Gideon

11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash (A)the Abiezrite, while his son (B)Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the (C)Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is (D)with you, you mighty man of valor!”

13 Gideon said to Him, “O [a]my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And (E)where are all His miracles (F)which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has (G)forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, (H)“Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. (I)Have I not sent you?”

15 So he said to Him, “O [b]my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed (J)my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

16 And the Lord said to him, (K)“Surely I will be with you, and you shall [c]defeat the Midianites as one man.”

17 Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then (L)show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. 18 (M)Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.”

And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”

19 (N)So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them. 20 The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and (O)lay them on this rock, and (P)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 (Q)fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.

22 Now Gideon (R)perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! (S)For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”

23 Then the Lord said to him, (T)“Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it [d]The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still (U)in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Judges 6:13 Heb. adoni, used of man
  2. Judges 6:15 Heb. Adonai, used of God
  3. Judges 6:16 Lit. strike
  4. Judges 6:24 Heb. YHWH Shalom

11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. 14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. 16 And the Lord 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 grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. 18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set 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 flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the 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 the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. 22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. 23 And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

Read full chapter