Judges 6:33-40
New Living Translation
Gideon Asks for a Sign
33 Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with power. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him. 35 He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors, and all of them responded.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, 37 prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” 38 And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.” 40 So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.
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Judges 6:33-40
International Standard Version
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.
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- Judges 6:33 Lit. and sons
- Judges 6:34 Lit. Lord clothed himself with
- Judges 6:34 The Heb. lacks into battle
- Judges 6:36 Lit. hand
- Judges 6:37 Lit. hand
- Judges 6:38 Lit. And so it was
- Judges 6:38 The Heb. lacks and extracted
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