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The Angel of the Lord Visits Gideon

11-12 One time the angel of the Lord came to a place called Ophrah and sat under an oak tree. This oak tree belonged to a man named Joash from the Abiezer family. His son Gideon was beating some wheat[a] in a winepress. He was hiding so that the Midianites could not see the wheat. The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord be with you, brave soldier.”

13 Then Gideon said, “Pardon me, sir, but if the Lord is with us, why are we having so many troubles? We heard that he did wonderful things for our ancestors. They tell us that the Lord took them out of Egypt. But now it seems the Lord has left us and is letting the Midianites defeat us.”

14 The Lord turned toward Gideon and said, “Then use your great power and go save the Israelites from the Midianites. I am sending you to save them.”

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:11 beating some wheat That is, separating the grains of wheat from the hulls. Usually this is done near the top of a hill.

12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,(A) mighty warrior.(B)

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(C) that our ancestors told(D) us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned(E) us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have(F) and save(G) Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

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