Judges 6 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Midian Prevails Against Israel

1 Then the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 did ^H6213 what ^H7451 was ^H7451 evil ^H7451 in the eyes ^H5869 of Yahweh ^H3068; and Yahweh ^H3068 gave ^H5414 them into the hands ^H3027 of Midian ^H4080 seven ^H7651 years ^H8141.

2 And the [fn]power ^H3027 of Midian ^H4080 prevailed ^H5810 against ^H5921 Israel ^H3478. Because ^H4480 H6440 of Midian ^H4080 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 made ^H6213 for themselves the dens ^H4492 which ^H834 were in the mountains ^H2022 and the caves ^H4631 and the strongholds ^H4679. 3 And it was when ^H518 Israel ^H3478 had sown ^H2232, that the Midianites ^H4080 would go ^H5927 up ^H5927 with the Amalekites ^H6002 and the sons ^H1121 of the east ^H6924 and go ^H5927 up ^H5927 against ^H5921 them. 4 So they would camp ^H2583 against ^H5921 them and ruin ^H7843 the produce ^H2981 of the earth ^H776 [fn]as far ^H5704 H935 as Gaza ^H5804 and leave ^H7604 no ^H3808 sustenance ^H4241 in Israel ^H3478 as well as no sheep ^H7716, ox ^H7794, or donkey ^H2543. 5 For they would go ^H5927 up ^H5927 with their livestock ^H4735 and their tents ^H168; they would come ^H5927 in like locusts ^H697 for number ^H7230, both they and their camels ^H1581 were innumerable ^H369 H4557; and they came ^H935 into the land ^H776 to make ^H7843 it a ruin ^H7843. 6 So Israel ^H3478 was brought ^H1809 very ^H3966 low ^H1809 because ^H4480 H6440 of Midian ^H4080, and the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 cried ^H2199 out ^H2199 to Yahweh ^H3068.

7 Now it happened ^H1961 when ^H3588 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 cried ^H2199 out to Yahweh ^H3068 on account ^H182 of Midian ^H4080, 8 that Yahweh ^H3068 sent ^H7971 a prophet ^H5030 to the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, and he said ^H559 to them, “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, ‘It was I who brought ^H5927 you up ^H5927 from Egypt ^H4714 and brought ^H3318 you out ^H3318 from the house ^H1004 of slavery ^H5650. 9 I delivered ^H5337 you from the hands ^H3027 of the Egyptians ^H4714 and from the hands ^H3027 of all ^H3605 your oppressors ^H3905 and drove ^H1644 them out ^H1644 before ^H4480 H6440 you and gave ^H5414 you their land ^H776, 10 and I said ^H559 to you, “I am Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430; you shall not fear ^H3372 the gods ^H430 of the Amorites ^H567 in whose ^H834 land ^H776 you live ^H3427. But you have not listened ^H6963 to My voice ^H8085.”’”

Yahweh Sends Gideon to Save Israel

11 Then the angel ^H4397 of Yahweh ^H3068 came ^H935 and sat ^H3427 under ^H8478 the [fn]oak ^H424 that was in Ophrah ^H6084, which ^H834 belonged to Joash ^H3060 the Abiezrite ^H33 as his son ^H1121 Gideon ^H1439 was beating ^H2251 out ^H2251 wheat ^H2406 in the wine ^H1660 press ^H1660 in order to [fn]preserve ^H5127 it from the Midianites ^H4080.

12 And the angel ^H4397 of Yahweh ^H3068 appeared ^H7200 to him and said ^H559 to him, “Yahweh ^H3068 is with you, O mighty ^H1368 man ^H1368 of valor ^H2428.” 13 Then Gideon ^H1439 said ^H559 to him, “O ^H994 my lord ^H113, if Yahweh ^H3068 is with us, why ^H4100 then has all ^H3605 this ^H2088 happened ^H4672 to ^H4672 us? And where ^H346 are all ^H3605 His wondrous ^H6381 deeds ^H6381 which ^H834 our fathers ^H1 recounted ^H5608 to us, saying ^H559, ‘Did not Yahweh ^H3068 bring ^H5927 us up ^H5927 from Egypt ^H4714?’ But now ^H6258 Yahweh ^H3068 has abandoned ^H5203 us and given ^H5414 us into the hand ^H3709 of Midian ^H4080.” 14 Then Yahweh ^H3068 turned ^H6437 to him and said ^H559, “Go ^H1980 in this ^H2088 strength ^H3581 of yours and save ^H3467 Israel ^H3478 from the hand ^H3709 of Midian ^H4080. Have I not sent ^H7971 you?” 15 But he said ^H559 to Him, “O ^H994 Lord ^H136, with what ^H4100 shall I save ^H3467 Israel ^H3478? Behold ^H2009, my clan ^H505 is the least ^H1800 in Manasseh ^H4519, and I am the youngest ^H6810 in my father’s ^H1 house ^H1004.” 16 But Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “Surely ^H3588 I will be with you, and you shall strike ^H5221 down ^H5221 Midian ^H4080 as one ^H259 man ^H376.” 17 So [fn]Gideon said ^H559 to Him, “If ^H518 now ^H4994 I have found ^H4672 favor ^H2580 in Your eyes ^H5869, then do ^H6213 a sign ^H226 for me that it is You who speak ^H1696 with me. 18 Please ^H4994 do not depart ^H4185 from here ^H2088 until ^H5704 I come ^H935 back to You, and I bring ^H3318 out ^H3318 my offering ^H4503 and lay ^H5117 it before ^H6440 You.” And He said ^H559, “I will remain ^H3427 until ^H5704 you return ^H7725.”

19 So Gideon ^H1439 went ^H935 in ^H935 and prepared ^H6213 a young ^H1423 H5795 goat ^H1423 H5795 and unleavened ^H4682 bread ^H4682 from an [fn]ephah ^H374 of flour ^H7058; he put ^H7760 the meat ^H1320 in a basket ^H5536 [fn]and the broth ^H4839 in a pot ^H6517 and brought ^H3318 them out ^H3318 to him under ^H8478 the [fn]oak ^H424 and presented ^H5066 them. 20 And the angel ^H4397 of God ^H430 said ^H559 to him, “Take ^H3947 the meat ^H1320 and the unleavened ^H4682 bread ^H4682 and lay ^H5117 them on this ^H1975 rock ^H5553 and pour ^H8210 out ^H8210 the broth ^H4839.” And he did ^H6213 so ^H3651. 21 Then the angel ^H4397 of Yahweh ^H3068 put ^H7971 out ^H7971 the end ^H7097 of the staff ^H4938 that was in his hand ^H3027 and touched ^H5060 the meat ^H1320 and the unleavened ^H4682 bread ^H4682; and fire ^H784 sprang ^H5927 up ^H5927 from the rock ^H6697 and consumed ^H398 the meat ^H1320 and the unleavened ^H4682 bread ^H4682. Then the angel ^H4397 of Yahweh ^H3068 went ^H1980 away ^H1980 from before his eyes ^H5869. 22 And Gideon ^H1439 saw ^H7200 that he was the angel ^H4397 of Yahweh ^H3068, so [fn]he said ^H559, “Alas ^H162, O Lord ^H136 Yahweh ^H3068! For now ^H5921 H3651 I have seen ^H7200 the angel ^H4397 of Yahweh ^H3068 face ^H6440 to face ^H6440.” 23 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “Peace ^H7965 to you. Do not fear ^H3372; you shall not die ^H4191.” 24 So Gideon ^H1439 built ^H1129 an altar ^H4196 there ^H8033 to Yahweh ^H3068 and named ^H7121 it [fn]Yahweh ^H3068 is Peace ^H7965. To this ^H2088 day ^H3117 it is still ^H5750 in Ophrah ^H6084 of the Abiezrites ^H33.

25 Now it happened ^H1961 on the same ^H1931 night ^H3915 that Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “Take ^H3947 your father’s ^H1 bull ^H6499 [fn]and a second ^H8145 bull ^H6499 seven ^H7651 years ^H8141 old, and pull ^H2040 down ^H2040 the altar ^H4196 of Baal ^H1168 which ^H834 belongs to your father ^H1, and cut ^H3772 down ^H3772 the [fn]Asherah ^H842 that is beside ^H5921 it, 26 and build ^H1129 an altar ^H4196 to Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430 on the top ^H7218 of this ^H2088 stronghold ^H4581 in an orderly ^H4634 manner ^H4634, and take ^H3947 the second ^H8145 bull ^H6499 and offer ^H5927 a burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930 with the wood ^H6086 of the Asherah ^H842 which ^H834 you shall cut ^H3772 down ^H3772.” 27 So Gideon ^H1439 took ^H3947 ten ^H6235 men ^H376 of his servants ^H5650 and did ^H6213 as Yahweh ^H3068 had spoken ^H1696 to him; and now it happened ^H1961 that because ^H834 he was ^H3372 too ^H4480 afraid ^H3372 of his father’s ^H1 household ^H1004 and the men ^H376 of the city ^H5892 to do ^H6213 it by day ^H3119, he did ^H6213 it by night ^H3915.

Gideon Tears Down the Altar of Baal

28 Then the men ^H376 of the city ^H5892 arose ^H7925 early ^H7925 in the morning ^H1242, and behold ^H2009, the altar ^H4196 of Baal ^H1168 was torn ^H5422 down ^H5422, and the Asherah ^H842 which ^H834 was beside ^H5921 it was cut ^H3772 down ^H3772, and the second ^H8145 bull ^H6499 was offered ^H5927 on the altar ^H4196 which had been built ^H1129.

29 And they said ^H559 to one ^H376 another ^H7453, “Who ^H4310 did ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697?” And when they searched ^H1875 about and inquired ^H1245, they said ^H559, “Gideon ^H1439 the son ^H1121 of Joash ^H3060 did ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697.” 30 Then the men ^H376 of the city ^H5892 said ^H559 to Joash ^H3060, “Bring ^H3318 out ^H3318 your son ^H1121, that he may die ^H4191, for he has torn ^H5422 down ^H5422 the altar ^H4196 of Baal ^H1168, and indeed ^H3588, he has cut ^H3772 down ^H3772 the Asherah ^H842 which ^H834 was beside ^H5921 it.” 31 But Joash ^H3060 said ^H559 to all ^H3605 who ^H834 stood ^H5975 against ^H5921 him, “Will you contend ^H7378 for Baal ^H1168, or ^H518 will you save ^H3467 him? Whoever ^H834 will contend ^H7378 for him shall be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 by morning ^H1242. If ^H518 he is a god ^H430, let him contend ^H7378 for himself, because ^H3588 someone has torn ^H5422 down ^H5422 his altar ^H4196.” 32 Therefore on that day ^H3117 he named ^H7121 him Jerubbaal ^H3378, that is to say ^H559, “Let Baal ^H1168 contend ^H7378 against him,” because ^H3588 he had torn ^H5422 down ^H5422 his altar ^H4196.

33 Now all ^H3605 the Midianites ^H4080 and the Amalekites ^H6002 and the sons ^H1121 of the east ^H6924 assembled ^H622 themselves; and they crossed ^H5674 over ^H5674 and camped ^H2583 in the valley ^H6010 of Jezreel ^H3157. 34 But the Spirit ^H7307 of Yahweh ^H3068 clothed ^H3847 Gideon ^H1439; and he blew ^H8628 a trumpet ^H7782, and the Abiezrites ^H44 were called ^H2199 together ^H2199 to follow ^H310 him. 35 And he sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 throughout ^H3605 Manasseh ^H4519, and they also ^H1571 were called ^H2199 together ^H2199 to follow ^H310 him; and he sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to Asher ^H836, Zebulun ^H2074, and Naphtali ^H5321, and they came ^H5927 up ^H5927 to meet ^H7122 them.

The Test of the Fleece

36 Then Gideon ^H1439 said ^H559 to God ^H430, “If ^H518 You will ^H3426 save ^H3467 Israel ^H3478 by my hand ^H3027, as You have spoken ^H1696,

37 behold ^H2009, I will put ^H3322 a fleece ^H1492 of wool ^H6785 on the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637. If ^H518 there is dew ^H2919 on the fleece ^H1492 only ^H905, and it is dry ^H2721 on all ^H3605 the ground ^H776, then I will know ^H3045 that You will save ^H3467 Israel ^H3478 by my hand ^H3027, as You have spoken ^H1696.” 38 And it was so ^H3651. Indeed he arose ^H7925 early ^H7925 the next ^H4283 morning ^H4283 and squeezed ^H2115 the fleece ^H1492. And he drained ^H4680 the dew ^H2919 from the fleece ^H1492, a bowl ^H5602 full ^H4393 of water ^H4325. 39 Then Gideon ^H1439 said ^H559 to God ^H430, “Do not let Your anger ^H639 burn ^H2734 against me that I may speak ^H1696 once ^H6471 more ^H6471; please ^H4994 let me make ^H5254 a ^H5254 test ^H5254 once ^H6471 more ^H6471 with the fleece ^H1492; let it now ^H4994 be dry ^H2721 only ^H905 on the fleece ^H1492, and let there be dew ^H2919 on all ^H3605 the ground ^H776.” 40 And God ^H430 did ^H6213 so ^H3651 that night ^H3915. So it was dry ^H2721 only ^H905 on the fleece ^H1492, but dew ^H2919 was on all ^H3605 the ground ^H776.