¹¹ The angel of the Lord^(A) came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah^(B) that belonged to Joash^(C) the Abiezrite,^(D) where his son Gideon^(E) was threshing^(F) wheat in a winepress^(G) to keep it from the Midianites. ¹² When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,^(H) mighty warrior.^(I)”

¹³ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders^(J) that our ancestors told^(K) us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned^(L) us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have^(M) and save^(N) Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

¹⁵ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan^(O) is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.^(P)”

¹⁶ The Lord answered, “I will be with you^(Q), and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

¹⁷ Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign^(R) that it is really you talking to me. ¹⁸ Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”

And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

¹⁹ Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat,^(S) and from an ephah^[a](T) of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.^(U)

²⁰ The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock,^(V) and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. ²¹ Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread^(W) with the tip of the staff^(X) that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. ²² When Gideon realized^(Y) that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”^(Z)

²³ But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid.^(AA) You are not going to die.”^(AB)

²⁴ So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called^(AC) it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah^(AD) of the Abiezrites.

⁶ Let no one deceive you^(A) with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath^(B) comes on those who are disobedient.^{(C) 7} Therefore do not be partners with them.

⁸ For you were once^(D) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light^{(E) 9} (for the fruit^(F) of the light consists in all goodness,^(G) righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord.^{(H) 11} Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,^(I) but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light^(J) becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said: