³³ Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and certain groups^[a] from the east gathered together, crossed the Jordan River, and set up camp in the Jezreel Valley. ³⁴ So the Spirit of the Lord took control of^[b] Gideon, who blew a trumpet, mustering the descendants of Abiezer to follow him into battle.^{[c] 35} He sent messengers to the entire tribe of Manasseh, calling them to follow him, and he also sent word to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, calling them to meet him.

Gideon Asks for a Sign from God

³⁶ Then Gideon told God, “If you intend to deliver Israel by my efforts^[d] as you’ve said, ³⁷ then take a look at this wool fleece that I’m placing on the threshing floor. If dew appears only on the fleece—and it’s dry on the ground all around it—then I’ll know that you’ll deliver Israel by my efforts^[e] like you’ve said.” ³⁸ And that is what happened:^[f] When he got up early the next morning, he wrung out the fleece to drain the dew from it and extracted^[g] a bowl full of water.

³⁹ Then Gideon told God, “Don’t let yourself be angry with me! I want to ask you once again: please let me make a test with the fleece just once more. Cause it to be dry only on the fleece, but let there be dew all around on the ground.” ⁴⁰ And God did it just like that later that night. It was dry only on the fleece, but dew was all around on the ground.