The Israelites for their sin are oppressed by Midian.

1 ¶ And the childrenº of Israelº didºª evilº in the sightº of the LORD:º and the LORDº deliveredºª them into the handº of Midianº sevenº years.º 2 And the handº of Midianº prevailedºª against² Israel:º [and] becauseº² of the Midianitesº the childrenº of Israelº madeºª them² the densº which² [are] in the mountains,º and caves,º and strong holds.º 3 And [so] it was,² when² Israelº had sown,ºª that the Midianitesº came up,ºª and the Amalekites,¹² and the childrenº of the east,º even they came upºª against² them; 4 And they encampedºª against² them, and destroyedºª² the increaseº of the earth,º till² thou comeºª unto Gaza,º and leftºª no² sustenanceº for Israel,º neither sheep,º nor ox,º nor ass.º 5 For² they² came upºª with their cattleº and their tents,º and they cameºªªª as¹² grasshoppersº for multitude;º [for] both they² and their camelsº were without² number:º and they enteredºª into the landº to destroyºª it. 6 And Israelº was greatlyº impoverishedºª becauseº² of the Midianites;º and the childrenº of Israelº criedºª unto² the LORD.º

7 ¶ And it came to pass,² when² the childrenº of Israelº criedºª unto² the LORDº because¹ of²² the Midianites,º

A prophet rebuketh them.

8 That the LORDº sentºª a prophetº¹ unto² the childrenº of Israel,º which saidºª unto them, Thus² saithºª the LORDº Godº of Israel,º I² brought you upºª² from Egypt,º² and brought you forthºª² out of the houseº² of bondage;º 9 And I deliveredºª you out of the handº² of the Egyptians,º and out of the handº² of all² that oppressedºª you, and drave them outºª² from beforeº² you, and gaveºª you² their land;º 10 And I saidºª unto you, I² [am] the LORDº your God;º fearºª not²² the godsº of the Amorites,º in whose² landº ye² dwell:ºª but ye have not² obeyedºª my voice.º

An angel sendeth Gideon for their deliverance.

11 ¶ And there cameºª an angelº of the LORD,º and satºª under² an oakº which² [was] in Ophrah,º that² [pertained] unto Joashº the Abiezrite:º and his sonº Gideonº threshedºª wheatº by the winepress,º to hideºª [it] fromº² the Midianites.º 12 And the angelº of the LORDº appearedºª unto² him, and saidºª unto² him, The LORDº [is] with² thee, thou mighty¹ man² of valour.º 13 And Gideonº saidºª unto² him, Ohº my Lord,º if¹ the LORDº be² with² us, why² then is all² this² befallenºª us? and where² [be] all² his miraclesºª which² our fathersº toldºª us of, saying,ºª Did not² the LORDº bring us upºª from Egypt?º² but now² the LORDº hath forsakenºª us, and deliveredºª us into the handsº of the Midianites.º 14 And the LORDº lookedºª upon² him, and said,ºª Go¹ª in² this² thy might,º and thou shalt saveºª² Israelº from the handº² of the Midianites:º have not² I sentºª thee? 15 And he saidºª unto² him, Ohº my Lord,º wherewithº shall I saveºª² Israel?º behold,² my familyºª¹ [is] poorº in Manasseh,º and I² [am] the leastº in my father'sº house.º 16 And the LORDº saidºª unto² him, Surely² I will be² with² thee, and thou shalt smiteºª² the Midianitesº as oneº man.º

Gideon's present is consumed with fire.

17 And he saidºª unto² him, If² now² I have foundºª graceº in thy sight,º then shewºª me a signº that thou²² talkestºª with² me. 18 Departºª not² hence,²² I pray thee,² until² I comeºª unto² thee, and bring forthºª² my present,º and set¹ª² [it] beforeº thee. And he said,ºª I² will tarryºª until² thou come again.ºª

19 ¶ And Gideonº went in,ºª and made readyºª a kid,ºº and unleavened cakesº of an ephahº of flour:º the fleshº he putºª in a basket,º and he putºª the brothº in a pot,º and brought [it] outºª unto² him under²² the oak,º and presentedºª [it]. 20 And the angelº of Godº saidºª unto² him, Takeºª² the fleshº and the unleavened cakes,º and lay¹ª² [them] upon² thisº rock,º and pour outºª the broth.º And he didºª so.²

