The Midianites Attack Israel

6 Again the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] did ·what the Lord said was wrong [^Levil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. So for seven years the Lord ·handed them over to [^Lgave them into the hand of] Midian. ² Because the ·Midianites were very powerful and were cruel to [^Lhand of Midian was so strong/oppressive against] Israel, the Israelites made ·hiding places [shelters; dens] in the mountains, in caves, and in ·safe places [strongholds]. ³ Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other ·peoples [^Lsons] from the east would come and attack them. ⁴ They ·camped in the land [^Lencamped against them] and destroyed the crops that the Israelites had planted as far away as Gaza. They left ·nothing [no sustenance/living thing] for Israel to eat, and no sheep, cattle, or donkeys. ⁵ The Midianites came with their tents and their ·animals [livestock] ·like swarms of [as numerous as] locusts to ·ruin [ravage; lay waste] the land. There were so many people and camels they could not be counted. ⁶ Israel ·became very poor [or was weakened; ^Lwas brought low] because of the Midianites, so they cried out to the Lord.

⁷ When the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] cried out to the Lord ·against [or because of] the Midianites, ⁸ the Lord sent a prophet to them. He said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you out of Egypt, the ·land [^Lhouse] of slavery. ⁹ I ·saved [rescued; ^Tdelivered] you from the [^Lhand of the] Egyptians and from all those who ·were against [oppressed] you. I ·forced [drove] ·the Canaanites [^Lthem] out of their land and gave it to you. ¹⁰ Then I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God. Do not ·worship [fear; reverence] the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.’ But you did not ·obey me [^Llisten to my voice].”