[1] The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh:
and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. [2] 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. [3] 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; [4] and they encamped against them, and destroyed the
increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza, and left no sustenance in
Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey. [5] 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] Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the
children of Israel cried to Yahweh. [7] It happened, when the children of
Israel cried to Yahweh because of Midian, [8] that Yahweh sent a prophet to
the children of Israel: and he said to them, Thus says Yahweh, the God of
Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house
of bondage; [9] and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and
out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before
you, and gave you their land; [10] and I said to you, I am Yahweh your God;
you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But
you have not listened to my voice. [11] The angel of Yahweh 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] The angel of Yahweh appeared to him, and said to him,
Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor. [13] Gideon said to him, Oh,
my lord, if Yahweh 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
Yahweh bring us up from Egypt? but now Yahweh has cast us off, and
delivered us into the hand of Midian. [14] Yahweh looked at him, and said,
Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I
sent you? [15] He said to him, Oh, Lord, with which shall I save Israel?
behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my
father`s house. [16] Yahweh said to him, Surely I will be with you, and you
shall strike the Midianites as one man. [17] He said to him, If now I have
found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with
me. [18] Please don`t go away, until I come to you, and bring out my
present, and lay it before you. He said, I will wait until you come again.
[19] 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 to him under the oak, and presented it. [20] The angel of
God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on
this rock, and pour out the broth. He did so. [21] Then the angel of Yahweh
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 Yahweh
departed out of his sight. [22] Gideon saw that he was the angel of Yahweh;
and Gideon said, Alas, Lord Yahweh! because I have seen the angel of Yahweh
face to face. [23] Yahweh said to him, Peace be to you; don`t be afraid:
you shall not die. [24] Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and
called it Yahweh-shalom: to this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
[25] It happened the same night, that Yahweh said to him, Take your
father`s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the
altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it;
[26] and build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold,
in the orderly manner, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering
with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down. [27] Then Gideon
took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him: and it
happened, 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] 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
bull was offered on the altar that was built. [29] They said one to
another, Who has done this thing? When they inquired and asked, they said,
Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing. [30] Then the men of the city
said to Joash, Bring out your 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] Joash said to all who stood against him, Will you contend for
Baal? Or will you save him? he who will contend for him, let him be put to
death while [it is yet] morning: if he be a god, let him contend for
himself, because one has broken down his altar. [32] Therefore on that day
he named him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him, because he
has broken down his altar. [33] Then 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. [34] But the Spirit of Yahweh
came on Gideon; and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together
after him. [35] 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] Gideon said
to God, If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken, [37]
behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there be dew
on the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground, then shall I know that
you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken. [38] It was so; for he
rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung
the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. [39] Gideon said to God,
Don`t let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once:
Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece; let it now be
dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew. [40] God
did so that night: for it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on
all the ground.

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