Judges

6 And the sons of Israel did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh,—so Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years;

2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel,—because of Midian did the sons of Israel prepare for themselves the hollows which were in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

3 And so it used to be, if Israel had sown, then came up Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east, yea came up against them,

4 and encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the land, until thou comest unto Gaza,—neither left they sustenance in Israel, nor sheep nor ox nor ass;

5 for they with their cattle used to come up with their tents—yea they used to come like locusts for multitude, both they and their cattle were without number,—so they came into the land to lay it waste.

6 Thus was Israel greatly impoverished because of Midian,—and the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh.

7 And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel cried unto Yahweh,—on account of Midian,

8 then sent Yahweh a prophet unto the sons of Israel,—who said unto them—Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, I led you up out of Egypt, And brought you forth out of the house of servants;

9 Yea I rescued you out of the hand of Egypt, And out of the hand of all who oppressed you,—That I might drive them out from before you, And I gave unto you their land;

10 Yea and I said to you,—I, Yahweh, am your God, Ye must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye are about to dwell,—But ye have not hearkened unto my voice.

11 Then came the messenger of Yahweh, and sat down under the oak which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite; and Gideon his son was beating out wheat in the winepress, to escape the notice of the Midianites;

12 so the messenger of Yahweh appeared unto him,—and said unto him, Yahweh is with thee, thou mighty man of valour!

13 And Gideon said unto him—Pardon, my lord! if Yahweh be with us, then wherefore hath all this befallen us? and where are all his wonders which our fathers have recounted to us—saying, Was it not out of Egypt that Yahweh brought us up? But now hath Yahweh abandoned us, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

14 And Yahweh turned unto him, and said—Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel out of the hand of Midian,—have I not sent thee?

15 And he said unto him—Pardon, O my Lord! How shall I save Israel? Lo! my thousand is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in the house of my father.

16 And Yahweh said unto him—I will be with thee,—so shalt thou smite the Midianites as one man.

17 And he said unto him, If, I beseech thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, then wilt thou work for me a sign, that it is thou who art speaking with me.

18 Do not, I beseech thee, withdraw from hence until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said: I will tarry until thou return.

19 So Gideon went in, and made ready a kid of the goats and of an ephah of meal unleavened cakes, the flesh he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot,—and brought them forth unto him, under the oak, and presented them.

20 And the messenger of God said unto him—Take the flesh and the cakes and set them on this crag, and the broth do thou pour out. And he did so.

21 Then the messenger of Yahweh put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the cakes,—and there came up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the cakes, and the messenger of Yahweh had departed out of his sight.

22 Then saw Gideon that the messenger of Yahweh it was,—so Gideon said—Alas, My Lord Yahweh! forasmuch as I have seen the messenger of Yahweh face to face!

23 And Yahweh said unto him—Peace be unto thee! Do not fear,—thou shalt not die.

24 So Gideon built there an altar unto Yahweh, and called it Yahweh-shâlôm. Unto this day it remaineth in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 And it came to pass on that night, that Yahweh said unto him—Take the young bullock that belongeth to thy father, even the second bullock of seven years,—and throw thou down the altar of Baal that belongeth to thy father, and the sacred stem that is by it shalt thou cut down.

26 Then shalt thou build an altar unto Yahweh thy God on the top of this fort with the pile,—and shalt take the second bullock, and cause it to go up as an ascending-sacrifice, with the wood of the sacred stem which thou shalt cut down.

27 So Gideon took ten men from among his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken unto him,—and so it was that, as he too much feared the house of his father and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

28 And the men of the city rose up early in the morning, and lo! the altar of Baal had been overthrown, and the sacred stem that was by it had been cut down, and the second bullock had been caused to ascend upon the altar that had been built.

29 So they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And they inquired and made search, and it was said, Gideon son of Joash hath done this thing.

30 So the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring forth thy son that he may die,—because he hath overthrown the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the sacred stem that was by it.

31 And Joash said unto all who stood by him—Will ye plead for Baal, or will ye save him? Whoso pleadeth for him, let him be put to death while it is yet morning,—if a god he be let him plead for himself, because one hath overthrown his altar.

32 So he was called on that day Jerub-baal, saying,—Let Baal plead against him. Because he had overthrown his altar.

33 Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east were gathered together,—and they crossed over and pitched in the vale of Jezreel.

34 But the spirit of Yahweh clothed Gideon,—so he blew with a horn, and Abiezer was gathered after him.

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

36 And Gideon said unto God,—If thou art about to bring salvation by my hand unto Israel, as thou hast spoken,

37 lo! I am placing a woollen fleece on the threshing-floor,—if dew be on the fleece alone and on all the ground it be dry, then shall I know that thou wilt bring salvation by my hand unto Israel, as thou hast spoken.

38 And it was so, and he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed together the fleece,—and wrung out the dew from the fleece, a small bowl full of water.

39 Then said Gideon unto God, Let not thine anger kindle upon me, but let me speak only this once,—Let me, I pray thee, put to the proof only this once with the fleece, I pray thee, let it be dry on the fleece alone, while on all the ground there be dew.

40 And God did so on that night,—and it was dry on the fleece alone, while on all the ground there was dew.