1And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah : and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years . 2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel ; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains , and the caves , and the strongholds . 3And so it was , when Israel had sown , that the Midianites came up , and the Amalekites , and the children of the east ; they came up against them ; 4and they encamped against them , and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza , and left no sustenance in Israel , neither sheep , nor ox , nor ass . 5For 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 . 6And Israel was brought very low because of Midian ; and the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah . 7And it came to pass , when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah because of Midian , 8that Jehovah sent a prophet unto the children of Israel : and he said unto them , Thus saith Jehovah , the God of Israel , I brought you up from Egypt , and brought you forth out of the house of bondage ; 9and 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 ; 10and I said unto 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 unto my voice . 11And the angel of Jehovah came , and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah , that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress , to hide it from the Midianites . 12And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him , and said unto him , Jehovah is with thee , thou mighty man of valor . 13And Gideon said unto him , Oh, my lord , if Jehovah is with us , why then is 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 hath cast us off , and delivered us into the hand of Midian . 14And Jehovah looked upon him , and said, Go in this thy might , and save Israel from the hand of Midian : have not I sent thee ? 15And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel ? behold , my family is the poorest in Manasseh , and I am the least in my father’s house . 16And Jehovah said unto him , Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. 17And he said unto him , If now I have found favor in thy sight , then show me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me . 18Depart not hence , I pray thee , until I come unto thee , and bring forth my present , and lay it before thee . And he said , I will tarry until thou come again . 19And Gideon went in , and made ready a kid , and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal : 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 . 20And 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 . 21Then the angel 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 angel of Jehovah departed out of his sight . 22And Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah ; and Gideon said , Alas, O Lord Jehovah ! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face . 23And Jehovah said unto him , Peace be unto thee; fear not : thou shalt not die . 24Then Gideon built an altar there unto Jehovah , and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Gideon's First Task
25And it came to pass the same night , that Jehovah said unto him , Take thy father’s bullock , even the second bullock seven years old , and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath , and cut down the Asherah that is by it ; 26and build an altar unto 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 shalt cut down . 27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants , and did as Jehovah had spoken unto 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 . 28And 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 . 29And they said one to another , Who hath done this thing ? And when they inquired and asked , they said , Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing . 30Then the men of the city said unto Joash , Bring out thy son , that he may die , because he hath broken down the altar of Baal , and because he hath cut down the Asherah that was by it . 31And Joash said unto all that stood against him , Will ye contend for Baal ? or will ye save him ? he that will contend for him , let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning : if he be a god, let him contend for himself , because one hath broken down his altar . 32Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal , saying, Let Baal contend against him , because he hath broken down his altar .
The Spirit of the Lord Comes Upon Gideon
33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together ; and they passed over , and encamped in the valley of Jezreel . 34But the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon ; and he blew a trumpet ; and Abiezer was gathered together after him . 35And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh ; and they also were gathered together after him : and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun , and unto Naphtali ; and they came up to meet them . 36And Gideon said unto God , If thou wilt save Israel by my hand , as thou hast spoken , 37behold , 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 shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand , as thou hast spoken . 38And 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 . 39And Gideon said unto 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 . 40And God did so that night : for it was dry upon the fleece only , and there was dew on all the ground.