Israel Oppressed by Midian

Then the sons of Israel (A)did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord handed them over to (B)Midian for seven years. The [a]power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves (C)the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. For whenever Israel had sown, the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the [b]people of the east and [c]march against them. So they would camp against them and (D)destroy the produce of the earth [d]as far as Gaza, and (E)leave no sustenance in Israel, nor a sheep, ox, or donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in (F)like locusts in number, and both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to ruin it. So Israel was brought (G)very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord.

Now it came about, when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of Midian, that the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and (H)he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of [e]slavery. And I rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians, and from the hands of all your oppressors, and I drove them out from you and gave you their land, 10 and I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you (I)shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live.” But you have not [f]obeyed Me.’”

Gideon Is Visited

11 Then (J)the angel of the Lord came and sat under the [g]oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the (K)Abiezrite, as his son (L)Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But (M)now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 14 And the Lord [h]looked at him and said, “(N)Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 (O)But he said to Him, “O Lord, [i]how am I to save Israel? Behold, my family is the least in (P)Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 (Q)Yet the Lord said to him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will [j]defeat Midian as one man.” 17 So [k]Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then perform for me (R)a sign that it is You speaking with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”

19 Then Gideon went in and (S)prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an [l]ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket [m]and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the [n]oak and presented them. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and (T)fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord [o]vanished from his sight. 22 (U)When Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord, [p]he said, “Oh, Lord [q]God! For I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not be afraid; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it [r]The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still (V)in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

25 Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull [s]and a second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the [t](W)Asherah that is beside it; 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly way, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” 27 Then Gideon took ten men from his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

The Altar of Baal Destroyed

28 When the people of the city got up early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal had been torn down, and the Asherah which had been beside it had been cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar which had been built. 29 So they said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” 30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you save him? Whoever will contend for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, since someone has torn down his altar!” 32 Therefore on that day he named [u]Gideon (X)Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.

33 Then all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the [v]people of the east assembled together; and they crossed over and camped in (Y)the Valley of Jezreel. 34 So (Z)the Spirit of the Lord [w]covered Gideon like clothing; and he (AA)blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, (AB)Zebulun, and Naphtali, and (AC)they came up to meet them.

Sign of the Fleece

36 Then Gideon said to God, “(AD)If You are going to save Israel [x]through me, as You have spoken, 37 behold, I am putting a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will save Israel [y]through me, as You have spoken.” 38 And it was so. When he got up early the next morning and wrung out the fleece, he wrung the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “(AE)Do not let Your anger burn against me, so that I may speak only one more time; please let me put You to the test only one more time with the fleece: let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” 40 And God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.

Gideon’s Three Hundred Chosen Men

Then (AF)Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him got up early, and camped beside [z]the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of [aa]them by the hill of (AG)Moreh in the valley.

And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to hand Midian over to them, (AH)otherwise Israel would [ab]become boastful, saying, ‘My own [ac]power has saved me.’ Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘(AI)Whoever is afraid and worried, is to return and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand from the people returned, but ten thousand remained.

(AJ)Then the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. So it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “You shall put everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps [ad]in one group, and everyone who kneels down to drink in another.” Now the number of those who lapped, [ae]putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people kneeled down to drink water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “I will save you (AK)with the three hundred men who lapped, and will hand the Midianites over to you; so have all the other people go, each man to his [af]home.” So [ag]the three hundred men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And [ah]Gideon dismissed all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the three hundred men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

Now on the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, (AL)for I have handed it over to you. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, 11 so that you will hear what they say; and (AM)afterward [ai]you will have the courage to go down against the camp.” So he went down with Purah his servant to the [aj]outposts of the army that was in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the [ak]people of the east were lying in the valley (AN)as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, (AO)as numerous as the sand on the seashore. 13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I [al]had a dream; [am]a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it [an]upside down so that the tent collapsed.” 14 And his friend replied, “This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has (AP)handed over to him Midian and all the camp.”

