1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD : and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
6:1-101 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD : and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
The Amalekites and the Midianites destroyed Israel's sheep, oxen, and asses.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
The Midianites and Amalekites were as numerous as grasshoppers [1], and they had more camels than could be counted.
6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
God says,I brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves, drove all the people away and gave you their land.And I said to you,
I am your God. Don't fear the gods of the Amorites.But you didn't obey my voice.
6:11-1611 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
An angel of the Lord sat under an oak tree, while Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress.
12And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
My lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this bad stuff happened?Where are all the miracles that we've heard so much about?
God has forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
You will save Israel from the Midianites.Haven't I sent you?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
How will I save Israel?My father is poor and I am the least in his house.
16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
I'll be with you, and you'll kill all the Midianites.
6:17-2117 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
If I've found grace in your sight, show me a sign that it's really you who is talking to me. [2]Stay here until I come back to you and bring you a present.
God said, "OK. I'll stay here until you come back."
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
Put the flesh and cakes on this rock, and pour out the broth.
Gideon did that.
21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
Then the angel left.
6:22-3522 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
Oh no! O God! I've seen an angel face to face.
23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
Don't be afraid. You won't die.
24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:
Take your father's young bullock, the one that's seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal and the grove that is next to it.
26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
And build an altar to me on the top of this rock. Then take the second bullock and offer me a burnt sacrifice with the wood that you cut down from the grove.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.
They all said to one another, "Who did this?"
They were told by someone, "Gideon did it."
30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
Bring out your son so we can kill him, because he knocked down the altar of Baal and cut down the grove.
31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
Are you defending Baal? Will you save him?Let whoever defends Baal be killed this morning.
If Baal is a god, he can defend himself.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.
34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
6:36-4036And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
37Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
I'd like you to prove to me that you will use me to save Israel.So I'll put out a fleece of wool on the floor, and if the dew is on the fleece only and the ground beside it is dry, then I'll know that you will save Israel through me, as you said.
38And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
The next morning, Gideon wringed out the fleece, filling a bowl with water.
39And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
Don't be angry with me, but I need more proof.I'll put out the fleece again, but this time make the ground wet and keep the fleece dry.
40And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
The next morning the fleece was dry and the ground was wet.
Every male Midianite was killed during the time of Moses (Numbers 31:7), and yet 200 years later they flourish like grasshoppers "without number."
Gideon needed three signs from God before he'd believe him.
First God (or the angel) made fire come out of a rock to burn the goat flesh and cakes. (v.21)
Then he made the fleece wet while keeping the ground dry. (vv.37-38)
And finally, God made the ground wet while keeping the fleece dry . (vv.39-40)
