Judges 6:1-10
New English Translation
Oppression and Confrontation
6 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight,[a] so the Lord turned them over to[b] Midian for seven years. 2 The Midianites[c] overwhelmed Israel.[d] Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters[e] for themselves in the hills, caves, and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops,[f] the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them.[g] 4 They invaded the land[h] and devoured[i] its crops[j] all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat,[k] and they took away[l] the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. 5 When they invaded[m] with their cattle and tents, they were as thick[n] as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted.[o] They came to devour[p] the land. 6 Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian, 8 the Lord sent a prophet[q] to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘I brought you up from Egypt[r] and took you out of that place of slavery.[s] 9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power[t] and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship[u] the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living.” But you have disobeyed me.’”[v]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 6:1 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
- Judges 6:1 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
- Judges 6:2 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
- Judges 6:2 tn Heb “The hand of Midian was strong against Israel.”
- Judges 6:2 tn Or possibly “secret storage places.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible.
- Judges 6:3 tn Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”
- Judges 6:3 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east would go up, they would go up against him.” The translation assumes that וְעָלוּ (veʿalu) is dittographic (note the following עָלָיו, ʿalayv).
- Judges 6:4 tn Heb “They encamped against them.”
- Judges 6:4 tn Heb “destroyed.”
- Judges 6:4 tn Heb “the crops of the land.”
- Judges 6:4 tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”
- Judges 6:4 tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 6:5 tn Heb “came up.”
- Judges 6:5 tn Heb “numerous.”
- Judges 6:5 tn Heb “To them and to their camels there was no number.”
- Judges 6:5 tn Heb “destroy.” The translation “devour” carries through the imagery of a locust plague earlier in this verse.
- Judges 6:8 tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.
- Judges 6:8 tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (meʾerets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).
- Judges 6:8 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
- Judges 6:9 tn Heb “hand” (also a second time later in this verse).
- Judges 6:10 tn Heb “Do not fear.”
- Judges 6:10 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
Judges 6:1-10
New American Standard Bible
Israel Oppressed by Midian
6 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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 So Israel was brought (G)very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord.
7 Now it came about, when the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of Midian, 8 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. 9 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.’”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 6:2 Lit hand
- Judges 6:3 Lit sons
- Judges 6:3 Lit go up against
- Judges 6:4 Lit until your coming to
- Judges 6:8 Lit slaves
- Judges 6:10 Lit listened to My voice
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