15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. Then he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has handed over to you the camp of Midian!” 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three [ao]units, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. 17 Then he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, [ap]do as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets around the entire camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”

Confusion of the Enemy

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle night watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 When the three [aq]units blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 And each stood in his place around the camp; and (AQ)all the [ar]army ran, crying out as they fled. 22 And when they blew the three hundred trumpets, the (AR)Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the entire [as]army; and the [at]army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of (AS)Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were summoned from (AT)Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

24 Then Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down [au]against Midian and (AU)take control of the waters ahead of them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were summoned, and they took control of the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two leaders of Midian, (AV)Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon (AW)from across the Jordan.

Zebah and Zalmunna Routed

Then the men of Ephraim said to [av]Gideon, “(AX)What is this thing that you have done to us, not calling upon us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they quarreled with him vehemently. But he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim not better than the vintage of Abiezer? God has handed over to you the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their [aw]anger toward him subsided when he said [ax]that.

Then Gideon and the three hundred men who were with him came (AY)to the Jordan and crossed over, exhausted yet still pursuing. And he said to the men of (AZ)Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are [ay]following me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” But the leaders of Succoth said, “[az](BA)Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” So Gideon said, “For this answer, (BB)when the Lord has handed over to me Zebah and Zalmunna, I will [ba]thrash your [bb]bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” Then he went up from there to [bc](BC)Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. So he said also to the men of [bd]Penuel, “When I return safely, (BD)I will tear down this tower.”

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their [be]armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of the entire [bf]army of the [bg]people of the east; (BE)for the fallen were 120,000 [bh]swordsmen. 11 Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and he [bi]attacked the camp when the camp was unsuspecting. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the entire [bj]army.

13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle [bk]by the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a youth from [bl]Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘[bm](BF)Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’” 16 Then he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he [bn]disciplined the men of Succoth with them. 17 (BG)And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where were the men whom you killed at Tabor?” But they said, “You and they were alike, each one [bo]resembling the son of a king.” 19 And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them.” But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself, and attack us; for as the man, so is his strength.” (BH)So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and (BI)took the crescent amulets which were on their camels’ necks.

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, your son’s son as well, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian!” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; (BJ)the Lord shall rule over you.” 24 Yet Gideon said to them, “I would [bp]request of you, that each of you give me [bq]an earring from his plunder.” (For they had gold earrings, because they were (BK)Ishmaelites.) 25 And they said, “We will certainly give them to you.” So they spread out a garment, and every one of them tossed an earring there from his plunder. 26 The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, apart from the crescent amulets, the ear pendants, and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and apart from the neck chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made it into (BL)an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah; but all Israel [br]committed infidelity with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

