Judges 6

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

1The people of Israel did evil things again. The LORD saw it. So he let the people of Midian rule over them for seven years.

2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

2Midian was too strong for Israel. So the Israelites hid. They made shelters in the mountains, in caves, and in safe rocky places.

3And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

3Every time Israel planted crops, enemies came. The Midianites, the Amalekites, and people from the east marched in against them.

4And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

4They camped on Israel's land and ruined the crops, all the way to the city of Gaza. They left Israel no food at all. They left no sheep, no cattle, and no donkeys.

5For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

5They came with their animals and their tents. There were as many of them as locusts. No one could count them or their camels. They came to wreck the land.

6And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

6Israel became very poor because of Midian. So the people of Israel called out to the LORD for help.

7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,

7The people of Israel kept crying out to the LORD because of the Midianites.

8That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

8So the LORD sent them a prophet, a person who tells people what God says. He said, "The LORD, the God of Israel, says this. I brought you up out of Egypt. You were slaves there."

9And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

9"I saved you from the Egyptians. I saved you from everyone who was cruel to you. I pushed them out and gave you their land."

10And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

10"I told you, I am the LORD your God. Do not worship the gods of the Amorites, whose land you live in. But you did not listen to me."

11And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

11Then an angel of the LORD came. An angel is a messenger sent by God. He sat down under an oak tree in the town of Ophrah. The tree belonged to Joash, a man from the family of Abiezer. His son Gideon was beating wheat down inside a winepress. He was hiding it from the Midianites.

NoteA winepress was a pit cut down into rock, used for squashing grapes. Wheat was usually beaten out in the open on a hill, where the wind helped. Gideon worked down in the pit so the raiders would not see him.

12And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

12The angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon. He said, "The LORD is with you, you brave and strong man."

13And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

13Gideon said, "Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Our fathers told us about the wonderful things he did. They said the LORD brought us up out of Egypt. But now he has left us. He has handed us over to Midian."

14And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

14The LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have. Save Israel from Midian. I am the one sending you."

15And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

15Gideon said, "Please, sir, how can I save Israel? My family is the weakest one in the tribe of Manasseh. And I am the youngest in my family."

16And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

16The LORD said to him, "I will be with you. You will beat the Midianites as easily as beating one man."

17And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

17Gideon said, "If you are pleased with me, show me a sign. Then I will know it is really you talking with me."

18Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

18"Please do not go away until I come back. I want to bring you a gift and set it in front of you." The LORD said, "I will wait until you come back."

19And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: 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.

19Gideon went inside and cooked a young goat. He made flat bread with no yeast from a big sack of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought it all out to the angel under the oak tree and set it down.

NoteThe KJV says "an ephah of flour." An ephah was a measure of about twenty quarts, enough flour for a lot of bread.

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.

20The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the bread. Put them on this rock. Then pour out the broth." Gideon did it.

21Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

21The angel held out the walking stick in his hand. He touched the meat and the bread with the tip. Fire jumped up out of the rock and burned it all up. Then the angel of the LORD was gone.

22And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

22Now Gideon knew that he had seen the angel of the LORD. He said, "Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!"

23And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

23But the LORD said to him, "Peace to you. Do not be afraid. You will not die."

24Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

24So Gideon built an altar there for the LORD. An altar is a stone table for giving gifts to God. He named it Jehovah-shalom, which means "The LORD is peace." It still stands in Ophrah today, in the land of the family of Abiezer.

25And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

25That same night the LORD said to Gideon, "Take your father's young bull, and the second bull that is seven years old. Pull down your father's altar to the god Baal. Cut down the tall wooden pole beside it."

NoteThe KJV calls it a "grove," but it does not mean a group of trees. It was a tall carved wooden pole set up beside Baal's altar for a goddess named Asherah.

26And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.

26"Then build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock. Build it the right way. Take the second bull and burn it there as a gift. Use the wood from the pole you cut down."

27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

27So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what the LORD said. But he was afraid of his family and the men of the town. So he did it at night instead of in the daytime.

28And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

28The men of the town got up early in the morning. They saw that Baal's altar was pulled down. The pole beside it was cut down. The second bull had been burned on a new altar.

29And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

29They asked each other, "Who did this?" They asked around carefully. Someone told them, "Gideon, the son of Joash, did it."

30Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

30Then the men of the town said to Joash, "Bring your son out here. He must die. He pulled down Baal's altar and cut down the pole beside it."

31And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

31Joash said to the angry crowd, "Are you going to argue for Baal? Are you going to rescue him? Anyone who argues for him will be put to death this morning. If Baal is really a god, let him argue for himself. It was his own altar that was pulled down."

32Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

32So that day they gave Gideon the name Jerubbaal. It means "Let Baal argue with him." They said this because Gideon pulled down Baal's altar.

33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

33Then all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the people from the east came together. They crossed the river and camped in the valley of Jezreel.

34But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.

34But the Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon. He blew a horn to call people to fight. The men of Abiezer came and followed him.

35And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

35He sent messengers all through Manasseh, and those men followed him too. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. They came up to join him.

36And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

36Gideon said to God, "You said you would use me to save Israel."

37Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

37"Look, I will lay a piece of sheep's wool on the ground where grain is beaten. Let the wool get wet with dew in the night. Let all the ground around it stay dry. Then I will know you will save Israel through me, just as you said."

38And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

38And that is what happened. Gideon got up early the next morning. He squeezed the wool together. He wrung enough water out of it to fill a bowl.

39And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, 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.

39Gideon said to God, "Please do not be angry with me. Let me speak just one more time. Let me test the wool once more. This time let the wool be dry. Let dew cover all the ground."

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

40That night God did it. Only the wool was dry, and dew covered all the ground.