Judges 6

1 And the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth them into the hand of Midian seven years,

And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

2 and the hand of Midian is strong against Israel, from the presence of Midian have the sons of Israel made for themselves the flowings which [are] in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

3 And it hath been, if Israel hath sowed, that Midian hath come up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east, yea, they have come up against him,

And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the sons of the east, they came up against them.

4 and encamp against them, and destroy the increase of the land till thine entering Gaza; and they leave no sustenance in Israel, either sheep, or ox, or ass;

And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come to Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.

5 for they and their cattle come up, with their tents; they come in as the fulness of the locust for multitude, and of them and of their cattle there is no number, and they come into the land to destroy it.

For they came up with their cattle and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number, and they came into the land to destroy it.

6 And Israel is very weak from the presence of Midian, and the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah.

And Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah.

7 And it cometh to pass when the sons of Israel have cried unto Jehovah, concerning Midian,

And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah because of Midian,

8 that Jehovah sendeth a man, a prophet, unto the sons of Israel, and he saith to them, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I — I have brought you up out of Egypt, and I bring you out from a house of servants,

that Jehovah sent a prophet to the sons of Israel. And he said to them, Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage.

9 and I deliver you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all your oppressors, and I cast them out from your presence, and I give to you their land,

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

10 and I say to you, I [am] Jehovah your God, ye do not fear the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are dwelling: — and ye have not hearkened to My voice.'

And I said to you, I am Jehovah your God. Ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell, but ye have not hearkened to my voice.

11 And the messenger of Jehovah cometh and sitteth under the oak which [is] in Ophrah, which [is] to Joash the Abi-Ezrite, and Gideon his son is beating out wheat in the wine-press, to remove [it] from the presence of the Midianites;

And the agent of Jehovah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah that pertained to Joash the Abiezrite. And his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

12 and the messenger of Jehovah appeareth unto him, and saith unto him, 'Jehovah [is] with thee, O mighty one of valour.'

And the agent of Jehovah appeared to him, and said to him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.

13 And Gideon saith unto him, 'O, my lord — and Jehovah is with us! — and why hath all this found us? and where [are] all His wonders which our fathers recounted to us, saying, Hath not Jehovah brought us up out of Egypt? and now Jehovah hath left us, and doth give us into the hand of Midian.'

And Gideon said to him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, then why has all this befallen us? And where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? But now Jehovah has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

14 And Jehovah turneth unto him and saith, 'Go in this — thy power; and thou hast saved Israel out of the hand of Midian — have not I sent thee.'

And Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent thee?

15 And he saith unto him, 'O, my lord, wherewith do I save Israel? lo, my chief [is] weak in Manasseh, and I the least in the house of my father.'

And he said to him, Oh, Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

16 And Jehovah saith unto him, 'Because I am with thee — thou hast smitten the Midianites as one man.'

And Jehovah said to him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shall smite the Midianites as one man.

17 And he saith unto Him, 'If, I pray Thee, I have found grace in Thine eyes, then Thou hast done for me a sign that Thou art speaking with me.

And he said to him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou who talk with me.

18 Move not, I pray Thee, from this, till my coming in unto Thee, and I have brought out my present, and put it before Thee;' and he saith, 'I — I do abide till thy return.'

Depart not from here, I pray thee, until I come to thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

19 And Gideon hath gone in, and prepareth a kid of the goats, and of an ephah of flour unleavened things; the flesh he hath put in a basket, and the broth he hath put in a pot, and he bringeth out unto Him, unto the place of the oak, and bringeth [it] nigh.

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

20 And the messenger of God saith unto him, 'Take the flesh and the unleavened things, and place on this rock — and the broth pour out;' and he doth so.

And the agent of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

21 And the messenger of Jehovah putteth forth the end of the staff which [is] in His hand, and cometh against the flesh, and against the unleavened things, and the fire goeth up out of the rock and consumeth the flesh and the unleavened things — and the messenger of Jehovah hath gone from his eyes.

Then the agent of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the agent of Jehovah departed out of his sight.

22 And Gideon seeth that He [is] a messenger of Jehovah, and Gideon saith, 'Alas, Lord Jehovah! because that I have seen a messenger of Jehovah face to face!'

And Gideon saw that he was the agent of Jehovah. And Gideon said, Alas, O lord Jehovah! Inasmuch as I have seen the agent of Jehovah face to face.

23 And Jehovah saith to him, 'Peace to thee; fear not; thou dost not die.'

And Jehovah said to him, Peace be to thee. Fear not; thou shall not die.

24 And Gideon buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and calleth it Jehovah-Shalom, unto this day it [is] yet in Ophrah of the Abi-Ezrites.

Then Gideon built an altar there to Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom. To this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 And it cometh to pass, on that night, that Jehovah saith to him, 'Take the young ox which [is] to thy father, and the second bullock of seven years, and thou hast thrown down the altar of Baal which [is] to thy father, and the shrine which [is] by it thou dost cut down,

And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said to him, Take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.

26 and thou hast built an altar to Jehovah thy God on the top of this stronghold, by the arrangement, and hast taken the second bullock, and caused to ascend a burnt-offering with the wood of the shrine which thou cuttest down.'

And build an altar to Jehovah thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shall cut down.

27 And Gideon taketh ten men of his servants, and doth as Jehovah hath spoken unto him, and it cometh to pass, because he hath been afraid of the house of his father, and the men of the city, to do [it] by day, that he doth [it] by night.

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had spoken to him. And it came to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

28 And the men of the city rise early in the morning, and lo, broken down hath been the altar of Baal, and the shrine which is by it hath been cut down, and the second bullock hath been offered on the altar which is built.

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

29 And they say one to another, 'Who hath done this thing?' and they inquire and seek, and they say, 'Gideon son of Joash hath done this thing.'

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

30 And the men of the city say unto Joash, 'Bring out thy son, and he dieth, because he hath broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the shrine which [is] by it.'

Then the men of the city said to Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.

31 And Joash saith to all who have stood against him, 'Ye, do ye plead for Baal? ye — do ye save him? he who pleadeth for him is put to death during the morning; if he [is] a god he himself doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.'

And Joash said to all who stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or will ye save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death while it is morning. If he be a god, let him contend for himself because he has broken down his altar.

32 And he calleth him, on that day, Jerubbaal, saying, 'The Baal doth plead against him, because he hath broken down his altar.'

Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him because he has broken down his altar.

33 And all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east have been gathered together, and pass over, and encamp in the valley of Jezreel,

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves together. And they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.

34 and the Spirit of Jehovah hath clothed Gideon, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and Abi-Ezer is called after him;

But the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered together after him.

35 and messengers he hath sent into all Manasseh, and it also is called after him; and messengers he hath sent into Asher, and into Zebulun, and into Naphtali, and they come up to meet them.

And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together after him. And he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

36 And Gideon saith unto God, 'If Thou art Saviour of Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken,

And Gideon said to God, If thou will save Israel by my hand, as thou have spoken,

37 lo, I am placing the fleece of wool in the threshing-floor: if dew is on the fleece alone, and on all the earth drought — then I have known that Thou dost save Israel by my hand, as Thou hast spoken;'

behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor. If there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then I shall know that thou will save Israel by my hand as thou have spoken.

38 and it is so, and he riseth early on the morrow, and presseth the fleece, and wringeth dew out of the fleece — the fulness of the bowl, of water.

And it was so, for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.

39 And Gideon saith unto God, 'Let not Thine anger burn against me, and I speak only this time; let me try, I pray Thee, only this time with the fleece — let there be, I pray Thee, drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth let there be dew.'

And Gideon said to God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me make trial, 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 doth so on that night, and there is drought on the fleece alone, and on all the earth there hath been dew.

And God did so that night, for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.