21 ¶ Then the angelº of the LORDº put forthºª² the endº of the staffº that² [was] in his hand,º and touchedºª the fleshº and the unleavened cakes;º and there rose upºª fireº out of² the rock,º and consumedºª² the fleshº and the unleavened cakes.º Then the angelº of the LORDº departedºª out of his sight.º² 22 And when Gideonº perceivedºª that² he² [was] an angelº of the LORD,º Gideonº said,ºª Alas,º O Lordº GOD!º for² becauseº² I have seenºª an angelº of the LORDº faceº to² face.º 23 And the LORDº saidºª unto him, Peaceº [be] unto thee; fearºª not:² thou shalt not² die.ºª 24 Then Gideonº builtºª an altarº there² unto the LORD,º and calledºª it Jehovahshalom:º unto² this² dayº it [is] yet² in Ophrahº of the Abiezrites.º

Gideon destroyeth Baal's altar, and offereth a sacrifice upon the altar JEHOVAH-shalom.

25 ¶ And it came to pass² the same² night,º that the LORDº saidºª unto him, Takeºª² thy father'sº young¹ bullock,º² even the secondº bullockº of sevenº years² old,¹ and throw downºª² the altarº of Baalº that² thy fatherº hath, and cut downºª the groveº that² [is] by² it: 26 And buildºª an altarº unto the LORDº thy Godº upon² the topº of this² rock,º in the ordered place,º and takeºª² the secondº bullock,º and offerºª a burnt sacrificeº with the woodº of the groveº which² thou shalt cut down.ºª 27 Then Gideonº tookºª tenº men¹² of his servants,º² and didºª as² the LORDº had saidºª unto² him: and [so] it was,² because² he fearedºª² his father'sº household,º and the men¹² of the city,º that he could not doºª² [it] by day,º that he didºª [it] by night.º

Joash defendeth his son, and calleth him Jerubbaal.

28 ¶ And when the men¹² of the cityº arose earlyºª in the morning,º behold,² the altarº of Baalº was cast down,ºª and the groveº was cut downºª that² [was] by² it, and the secondº bullockº was offeredºª upon² the altarº [that was] built.ºª 29 And they saidºª oneº to² another,º Who² hath doneºª this² thing?º And when they enquiredºª and asked,ºª they said,ºª Gideonº the sonº of Joashº hath doneºª this² thing.º 30 Then the men¹² of the cityº saidºª unto² Joash,º Bring outºª² thy son,º that he may die:ºª because² he hath cast downºª² the altarº of Baal,º and because² he hath cut downºª the groveº that² [was] by² it. 31 And Joashº saidºª unto all² that² stoodºª against² him, Will ye² pleadºª for Baal?º will ye² saveºª him? he that² will pleadºª for him, let him be put to deathºª whilst² [it is yet] morning:º if² he² [be] a god,º let him pleadºª for himself, because² [one] hath cast downºª² his altar.º 32 Therefore on that² dayº he calledºª him Jerubbaal,º saying,ºª Let Baalº pleadºª against him, because² he hath thrown downºª² his altar.º

Gideon's army.

33 ¶ Then all² the Midianitesº and the Amalekites¹² and the childrenº of the eastº were gatheredºª together,º and went over,ºª and pitchedºª in the valleyº of Jezreel.º 34 But the Spiritº of the LORDº came¹ª upon²² Gideon,º and he blewºª a trumpet;º and Abiezerº was gatheredºª afterº him. 35 And he sentºª messengersº throughout all² Manasseh;º who² also² was gatheredºª afterº him: and he sentºª messengersº unto Asher,º and unto Zebulun,º and unto Naphtali;º and they came upºª to meetºª them.

Gideon's signs.

36 ¶ And Gideonº saidºª unto² God,º If² thou² wilt¹ saveºª² Israelº by mine hand,º as² thou hast said,ºª 37 Behold,² I² will putºª² a fleeceº of woolº in the floor;º [and] if² the dewº be² on² the fleeceº only,² and [it be] dryº upon² all² the earthº [beside], then shall I knowºª that² thou wilt saveºª² Israelº by mine hand,º as² thou hast said.ºª 38 And it was² so:² for he rose up earlyºª on the morrow,º² and thrustºª² the fleeceº together,ºª and wringedºª the dewº out of² the fleece,º a bowlº full¹² of water.º 39 And Gideonº saidºª unto² God,º Let not² thine angerº be hotºª against me, and I will speakºª but² this once:º let me prove,ºª I pray thee,² but² this onceº with the fleece;º let it now² be² dryº only² upon² the fleece,º and upon² all² the groundº let there be² dew.º 40 And Godº didºª so² that² night:º for it was² dryº upon² the fleeceº only,² and there was² dewº on² all² the ground.º