Judges 6 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Israel Oppressed by Midian

1 Then the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 did ^H6213 what ^H7451 was ^H7451 evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of the LORD ^H3068; and the LORD ^H3068 handed ^H5414 H3027 them over ^H5414 to Midian ^H4080 for seven ^H7651 years ^H8141.

2 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 For whenever ^H1961 H518 Israel ^H3478 had sown ^H2232, the Midianites ^H4080 would come ^H5927 up ^H5927 with the Amalekites ^H6002 and the [fn]people ^H1121 of the east ^H6924 and [fn]march ^H5927 against ^H5921 them. 4 So they would camp ^H2583 against ^H5921 them and destroy ^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, nor a sheep ^H7716, ox ^H7794, or donkey ^H2543. 5 For they would come ^H5927 up ^H5927 with their livestock ^H4735 and their tents ^H168, they would come ^H935 in ^H935 like locusts ^H697 in number ^H7230, and both they and their camels ^H1581 were innumerable ^H369 H4557; and they came ^H935 into the land ^H776 to ruin ^H7843 it. 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 the LORD ^H3068.

7 Now it came ^H1961 about ^H1961, when ^H3588 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 cried ^H2199 out ^H2199 to the LORD ^H3068 on account ^H182 of Midian ^H4080, 8 that the LORD ^H3068 sent ^H7971 a prophet ^H5030 to the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, and he said ^H559 to them, “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478 says ^H559: ‘It was I who brought ^H5927 you up ^H5927 from Egypt ^H4714, and brought ^H3318 you out ^H3318 of the house ^H1004 of [fn]slavery ^H5650. 9 And I rescued ^H5337 you from the hands ^H3027 of the Egyptians ^H4714, and from the hands ^H3027 of all ^H3605 your oppressors ^H3905, and I drove ^H1644 them out ^H1644 from you and gave ^H5414 you their land ^H776, 10 and I said ^H559 to you, “I am the LORD ^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 [fn]obeyed ^H8085 H6963 Me.’”

Gideon Is Visited

11 Then the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^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 save ^H5127 it from the Midianites ^H4080.

12 And the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^H3068 appeared ^H7200 to him and said ^H559 to him, “The LORD ^H3068 is with you, valiant ^H2428 warrior ^H1368.” 13 Then Gideon ^H1439 said ^H559 to him, “O ^H994 my lord ^H113, if the LORD ^H3068 is with us, why ^H4100 then has all ^H3605 this ^H2088 happened ^H4672 to ^H4672 us? And where ^H346 are all ^H3605 His miracles ^H6381 which ^H834 our fathers ^H1 told ^H5608 us about, saying ^H559, ‘Did the LORD ^H3068 not bring ^H5927 us up ^H5927 from Egypt ^H4714?’ But now ^H6258 the LORD ^H3068 has abandoned ^H5203 us and handed ^H5414 H3709 us over ^H5414 to Midian ^H4080.” 14 And the LORD ^H3068 [fn]looked ^H6437 at 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, [fn]how ^H4100 am I to save ^H3467 Israel ^H3478? Behold ^H2009, my family ^H505 is the least ^H1800 in Manasseh ^H4519, and I am the youngest ^H6810 in my father’s ^H1 house ^H1004.” 16 Yet the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “I will certainly ^H3588 be with you, and you will [fn]defeat ^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 sight ^H5869, then perform ^H6213 for me a sign ^H226 that it is You speaking ^H1696 with me. 18 Please ^H4994 do not depart ^H4185 from here ^H2088 until ^H5704 I come ^H935 back to You, and 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 Then 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 the LORD ^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 came ^H5927 up ^H5927 from the rock ^H6697 and consumed ^H398 the meat ^H1320 and the unleavened ^H4682 bread ^H4682. Then the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^H3068 [fn]vanished ^H1980 from his sight ^H5869. 22 When Gideon ^H1439 perceived ^H7200 that he was the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^H3068, [fn]he said ^H559, “Oh ^H162, Lord ^H136 [fn]GOD ^H3068! For I have seen ^H7200 the angel ^H4397 of the LORD ^H3068 face ^H6440 to face ^H6440!” 23 But the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “Peace ^H7965 to you, do not be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372; you shall not die ^H4191.” 24 Then Gideon ^H1439 built ^H1129 an altar ^H4196 there ^H8033 to the LORD ^H3068 and named ^H7121 it [fn]The LORD ^H3068 is Peace ^H7965. To this ^H2088 day ^H3117 it is still ^H5750 in Ophrah ^H6084 of the Abiezrites ^H33.

25 Now on the same ^H1931 night ^H3915 the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “Take ^H3947 your father’s ^H1 bull ^H6499 H7794 [fn]and a second ^H8145 bull ^H6499 seven ^H7651 years ^H8141 old, and tear ^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 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 on the top ^H7218 of this ^H2088 stronghold ^H4581 in an orderly ^H4634 way ^H4634, and take ^H3947 a 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 Then Gideon ^H1439 took ^H3947 ten ^H6235 men ^H376 from his servants ^H5650 and did ^H6213 as the LORD ^H3068 had spoken ^H1696 to him; and 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.

The Altar of Baal Destroyed

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

29 So they said ^H559 to one ^H376 another ^H7453, “Who ^H4310 did ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697?” And when they searched ^H1875 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, since ^H3588 someone has torn ^H5422 down ^H5422 his altar ^H4196!” 32 Therefore on that day ^H3117 he named ^H7121 [fn]Gideon 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 Then all ^H3605 the Midianites ^H4080, the Amalekites ^H6002, and the [fn]people ^H1121 of the east ^H6924 assembled ^H622 together ^H3162; and they crossed ^H5674 over ^H5674 and camped ^H2583 in the Valley ^H6010 of Jezreel ^H3157. 34 So the Spirit ^H7307 of the LORD ^H3068 [fn]covered ^H3847 Gideon ^H1439 like ^H3847 clothing ^H3847; 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.

Sign of the Fleece

36 Then Gideon ^H1439 said ^H559 to God ^H430, “If ^H518 You are going to save ^H3467 Israel ^H3478 [fn]through ^H3027 me, as You have spoken ^H1696,

37 behold ^H2009, I am putting ^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 [fn]through ^H3027 me, as You have spoken ^H1696.” 38 And it was so ^H3651. When he got ^H7925 up ^H7925 early ^H7925 the next ^H4283 morning ^H4283 and wrung ^H2115 out ^H2115 the fleece ^H1492, he wrung ^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, so that I may speak ^H1696 only ^H389 one more time ^H6471; please ^H4994 let me put ^H5254 You to ^H5254 the ^H5254 test ^H5254 only ^H7534 one more time ^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; for it was dry ^H2721 only ^H905 on the fleece ^H1492, and dew ^H2919 was on all ^H3605 the ground ^H776.