Judges 6:11-24
Lexham English Bible
The Angel of Yahweh Calls Gideon
11 The angel of Yahweh came and sat under the oak[a] that was at Ophrah that belonged to Jehoash the Abiezrite; and Gideon his son was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide it[b] from the Midianites.[c] 12 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty warrior.”[d] 13 Gideon said to him, “Excuse me, my lord. If Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors[e] recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has forsaken us; he has given us into the palm of Midian.” 14 And Yahweh turned to him and said, “Go in this your strength, and you will deliver Israel from the palm of Midian. Did I not send you?” 15 He said to him, “Excuse me, my lord. How will I deliver Israel? Look, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 And Yahweh said to him, “But I will be with you, and you will defeat Midian as if they are one man.”[f] 17 And he[g] said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, show me a sign[h] that you are speaking with me. 18 Please, do not depart from here until I come back to you and bring out my gift and set it out before you.”[i] And he said, “I will stay until you return.”
19 And Gideon went and prepared a young goat[j] and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; he put meat in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and he brought them to him under the oak[k] and presented them. 20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes and put them on this rock; pour the broth over it.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of Yahweh reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and he touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of Yahweh went from his sight.[l] 22 And Gideon realized that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, “Oh, my lord Yahweh! For now I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face.” 23 And Yahweh said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not fear; you will not die.” 24 And Gideon built there an altar to Yahweh, and he called it “Yahweh is peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.[m]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 6:11 Or “terebinth”
- Judges 6:11 Or “keep it away”
- Judges 6:11 Hebrew “Midianite”
- Judges 6:12 Literally “strong/mighty of power”
- Judges 6:13 Or “fathers”
- Judges 6:16 Literally “as one man”
- Judges 6:17 That is, Gideon
- Judges 6:17 Literally “make a sign for me”
- Judges 6:18 Or “in your presence”
- Judges 6:19 Literally “a kid of goat”
- Judges 6:19 Or “terebinth”
- Judges 6:21 Literally “from his eyes”
- Judges 6:24 Hebrew “Abiezrite”
Judges 6:11-24
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Call of Gideon
11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.(A) 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.”(B) 13 Gideon answered him, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has cast us off and given us into the hand of Midian.”(C) 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.”(D) 15 He responded, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”(E) 16 The Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them.”(F) 17 Then he said to him, “If now I have found favor with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.(G) 18 Do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay until you return.”
19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a kid and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; the meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot and brought them to him under the oak and presented them.(H) 20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes and put them on this rock and pour out the broth.” And he did so.(I) 21 Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes, and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes, and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.(J) 22 Then Gideon perceived that it was the angel of the Lord, and Gideon said, “Help me, Lord God! For I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”(K) 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you; do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, “The Lord is peace.” To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.