1 GLT The sons of Israel did this evil in the eyes of Yahweh, so Yahweh gave them over into the hand of Midian seven years. BSB BSB: Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,
2 GLT Then the hand of Midian prevailed over Israel. On account of the presence of Midian, the sons of Israel made the dens for themselves which were in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds. BSB BSB: and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
3 GLT Now it would happen whenever Israel sowed, that Midian and Amalek would come up, even sons of the east would come up against him. BSB BSB: Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
4 GLT They encamped around them and they ruined the produce of the land as far as your coming into Gaza. As a result means of sustaining life would not remain in Israel, neither sheep, nor cattle, nor donkey. BSB BSB: encamping against them as far as Gaza and destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys.
5 GLT When they and their livestock would come up, along with their tents, they would come up as an abundance of a locust swarm because of the multitude. Of them and of their camels there was no counting thus they came into the land in order to destroy it. BSB BSB: For the Midianites came with their livestock and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
6 GLT Israel was severely impoverished because of the presence of Midian, so the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh. BSB BSB: Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.
7 GLT Now it happened that when the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh on account of Midian, BSB BSB: Now when the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian,
8 GLT that Yahweh sent a man, a prophet to the sons of Israel. He said to them,“Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel:‘I myself, have brought you up out of Egypt, and I have brought you out of the house of slavery. BSB BSB: He sent them a prophet, who told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
9 GLT I rescued you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of all of those oppressing you. I drove them out of your presence, and I have surely given to you their land. BSB BSB: I delivered you out of the hands of Egypt and all your oppressors. I drove them out before you and gave you their land.
10 GLT I said to you,“I am Yahweh your God; you shall not revere the gods of the Amorite, when you are dwelling in their land.” But you have not heeded my voice.’” BSB BSB: And I said to you: ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.”
11 GLT Now the messenger of Yahweh came and sat beneath the oak which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. Meanwhile Gideon, his son, was threshing out wheat at the winepress in order to hide from the presence of Midian. BSB BSB: Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
12 GLT Then the messenger of Yahweh appeared to him and declared to him,“Yahweh is with you, O warrior of valor!” BSB BSB: And the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
13 GLT Gideon said to him,“With me, my lord? If Yahweh is with us, then why has all of this come to us? Where are all of his miraculous workings that our fathers recounted to us, saying,‘Did not Yahweh bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has forsaken us and given us over into the grasp of Midian.” BSB BSB: “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
14 GLT Then Yahweh turned to him and said,“Go in this strength of yours and you shall deliver Israel from the grasp of Midian. Have I not sent you?” BSB BSB: The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Am I not sending you?”
15 GLT Then he replied to him,“Please, my lord! In what manner will I deliver Israel? See, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in the house of my father.” BSB BSB: “Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
16 GLT Then Yahweh said to him,“Because I will be with you, indeed you shall destroy Midian as one man.” BSB BSB: “Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
17 GLT He replied to him,“If indeed I have found favor in your eyes, then perform a sign for me that it is you speaking to me. BSB BSB: Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.
18 GLT Please, do not depart from this place, until my coming to you then I will bring out my offering and I will set it before you.” So he said,“Myself, I will stay until your returning.” BSB BSB: Please do not depart from this place until I return to You. Let me bring my offering and set it before You.” And the LORD said, “I will stay until you return.”
19 GLT Then Gideon went and he prepared a young goat and from an ephah of flour, unleavened bread. He placed the meat in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot and brought them out to him to beneath the oak tree, and he presented them. BSB BSB: So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to present to Him under the oak.
20 GLT Then the messenger of God said to him,“Take the meat and the unleavened bread and place them on this rock, and pour out the broth,” and he did so. BSB BSB: And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
21 GLT Then the messenger of Yahweh stretched out the edge of the staff that was in his hand. He touched the meat and the unleavened bread; the fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the messenger of Yahweh went away out of his sight. BSB BSB: Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
22 GLT When Gideon saw that he was the messenger of Yahweh, Gideon lamented,“Alas, O my Lord Yahweh, for because of this I have seen the messenger of Yahweh face to face!” BSB BSB: When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
23 GLT But Yahweh replied to him,“Peace be unto you! Do not be afraid, you will not die.” BSB BSB: But the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.”
24 GLT So Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh and he named it Yahweh is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah of the Abiezerite. BSB BSB: So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 GLT Now it happened on that night that Yahweh said to him,“Take the young bull that belongs to your father, and the second bull seven years old, break into pieces the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it. BSB BSB: On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
26 GLT You shall build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this place of refuge in the usual arrangement. Then you shall take the second bull and you shall offer a whole burnt offering, on the wood pieces from the Asherah that you shall cut down.” BSB BSB: Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.”
27 GLT So Gideon took ten men out of his servants and did just as Yahweh had instructed to him. Now it happened that because he was afraid of the household of his father and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night. BSB BSB: So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.
28 GLT When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, the Asherah that was beside it had been cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar that had been built. BSB BSB: When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.
29 GLT As a result each man said to his neighbor,“Who has done this thing?” When they inquired and searched, they said,“Gideon, the son of Joash has done this thing.” BSB BSB: “Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
30 GLT Then the men of the city said to Joash,“Bring out your son so that he may die, because he tore down the altar of Baal, and because he cut down the Asherah that was beside it.” BSB BSB: Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
31 GLT Joash said to all who stood against him,“Will you really contend on behalf of Baal? Will you really help him? Whoever contends for him, he will be put to death while it is still the morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself when someone tears down his altar.” BSB BSB: But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”
33 GLT Now all of Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east assembled themselves together, and they crossed over and they camped in the Valley of Jezreel. BSB BSB: Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east gathered together, crossed over the Jordan, and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.
34 GLT But the Spirit of Yahweh clothed Gideon. As a result he blew the shofar, thus he summoned Abiezer after him. BSB BSB: So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
35 GLT Then he sent messengers in all of Manasseh, and he summoned him also after him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them. BSB BSB: Calling them to arms, Gideon sent messengers throughout Manasseh, as well as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, so that they came up to meet him.
36 GLT Then Gideon said to the true God,“If it is you delivering Israel by my hand, just as you have spoken, BSB BSB: Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,
37 GLT Look, I am putting this fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew shall be upon the fleece, only it, but on all of the ground it is dry, then I will know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, just as you have spoken.” BSB BSB: then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”
38 GLT Now it happened afterwards that he rose early on the next day, and he pressed the fleece together. He wrung out dew from the fleece, the amount that fills the basin with water. BSB BSB: And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
39 GLT Then Gideon said to the true God,“Do not let your anger burn against me, but may I speak only this time. May I please test only this time with the fleece? May it be, I pray, dry on the fleece, only it, but on all of the ground may there be dew.” BSB BSB: Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground covered with dew.”
40 GLT So God did this during that night. It was dry on the fleece, only it, but on all of the ground there was dew. BSB BSB: And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.
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