Gideon

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.

Then 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.

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

The 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.

Gideon 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?

The 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.

Gideon 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.

The 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.

Gideon 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.

"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.

Gideon 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.

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.

The 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.

The 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.

Now 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.

But 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.

So 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:

That 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."

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.

"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.

So 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.

The 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.

They 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.

Then 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.

Joash 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.

So 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.

Then 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.

But 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.

He 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,

Gideon 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.

"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.

And 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.

Gideon 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.

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

1Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

Gideon, who was also called Jerubbaal, got up early. All his men came with him. They set up camp beside the spring of Harod. The army of Midian camped north of them, in the valley by the hill of Moreh.

2And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men. If I let this many win, Israel will brag. They will say, 'We saved ourselves by our own strength.'

3Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

So tell the men this: 'Anyone who is scared and shaking may go home now. Leave Mount Gilead.'" So twenty-two thousand men went home. Ten thousand stayed.

4And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

Then the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water. I will sort them out for you there. If I say a man should go with you, he goes. If I say a man should not go, he stays."

5So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

So Gideon brought the men down to the water. The LORD said to him, "Watch how each man drinks. Some will lap the water with their tongue, like a dog. Put those men in one group. Put the men who kneel down to drink in another group."

6And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

Three hundred men lapped the water from their hands. All the rest knelt down to drink.

7And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

The LORD said to Gideon, "I will save you with these three hundred men who lapped. I will hand Midian over to you. Send all the other men home."

8So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

So the three hundred men took the food and the horns. Gideon sent all the other men of Israel home to their tents. He kept the three hundred with him. The camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

9And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

That same night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up. Go down to the enemy camp. I have handed it over to you.

10But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:

But if you are afraid to go, take your servant Purah with you.

11And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.

Listen to what they are saying there. Then you will feel brave enough to attack." So Gideon and Purah went down to the edge of the camp, where armed guards stood.

12And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

The men of Midian and Amalek and other peoples from the east filled the valley. There were as many of them as locusts. Their camels could not be counted, like sand on the seashore.

13And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

When Gideon got there, a man was telling his friend a dream. He said, "Listen, I had a dream. A round loaf of barley bread came rolling into our camp. It hit a tent so hard that the tent flipped over and fell flat."

14And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

His friend answered, "That can only mean one thing. It is the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, the man from Israel. God has handed Midian and our whole army over to him."

15And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

When Gideon heard the dream and what it meant, he bowed down and worshiped God. He went back to the camp of Israel and said, "Get up! The LORD has handed the army of Midian over to you."

16And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

He split the three hundred men into three groups. He gave each man a horn to blow. He also gave each man an empty clay jar with a torch hidden inside it.

17And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

He told them, "Watch me and do what I do. When I reach the edge of their camp, copy me.

18When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

When my group and I blow our horns, you blow yours too. Do it all around the camp. Then shout, 'A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!'"

19So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

Gideon and his hundred men reached the edge of the camp late at night. The guards had just changed places. Gideon's men blew their horns and smashed the jars in their hands.

20And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

All three groups blew their horns and smashed their jars. They held the torches in their left hands. They held the horns in their right hands to blow. And they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

21And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

Each man stood still in his own spot around the camp. The whole enemy army ran, shouting as they fled.

22And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

As the three hundred horns blew, the LORD made the enemy soldiers turn their swords on each other. That happened all through the camp. The army ran away toward Beth-shittah, toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

23And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

Then men of Israel were called out from the families of Naphtali, Asher, and all of Manasseh. They chased after the men of Midian.

24And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.

Gideon sent messengers all through the hills of Ephraim. He said, "Come down and fight Midian. Get to the river crossings before they do, all the way to Beth-barah." So all the men of Ephraim came and took the crossings of the Jordan River, as far as Beth-barah.

25And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

They caught Oreb and Zeeb, the two leaders of Midian. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb. They killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They kept chasing Midian. Then they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan River.

1And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

The men of Ephraim, one of Israel's family groups, came to Gideon. They said, "Why did you treat us this way? You went to fight Midian and never called us." They argued with him angrily.

2And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

Gideon said, "What I did is small next to what you did. Your family picked up the last few grapes. That was better than my whole family's grape harvest."

3God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

"God handed you Oreb and Zeeb, the two leaders of Midian. What could I do next to that?" When he said this, their anger cooled down.

4And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

Gideon came to the Jordan River and crossed it. His three hundred men crossed with him. They were worn out, but they kept chasing the enemy.

5And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

He said to the men of the town of Succoth, "Please give my men some bread. They are worn out. I am still chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."

6And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

But the leaders of Succoth said, "Have you caught Zebah and Zalmunna yet? Why should we give bread to your army?"

7And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

Gideon said, "Then when the LORD hands Zebah and Zalmunna to me, I will come back. I will tear your skin with sharp desert thorns and prickly branches."

8And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

From there he went up to the town of Penuel and asked for the same help. The men of Penuel answered him just like the men of Succoth had.

9And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

So Gideon told the men of Penuel, "When I come back safe, I will knock down this tower."

10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

Zebah and Zalmunna were at a place called Karkor with their army. About fifteen thousand men were left. They were all that remained of the armies from the east. A hundred and twenty thousand fighting men had already died.

11And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

Gideon went up by the road where the tent people lived, east of Nobah and Jogbehah. He attacked the army by surprise, when they thought they were safe.

12And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

Zebah and Zalmunna ran away, but Gideon chased them. He caught both kings of Midian. He scattered their whole army in panic.