and donkey. 5 For they and their livestock ascended and [²their tents ¹they carried about with]; and they came as the locusts by multitude. And for them and their camels there was no number. And they came in the land of Israel to ruin it. 6 And Israel became poor, exceedingly, from the presence of Midian. 7 And [⁴cried out ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] to the lord. And it came to pass when [⁴cried out ¹the ²sons ³of Israel] to the lord on account of Midian, 8 the lord sent a man, a prophet, to the sons of Israel. And he said to them, Thus says the lord God of Israel, I am the one bringing you up from Egypt, and I led you from the house of slavery; 9 and I rescued you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of all the ones afflicting you; and I cast them from your face, and I gave to you their land. 10 And I said to you, I am the lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in which you dwell in their land. But you hearkened not to my voice.

The Angel Appears unto Gideon

11 And [³came ¹an angel ²of the lord] and sat under the oak, the one being in Ophrah, the one of the [²of Joash ¹father] of Ezri. And Gideon his son beat [²with a rod ¹wheat] in a wine-vat, to flee from the face of Midian. 12 And [⁴appeared ⁵to him ¹the ²angel ³of the lord], and said to him, The lord is with you mighty in strength. 13 And [²said ³to ⁴him ¹Gideon], Be it to me, O my Lord, and if the lord is with us, then why do [³find ⁴us ¹all ²these bad things]? And where are all his wonders, as many as [²described ³to us ¹our fathers], saying, Is it not from out of Egypt [²led ³us ¹the lord]? And now he thrust us away, and delivered us over into the hand of Midian. 14 And [⁴looked ⁵towards ⁶him ¹the ²angel ³of the lord], and said to him, Go in [²your strength ¹this]! and you shall deliver Israel. Behold, I send you. 15 And [²said ³to ⁴him ¹Gideon], Be it to me, O my Lord, by what means shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my thousand is humbler in Manasseh, and I am the lesser in the house of my father. 16 And [²said ³to ⁴him ¹The lord] that, I will be with you, and you shall strike Midian as [²man ¹one]. 17 And [²said ³to ⁴him ¹Gideon], And if I found favor in your eyes, then you shall give to me a sign that you spoke with me. 18 In no way should you separate from here until [²coming ¹my] to you, and I shall bring my sacrifice, and I shall sacrifice before you. And he said, I am settled until you return. 19 And Gideon entered and prepared a kid of the goats, and an ephah [²flour ¹of unleavened], and [²the ³meats ¹he put] upon the bin, and the broth he poured into an earthen pot, and he brought it to him under the oak, and did obeisance. 20 And [⁴said ⁵to ⁶him ¹the ²angel ³of the lord], Take the meats and the unleavened breads, and put them on that rock, and [²the ³broth ¹pour out]! And he did so. 21 And [⁴stretched out ¹the ²angel ³of the lord] the tip of the rod in his hand, and touched of the meats, and of the unleavened breads; and [²was lit ¹fire] from out of the rock, and it devoured the meats and the unleavened breads. And the angel of the lord departed from his eyes. 22 And Gideon knew that [²the angel ³of the lord ¹it is]. And Gideon said, Alas, O my Lord, O lord, for I beheld the angel of the lord face to face. 23 And [²said ³to him ¹the lord], Peace to you, do not fear, in no way shall you die. 24 And [²built ³there ¹Gideon] an altar to the lord. And he called it, Peace of the lord, until this day. It is still being with Ephratah father of Ezri.

Gideon Demolishes the Altar of Baal

25 And it came to pass in that night, that [²said ³to him ¹the lord], Take the [²calf ¹well fed] of your father, and the [²calf ¹second] of seven years old! And you shall demolish the altar of Baal which is of your father; and the sacred grove by it you shall cut down. 26 And you shall build an altar to the lord your God, to the one appearing to you upon the top [²mountain ³of Maoz ¹of this] in the battle array. And you shall take with the [²calf ¹second], and you shall offer whole burnt-offerings in the trees of the sacred grove which you cut down. 27 And Gideon took ten men from his manservants, and he did as [²spoke ³to ⁴him ¹the lord]. And it came to pass that he feared the household of his father, and the men of the city, so as to not act by day, and he acted it by night. 28 And [⁵rose early ¹the ²men ³of the ⁴city] in the morning; and behold, [⁴was razed ¹the ²altar ³of Baal], and the sacred grove by it was cut down; and the [²calf ¹well fed] was offered for a whole burnt-offering upon the altar having been built. 29 And [²said ¹each man] to his neighbor, Who did this thing? And they investigated and inquired. And they said, Gideon son of Joash did this thing. 30 And [⁵said ¹the ²men ³of the ⁴city] to Joash, Lead out your son and let him die! for he razed the altar of Baal, and because he cut down the sacred grove by it. 31 And Joash said to the men rising against him, Do you now adjudicate for Baal? or shall you deliver him? Who ever pleaded to him let die in the morning. If [²God ¹he is], he shall avenge for himself, for he razed his altar. 32 And he called him in that day, Jerubbaal, saying, The court of justice of Baal, for he razed his altar. 33 And all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east came together at the same place, and they passed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. 34 And spirit of God empowered Gideon, and he trumped with the horn; and he called for aid to Abiezer after him. 35 And [²messengers ¹he sent] to all Manasseh, and he called also himself others after him. And [²messengers ¹he sent out] in Asher, and in Zebulun, and in Naphtali. And they ascended for meeting him.

Gideon's Fleece

36 And Gideon said to God, If you deliver [²by ³my hand ¹Israel], as you spoke, 37 behold, I fasten the fleece of wool pieces in the threshing-floor. And if dew comes upon the fleece only, and upon all the earth be dryness, then I will know that you shall deliver [²by ³my hand ¹Israel] in which manner you spoke. 38 And it came to pass thus. And Gideon rose early on the next day, and he squeezed out the fleece, and [²dripped ¹dew] from the fleece -- a full pan of water. 39 And Gideon said to God, Let not [²be provoked to anger ¹your rage] against me! for I will speak still once more, and I will test still once more by the fleece. And let there become yet dryness upon the fleece only, and upon all the ground let there become dew! 40 And God did so in that night. And there was dryness upon the fleece only, and upon all the ground became dew.