Judges 6

Oppression and Confrontation

6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight,¹ so the Lord turned them over to² Midian for seven years. 6:2 The Midianites³ overwhelmed Israel.⁴ Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters⁵ for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds. 6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops,⁶ the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them.⁷ 6:4 They invaded the land⁸ and devoured⁹ its crops¹⁰ all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat,¹¹ and they took away¹² the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. 6:5 When they invaded¹³ with their cattle and tents, they were as thick¹⁴ as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted.¹⁵ They came to devour¹⁶ the land. 6:6 Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

6:7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian, 6:8 he¹⁷ sent a prophet¹⁸ to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you up from Egypt¹⁹ and took you out of that place of slavery.²⁰ 6:9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power²¹ and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 6:10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship²² the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’”²³

Gideon Meets Some Visitors

6:11 The Lord’s angelic messenger²⁴ came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon²⁵ was threshing²⁶ wheat in a winepress²⁷ so he could hide it from the Midianites.²⁸ 6:12 The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me,²⁹ but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster³⁰ overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said,³¹ ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 6:14 Then the Lord himself³² turned to him and said, “You have the strength.³³ Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites!³⁴ Have I not sent you?” 6:15 Gideon³⁵ said to him, “But Lord,³⁶ how³⁷ can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.”³⁸ 6:16 The Lord said to him, “Ah, but³⁹ I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.”⁴⁰ 6:17 Gideon⁴¹ said to him, “If you really are pleased with me,⁴² then give me⁴³ a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back⁴⁴ with a gift⁴⁵ and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”

6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat,⁴⁶ along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food⁴⁷ to him under the oak tree and presented it to him. 6:20 God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock,⁴⁸ and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed.⁴⁹ 6:21 The Lord’s messenger touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of his staff.⁵⁰ Fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread. The Lord’s messenger then disappeared.⁵¹

6:22 When Gideon realized⁵² that it was the Lord’s messenger, he⁵³ said, “Oh no!⁵⁴ Master, Lord!⁵⁵ I have seen the Lord’s messenger face to face!” 6:23 The Lord said to him, “You are safe!⁵⁶ Do not be afraid! You are not going to die!” 6:24 Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.”⁵⁷ To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon Destroys the Altar

6:25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old.⁵⁸ Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 6:26 Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern.⁵⁹ Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants⁶⁰ and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family⁶¹ and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime.⁶²

6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw⁶³ the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar. 6:29 They said to one another,⁶⁴ “Who did this?”⁶⁵ They investigated the matter thoroughly⁶⁶ and concluded⁶⁷ that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him!⁶⁸ He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.” 6:31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him,⁶⁹ “Must you fight Baal’s battles?⁷⁰ Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause⁷¹ will die by morning!⁷² If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles!⁷³ After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.”⁷⁴ 6:32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal,⁷⁵ because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”

Gideon Summons an Army and Seeks Confirmation

6:33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east⁷⁶ assembled. They crossed the Jordan River⁷⁷ and camped in the Jezreel Valley. 6:34 The Lord’s spirit took control of⁷⁸ Gideon. He blew a trumpet,⁷⁹ summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.⁸⁰ 6:35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well.⁸¹ He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him.

6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel,⁸² as you promised, then give me a sign as proof.⁸³ 6:37 Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it⁸⁴ is dry, then I will be sure⁸⁵ that you will use me to deliver Israel,⁸⁶ as you promised.” 6:38 The Lord did as he asked.⁸⁷ When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl.⁸⁸ 6:39 Gideon said to God, “Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign.⁸⁹ Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.”⁹⁰ 6:40 That night God did as he asked.⁹¹ Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

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