Gideon Is Visited

11 Then (A)the angel of the Lord came and sat under the [a]oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the (B)Abiezrite, as his son (C)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 (D)now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 14 And the Lord [b]looked at him and said, “(E)Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 (F)But he said to Him, “O Lord, [c]how am I to save Israel? Behold, my family is the least in (G)Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 (H)Yet the Lord said to him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will [d]defeat Midian as one man.” 17 So [e]Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then perform for me (I)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 (J)prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an [f]ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket [g]and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the [h]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 (K)fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord [i]vanished from his sight. 22 (L)When Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord, [j]he said, “Oh, Lord [k]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 [l]The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still (M)in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:11 Or terebinth
  2. Judges 6:14 Or turned toward
  3. Judges 6:15 Lit with what
  4. Judges 6:16 Lit strike
  5. Judges 6:17 Lit he
  6. Judges 6:19 About 1 cubic foot or 0.03 cubic meters
  7. Judges 6:19 Lit and he put
  8. Judges 6:19 Or terebinth
  9. Judges 6:21 Lit departed
  10. Judges 6:22 Lit Gideon
  11. Judges 6:22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  12. Judges 6:24 Heb Yahweh-shalom

11 And the angel of Jehovah came, and sat under the [a]oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him, and said unto him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? but now Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. 14 And Jehovah [b]looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent thee? 15 And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my [c]family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. 16 And Jehovah said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. 17 And he said unto him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me. 18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my [d]present, and lay it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the [e]oak, and presented it. 20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. 21 Then the angel of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Jehovah departed out of his sight. 22 And Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face. 23 And Jehovah said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto Jehovah, and called it [f]Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:11 Or, terebinth
  2. Judges 6:14 Or, turned towards
  3. Judges 6:15 Hebrew thousand.
  4. Judges 6:18 Or, offering
  5. Judges 6:19 Or, terebinth
  6. Judges 6:24 That is, Jehovah is peace.