Forty Years of Peace

28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Then (BM)Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had (BN)seventy sons who [bs]were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he [bt]named him Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, (BO)that the sons of Israel again [bu]committed infidelity with the Baals, and made (BP)Baal-berith their god. 34 So the sons of Israel (BQ)did not remember the Lord their God, who had saved them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 (BR)nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accordance with all the good that he had done for Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:2 Lit hand
  2. Judges 6:3 Lit sons
  3. Judges 6:3 Lit go up against
  4. Judges 6:4 Lit until your coming to
  5. Judges 6:8 Lit slaves
  6. Judges 6:10 Lit listened to My voice
  7. Judges 6:11 Or terebinth
  8. Judges 6:14 Or turned toward
  9. Judges 6:15 Lit with what
  10. Judges 6:16 Lit strike
  11. Judges 6:17 Lit he
  12. Judges 6:19 About 1 cubic foot or 0.03 cubic meters
  13. Judges 6:19 Lit and he put
  14. Judges 6:19 Or terebinth
  15. Judges 6:21 Lit departed
  16. Judges 6:22 Lit Gideon
  17. Judges 6:22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  18. Judges 6:24 Heb Yahweh-shalom
  19. Judges 6:25 Or even
  20. Judges 6:25 I.e., wooden symbol of a female deity; also vv 26, 28, 30
  21. Judges 6:32 Lit him
  22. Judges 6:33 Lit sons
  23. Judges 6:34 Lit clothed
  24. Judges 6:36 Lit by my hand
  25. Judges 6:37 Lit by my hand
  26. Judges 7:1 Or En-Harod
  27. Judges 7:1 Lit him
  28. Judges 7:2 Lit boast against me
  29. Judges 7:2 Lit hand
  30. Judges 7:5 Lit by himself
  31. Judges 7:6 Lit with their
  32. Judges 7:7 Lit place
  33. Judges 7:8 Lit they took
  34. Judges 7:8 Lit he
  35. Judges 7:11 Lit your hand will be strengthened
  36. Judges 7:11 Lit extremity of the battle formation
  37. Judges 7:12 Lit sons
  38. Judges 7:13 Lit dreamed
  39. Judges 7:13 Lit and behold, a loaf
  40. Judges 7:13 Lit upward
  41. Judges 7:16 Lit heads
  42. Judges 7:17 Lit it shall come about that just as I do, so you shall do
  43. Judges 7:20 Lit heads
  44. Judges 7:21 Or camp
  45. Judges 7:22 Or camp
  46. Judges 7:22 Or camp
  47. Judges 7:24 Lit to meet
  48. Judges 8:1 Lit him
  49. Judges 8:3 Lit spirit
  50. Judges 8:3 Lit this thing
  51. Judges 8:5 Lit at my feet
  52. Judges 8:6 Lit Is the palm of...; i.e., are you so sure of victory that
  53. Judges 8:7 Or trample
  54. Judges 8:7 Lit flesh
  55. Judges 8:8 In Gen 32:30, Peniel
  56. Judges 8:9 Lit Penuel, saying,
  57. Judges 8:10 Or camps
  58. Judges 8:10 Or camp
  59. Judges 8:10 Lit sons
  60. Judges 8:10 Lit men who drew the sword
  61. Judges 8:11 Lit struck
  62. Judges 8:12 Or camp
  63. Judges 8:13 Or from
  64. Judges 8:14 Lit the men of
  65. Judges 8:15 Lit Is the palm of...; i.e., are you so sure of victory
  66. Judges 8:16 Lit taught
  67. Judges 8:18 Lit like the form of the sons
  68. Judges 8:24 Lit request a request
  69. Judges 8:24 Or a nose ring
  70. Judges 8:27 I.e., against God
  71. Judges 8:30 Lit came from his loins
  72. Judges 8:31 Lit appointed his name
  73. Judges 8:33 I.e., against God

Gideon

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,(A) and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.(B) Because the power of Midian was so oppressive,(C) the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves(D) and strongholds.(E) Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites(F) and other eastern peoples(G) invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops(H) all the way to Gaza(I) and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts.(J) It was impossible to count them or their camels;(K) they invaded the land to ravage it. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out(L) to the Lord for help.

When the Israelites cried out(M) to the Lord because of Midian, he sent them a prophet,(N) who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt,(O) out of the land of slavery.(P) I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors;(Q) I drove them out before you and gave you their land.(R) 10 I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship(S) the gods of the Amorites,(T) in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

11 The angel of the Lord(U) came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah(V) that belonged to Joash(W) the Abiezrite,(X) where his son Gideon(Y) was threshing(Z) wheat in a winepress(AA) to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,(AB) mighty warrior.(AC)

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

14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have(AG) and save(AH) 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(AI) is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.(AJ)

16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you(AK), 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(AL) 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,(AM) and from an ephah[a](AN) 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.(AO)

20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock,(AP) and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread(AQ) with the tip of the staff(AR) 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(AS) that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”(AT)

23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid.(AU) You are not going to die.”(AV)

24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called(AW) it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah(AX) of the Abiezrites.

