Judges 6

1The sons of Israel did evil in Yahweh's sight, and Yahweh delivered them into Midian's hand for seven years.

2Midian's hand prevailed against Israel, and because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds.

3It happened that when Israel sowed, Midian came up, Amalek, and the people of the east; they came up against them.

4They camped over them and devastated the land's produce until you reach Gaza, leaving no sustenance in Israel—no sheep, ox, or donkey.

5For they came up with their livestock and tents like locusts in vast numbers—both they and their camels beyond counting—and entered the land to destroy it.

6Israel was greatly impoverished because of Midian, and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.

7It happened when the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh because of Midian's oppressions.

8Yahweh sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, who said to them, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery."

9I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all your oppressors, drove them out from before you, and gave their land to you.

10And I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell, yet you did not heed my voice.”

11The angel of Yahweh came and sat under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide it from Midian.

12The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, "Yahweh is with you, mighty man of valor!"

13Gideon said to him, "Oh my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why has all this overtaken us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers recounted to us, saying, 'Did Yahweh not bring us up from Egypt?' Now Yahweh has abandoned us and delivered us into the hand of Midian."

14Yahweh turned to him and said, "Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian—have I not sent you?"

15He said to him, "Oh my Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Look, my clan is the poorest in Manasseh, and I myself am the least in my father's house."

16Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you will strike Midian as one man.”

17He said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, then perform a sign for me that you are speaking with me."

18Please do not depart from here until I come to you, bring out my offering, and set it before you. He said, I will remain until you return.

19Gideon entered and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in the basket and the broth in the pot, brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.

20The angel of God said to him, “Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, set them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so.

21The angel of Yahweh stretched out the tip of the staff in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; fire rose from the rock and devoured the meat and the unleavened cakes; then the angel of Yahweh departed from his sight.

22Gideon saw that he was Yahweh's angel, and Gideon said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! For now I have seen Yahweh's angel face to face."

23Yahweh said to him, "Peace to you. Do not fear. You will not die."

24Gideon built an altar to Yahweh there and called it Yahweh Peace; to this day it remains in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25It happened that same night that Yahweh said to him, "Take the bull, the ox belonging to your father, the second bull seven years old, tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah beside it."

26Build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold in its ordered arrangement, take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you cut down.

27Gideon took ten men from his servants and did as Yahweh had spoken to him. It came to pass that because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, he did it by night instead of doing it by day.

28The men of the city got up early in the morning and saw Baal's altar demolished, the Asherah beside it felled, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar.

29Each man said to his neighbor, "Who has done this thing?" They inquired and searched, and said, "Gideon son of Joash has done this thing."

30The men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, because he broke down Baal's altar, and because he cut down the Asherah that was beside it."

31Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you vindicate Baal? Will you save him? Whoever vindicates him must die by morning. If he is a god, let him vindicate himself, because someone has torn down his altar."

32On that day he named him Jerubbaal, saying, "Let Baal strive against him, because he tore down his altar."

33All Midianites, Amalekites, and sons of the east gathered together, crossed over, and encamped in the Jezreel Valley.

34The Spirit of Yahweh clothed Gideon, and he blew the trumpet; Abiezer assembled after him.

35He sent messengers through all Manasseh, and they also gathered after him; he sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

36Gideon said to God, "If you will deliver Israel through my hand, as you spoke,"

37See, I am placing a wool fleece on the threshing floor—if dew is only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.

38So it was, and he rose early the next morning, squeezed the fleece together, and wrung dew from the fleece—a bowl full of water.

39Gideon said to God, "Do not let your anger burn against me, and I will speak just this once. Please let me test one more time with the fleece—let it now be dry only on the fleece alone, and let there be dew on all the ground."

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