The Angel of Yahweh Calls Gideon

¹¹ The angel of Yahweh came and sat under the oak^[a] that was at Ophrah that belonged to Jehoash the Abiezrite; and Gideon his son was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide it^[b] from the Midianites.^{[c] 12} The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty warrior.”^{[d] 13} Gideon said to him, “Excuse me, my lord. If Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors^[e] recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has forsaken us; he has given us into the palm of Midian.” ¹⁴ And Yahweh turned to him and said, “Go in this your strength, and you will deliver Israel from the palm of Midian. Did I not send you?” ¹⁵ He said to him, “Excuse me, my lord. How will I deliver Israel? Look, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” ¹⁶ And Yahweh said to him, “But I will be with you, and you will defeat Midian as if they are one man.”^{[f] 17} And he^[g] said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, show me a sign^[h] that you are speaking with me. ¹⁸ Please, do not depart from here until I come back to you and bring out my gift and set it out before you.”^[i] And he said, “I will stay until you return.”

¹⁹ And Gideon went and prepared a young goat^[j] and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; he put meat in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and he brought them to him under the oak^[k] and presented them. ²⁰ The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes and put them on this rock; pour the broth over it.” And he did so. ²¹ Then the angel of Yahweh reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and he touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of Yahweh went from his sight.^{[l] 22} And Gideon realized that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, “Oh, my lord Yahweh! For now I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face.” ²³ And Yahweh said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not fear; you will not die.” ²⁴ And Gideon built there an altar to Yahweh, and he called it “Yahweh is peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.^[m]