Judges 6:1-10

Lexham English Bible

The Midianites Oppresses Israel

6 The Israelites^[a] did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Yahweh gave them into the hand of the Midianites^[b] for seven years. ² The hand of the Midianites^[c] prevailed over Israel; because of the presence of the Midianites,^[d] the Israelites^[e] made for themselves hiding places that were in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. ³ And whenever Israel sowed seed, the Midianites,^[f] Amalekites,^[g] and the people of the east would come up against them. ⁴ They would camp against them and destroy the produce of the land as far as^[h] Gaza; they left no produce in Israel, or sheep, ox, or donkey. ⁵ For they, their livestock, and their tents would come up like a great number of locusts; they and their camels could not be counted; they came into the land and devoured it. ⁶ Israel was very poor because of the presence of the Midianites,^[i] and the Israelites^[j] cried out to Yahweh.

⁷ When the Israelites^[k] cried out to Yahweh on account of the Midianites,^{[l] 8} Yahweh sent a prophet to the Israelites,^[m] and he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt; I brought you from the house of slavery.^{[n] 9} I delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors, and drove them out from before you;^[o] and I gave you their land. ¹⁰ And I said to you, ‘I am Yahweh your God; do not fear^[p] the gods of the Amorites,^[q] in whose land you are living.’ But you have not listened to my voice.”