Israel Oppressed by Midian

1Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD handed them over to Midian for seven years. 2The [a]power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3For whenever Israel had sown, the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the [b]people of the east and [c]march against them. 4So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth [d]as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, nor a sheep, ox, or donkey. 5For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts in number, and both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to ruin it. 6So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD.

7Now it came about, when the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD on account of Midian, 8that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of [e]slavery. 9And I rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians, and from the hands of all your oppressors, and I drove them out from you and gave you their land, 10and I said to you, “I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live.” But you have not [f]obeyed Me.’”

Gideon Is Visited

11Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the [g]oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. 12And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, valiant warrior.” 13Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did the LORD not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 14And the LORD [h]looked at him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15But he said to Him, “O Lord, [i]how am I to save Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16Yet the LORD said to him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will [j]defeat Midian as one man.” 17So [k]Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then perform for me a sign that it is You speaking with me. 18Please do not depart from here until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”

19Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an [l]ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket [m]and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the [n]oak and presented them. 20And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21Then the angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD [o]vanished from his sight. 22When Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD, [p]he said, “Oh, Lord [q]GOD! For I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!” 23But the LORD said to him, “Peace to you, do not be afraid; you shall not die.” 24Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it [r]The LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25Now on the same night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull [s]and a second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the [t]Asherah that is beside it; 26and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly way, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” 27Then Gideon took ten men from his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

The Altar of Baal Destroyed

28When the people of the city got up early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal had been torn down, and the Asherah which had been beside it had been cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar which had been built. 29So they said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” 30Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” 31But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you save him? Whoever will contend for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, since someone has torn down his altar!” 32Therefore on that day he named [u]Gideon Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.

33Then all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the [v]people of the east assembled together; and they crossed over and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34So the Spirit of the LORD [w]covered Gideon like clothing; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. 35And he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

Sign of the Fleece

36Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel [x]through me, as You have spoken, 37behold, I am putting a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will save Israel [y]through me, as You have spoken.” 38And it was so. When he got up early the next morning and wrung out the fleece, he wrung the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me, so that I may speak only one more time; please let me put You to the test only one more time with the fleece: let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” 40And God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.

[a] 2 Lit hand
[b] 3 Lit sons
[c] 3 Lit go up against
[d] 4 Lit until your coming to
[e] 8 Lit slaves
[f] 10 Lit listened to My voice
[g] 11 Or terebinth
[h] 14 Or turned toward
[i] 15 Lit with what
[j] 16 Lit strike
[k] 17 Lit he
[l] 19 About 1 cubic foot or 0.03 cubic meters
[m] 19 Lit and he put
[n] 19 Or terebinth
[o] 21 Lit departed
[p] 22 Lit Gideon
[q] 22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered LORD
[r] 24 Heb Yahweh-shalom
[s] 25 Or even
[t] 25 I.e., wooden symbol of a female deity; also vv 26, 28, 30
[u] 32 Lit him
[v] 33 Lit sons
[w] 34 Lit clothed
[x] 36 Lit by my hand
[y] 37 Lit by my hand