Judges 6

1And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

1The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.

2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

2The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made shelters for themselves in mountain cracks, caves, and forts.

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

3Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples would attack them.

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

4They camped on the land and destroyed the crops as far as Gaza. They left nothing for Israel to eat—no sheep, cows, or donkeys.

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

5They came with their livestock and tents like a swarm of locusts. There were so many people and camels they couldn't be counted, and they came only to ruin the land.

6And Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah.

6Israel was reduced to great poverty because of Midian, so the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah because of Midian,

7When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of what Midian was doing,

8that Jehovah sent a prophet unto the children of Israel: and he said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

8the Lord sent a prophet to them. He said, 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.'

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

9'I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.'

10and I said unto you, I am Jehovah your God; ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell. But ye have not hearkened unto my voice.

10'I told you, "I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live." But you have not listened to me.'

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

11Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak tree in Ophrah that belonged to Joash, from the family of Abiezer. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.

12And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him, and said unto him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.

12The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, 'The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior!'

13And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? but now Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

13'Sir,' Gideon replied, 'if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? Where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? They said, "Didn't the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?" But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.'

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

14The Lord turned to him and said, 'Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. Am I not the one sending you?'

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

15'But Lord,' Gideon asked, 'how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important person in my family.'

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

16The Lord answered, 'I will be with you, and you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting only one man.'

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

17Gideon replied, 'If I have truly found favor with you, give me a sign that it is really you speaking to me.'

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

18'Please don't leave until I come back and bring you my gift and set it before you.' And the Lord said, 'I will stay here until you return.'

19And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal: 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, cooked a young goat, and made bread without yeast from about twenty quarts of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, brought them out to the angel under the oak tree, and offered them.

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, and pour the broth over them.' And Gideon did so.

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

21Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the bread with the tip of the staff in his hand. Fire flared up from the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel of the Lord disappeared.

22And Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face.

22When Gideon realized it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, 'Oh no, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!'

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

23But the Lord said to him, 'Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.'

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

24Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it "The Lord is Peace." To this day it still stands in Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

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

25That same night the Lord said to him, 'Take your father’s bull and a second bull that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole next to it.'

26and build an altar unto Jehovah thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shalt cut down.

26'Then build a proper altar to the Lord your God on top of this high place. Using the wood from the Asherah pole you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.'

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

27So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the people of the city, he did it at night instead of during the day.

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

28When the people of the city got up early the next morning, they saw that the altar of Baal had been torn down, the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down, and the second bull had been sacrificed on the new altar.

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

29They asked each other, 'Who did this?' After investigating, they were told, 'Gideon 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 broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the Asherah that was by it.

30The men of the city said to Joash, 'Bring out your son! He must die because he tore down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole.'

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

31But Joash said to the angry crowd, 'Are you going to argue for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Anyone who takes his side will be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, let him defend himself when someone tears down his altar.'

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

32From then on, Gideon was called Jerubbaal, which means 'Let Baal defend himself,' because Joash said, 'Let Baal argue against him, since he tore down his altar.'

33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.

33Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples joined forces, crossed the Jordan River, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

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

34Then the Spirit of the Lord took control of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn trumpet, and the men of the family of Abiezer gathered behind him.

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

35He sent messengers throughout all of Manasseh, calling them to join him. He also sent messengers to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they all came to meet him.

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

36Gideon said to God, 'You said you would use me to rescue Israel.'

37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken.

37'Look, I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and the ground all around it is dry, then I will know you will help me rescue Israel as you promised.'

38And it was so; for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.

38And that is exactly what happened. Gideon got up early the next morning, squeezed the fleece, and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.

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

39Then Gideon said to God, 'Don't be angry with me, but let me ask one more thing. Let me make one more test with the fleece. This time let the fleece stay dry, while the ground around it is wet with dew.'

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

40God did that very thing that night. The fleece stayed dry, but the ground all around it was covered with dew.