25 That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old.[b] Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole[c](AY) beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of[d] altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second[e] bull as a burnt offering.(AZ)

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

28 In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar,(BA) demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!

29 They asked each other, “Who did this?”

When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash(BB) did it.”

30 The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar(BC) and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause?(BD) Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32 So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal[f](BE) that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites(BF) and other eastern peoples(BG) joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.(BH) 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on(BI) Gideon, and he blew a trumpet,(BJ) summoning the Abiezrites(BK) to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher,(BL) Zebulun and Naphtali,(BM) so that they too went up to meet them.(BN)

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save(BO) Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37 look, I will place a wool fleece(BP) on the threshing floor.(BQ) If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know(BR) that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request.(BS) Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.(BT)

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal(BU) (that is, Gideon(BV)) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod.(BW) The camp of Midian(BX) was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.(BY) The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength(BZ) has saved me.’ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.(CA)’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many(CB) men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred of them(CC) drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.(CD) Let all the others go home.”(CE) So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.

Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.(CF) 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites(CG) and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts.(CH) Their camels(CI) could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.(CJ)

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash,(CK) the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped.(CL) He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”(CM) 16 Dividing the three hundred men(CN) into three companies,(CO) he placed trumpets(CP) and empty jars(CQ) in the hands of all of them, with torches(CR) inside.

17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets,(CS) then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars(CT) that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches(CU) in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword(CV) for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.(CW)

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded,(CX) the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other(CY) with their swords.(CZ) The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah(DA) near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher(DB) and all Manasseh were called out,(DC) and they pursued the Midianites.(DD) 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan(DE) ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.”

So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb(DF). They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb,(DG) and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites(DH) and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.(DI)

Zebah and Zalmunna

Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(DJ) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(DK)(DL) And they challenged him vigorously.(DM)

But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?(DN) God gave Oreb and Zeeb,(DO) the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.

Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan(DP) and crossed it. He said to the men of Sukkoth,(DQ) “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out,(DR) and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna,(DS) the kings of Midian.”

But the officials of Sukkoth(DT) said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread(DU) to your troops?”(DV)

Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna(DW) into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”

From there he went up to Peniel[g](DX) and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower.”(DY)

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.(DZ) 11 Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah(EA) and Jogbehah(EB) and attacked the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.

13 Gideon son of Joash(EC) then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.(ED) 14 He caught a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Sukkoth,(EE) the elders(EF) of the town. 15 Then Gideon came and said to the men of Sukkoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?(EG)’” 16 He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson(EH) by punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 17 He also pulled down the tower of Peniel(EI) and killed the men of the town.(EJ)

18 Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?(EK)

“Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”

19 Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives,(EL) if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” 20 Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.

21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments(EM) off their camels’ necks.

Gideon’s Ephod

22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule(EN) over you.” 24 And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring(EO) from your share of the plunder.(EP)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites(EQ) to wear gold earrings.)

25 They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,[h] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains(ER) that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(ES) which he placed in Ophrah,(ET) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(EU) to Gideon and his family.(EV)

Gideon’s Death

28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head(EW) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace(EX) forty years.

29 Jerub-Baal(EY) son of Joash(EZ) went back home to live. 30 He had seventy sons(FA) of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine,(FB) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.(FC) 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age(FD) and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.(FE) They set up Baal-Berith(FF) as their god(FG) 34 and did not remember(FH) the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35 They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal(FI) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.(FJ)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:19 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
  2. Judges 6:25 Or Take a full-grown, mature bull from your father’s herd
  3. Judges 6:25 That is, a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah; also in verses 26, 28 and 30
  4. Judges 6:26 Or build with layers of stone an
  5. Judges 6:26 Or full-grown; also in verse 28
  6. Judges 6:32 Jerub-Baal probably means let Baal contend.
  7. Judges 8:8 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel; also in verses 9 and 17
  8. Judges 8:26 That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms