Judges 6

Midian Oppresses Israel

1The children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2The hand of Midian was strong against Israel. Because of Midian, the children of Israel made for themselves hiding places in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. 3Whenever Israel sowed, Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east came up against them. 4They camped against them and destroyed the produce of the land as far as Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. 5For they came up with their livestock and tents like locusts in abundance. They and their camels were without number, and they entered the land to destroy it. 6Israel became very impoverished because of Midian, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.

A Prophet Speaks

7When the children of Israel cried out to the LORD because of Midian, 8The LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery. 9I delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10And I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to my voice.”

The Messenger of the LORD Calls Gideon

11The messenger of the LORD came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. Gideon his son was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from Midian. 12The messenger of the LORD appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” 13Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15He said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Look, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16The LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike Midian as one man.”

Gideon Prepares an Offering

17Gideon said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then give me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18Please do not depart from here until I come to you, bring out my gift, and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay until you return.” 19Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, brought them out to him under the oak, and presented them. 20The messenger of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21Then the messenger of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. Fire rose from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes, and the messenger of the LORD disappeared from his sight. 22Gideon saw that he was the messenger of the LORD, and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord GOD! For now I have seen the messenger of the LORD face to face.” 23But the LORD said to him, “Peace to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it “The LORD Is Peace.” To this day it stands at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon Tears Down Baal’s Altar

25That night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah beside it. 26Build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this stronghold in proper order. Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you cut down.” 27So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the people of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night. 28When the people of the city rose early in the morning, look, the altar of Baal was torn down, the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar that had been built. 29They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” When they searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon son of Joash did this thing.” 30Then the people of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son so that he may die, because he tore down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.” 31But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone tore down his altar.” 32Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, saying, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he tore down his altar.

The Spirit of the LORD Clothes Gideon

33Now all Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east gathered together, crossed over, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he blew the ram’s horn. The Abiezrites were called out to follow him. 35He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were called out to follow him. He sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.

Gideon and the Fleece

36Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken, 37look, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is on the fleece alone and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.” 38And so it happened. He rose early the next morning, squeezed the fleece, and wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 39Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let your anger burn against me. Let me speak only once more. Please let me test only once more with the fleece. Let the fleece alone be dry, and let there be dew on all the ground.” 40And God did so that night. The fleece alone was dry, and there was dew on all the ground.