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Judges 6:11-24
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Judges 6:11-24
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
11 Then the messenger of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. Joash’s son Gideon(A) was beating out wheat in the wine press to save it from the Midianites, 12 and the messenger of the Lord appeared to him and said: The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior! 13 “My lord,” Gideon said to him, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are his wondrous deeds about which our ancestors told us when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ For now the Lord has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian.” 14 (B)The Lord turned to him and said: Go with the strength you have, and save Israel from the power of Midian. Is it not I who send you? 15 But he answered him, “Please, my Lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.”(C) 16 The Lord said to him: I will be with you,[a] and you will cut down Midian to the last man. 17 He answered him, “If you look on me with favor, give me a sign that you are the one speaking with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my offering and set it before you.” He answered: I will await your return.
19 So Gideon went off and prepared a young goat and an ephah[b] of flour in the form of unleavened cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 (D)The messenger of God said to him: Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock; then pour out the broth. When he had done so, 21 the messenger of the Lord stretched out the tip of the staff he held. When he touched the meat and unleavened cakes, a fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened cakes. Then the messenger of the Lord disappeared from sight. 22 [c]Gideon, now aware that it had been the messenger of the Lord, said, “Alas, Lord God, that I have seen the messenger of the Lord face to face!”(E) 23 The Lord answered him: You are safe. Do not fear. You shall not die. 24 So Gideon built there an altar to the Lord and called it Yahweh-shalom.[d](F) To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 6:16 I will be with you: narratives telling how the Lord commissions someone for a task depict the person’s reactions of reluctance, confusion, or sense of inadequacy, and the Lord’s reassurance (“I will be with you”), sometimes accompanied by a sign (cf. Ex 3:12; Jer 1:8). Lk 1:28–37 is modeled on this pattern.
- 6:19 Ephah: see note on Is 5:10.
- 6:22 Ancient Israel thought that seeing God face to face meant mortal danger, as Ex 33:20 indicates and as Gideon’s reaction here shows. Compare the reaction of Samson’s parents (13:22–23) when they realize they have been conversing with the Lord.
- 6:24 Yahweh-shalom: a reference to the Lord’s words, “You are safe” (v. 23), lit., “Peace be to you!”
Judges 6:11-24
New International Version
Judges 6:11-24
New International Version
11 The angel of the Lord(A) came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah(B) that belonged to Joash(C) the Abiezrite,(D) where his son Gideon(E) was threshing(F) wheat in a winepress(G) to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,(H) mighty warrior.(I)”
13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders(J) that our ancestors told(K) us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned(L) us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have(M) and save(N) Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan(O) is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.(P)”
16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you(Q), and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign(R) that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”
And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”
19 Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat,(S) and from an ephah[a](T) of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.(U)
20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock,(V) and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread(W) with the tip of the staff(X) that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. 22 When Gideon realized(Y) that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”(Z)
23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid.(AA) You are not going to die.”(AB)
24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called(AC) it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah(AD) of the Abiezrites.
Footnotes
- Judges 6:19 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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