1 And the children of Yisrael did evil in the sight of יהוה; and יהוה delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Yisrael; and because of the Midianites the children of Yisrael made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it was, when Yisrael 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 you come unto Gaza (Azzah), and left no sustenance for Yisrael, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
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.
6 And Yisrael was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Yisrael cried unto יהוה.
7 And it came to pass, when the children of Yisrael cried unto יהוה because of the Midianites,
8 That יהוה sent a prophet unto the children of Yisrael, who said unto them, “Thus saith יהוה God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael): ‘I brought you up from Egypt (Mitsrayim), and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians (Mitsrayim), 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 יהוה your God (Elohim); fear not the gods (elohim) of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but you have not obeyed My voice.”’”
11 And there came an angel of יהוה, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Yoash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of יהוה appeared unto him, and said unto him, “יהוה is with you, you mighty man of valour.”
13 And Gideon said unto him, “Oh my lord (adoni), if יהוה be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Did not יהוה bring us up from Egypt (Mitsrayim)?’ But now יהוה hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
14 And יהוה looked upon him, and said, “Go in this your might, and you shalt save Yisrael from the hand of the Midianites; have not I sent you?”
15 And he said unto Him, “Oh my Lord (Adonai), how shall I save Yisrael? Behold, my family is poor in Menashsheh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
16 And יהוה said unto him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”
17 And he said unto Him, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, then shew me a sign that You talkest with me.
18 Depart not hence, please, until I come unto You, and bring forth my present, and set it before You.” And He said, “I will tarry until you come again.”
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes (matstsot) 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 (Elohim) said unto him, “Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes (matstsot), and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so.
21 Then the angel of יהוה put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes (matstsot); and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes (matstsot). Then the angel of יהוה departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of יהוה, Gideon said, “Alas, O יהוה God (Elohim)! Because I have seen an angel of יהוה face to face.”
23 And יהוה said unto him, “Peace be unto you; fear not, you shalt not die.”
24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto יהוה, and called it N5“יהוה is Peace (YHWH Shalom)”. Unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 And it came to pass the same night, that יהוה said unto him, “Take your father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of the Baal that your father hath, and cut down the 34aAsherah that is by it;
26 And build an altar unto יהוה your God (Elohim) 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 Asherah which you shalt cut down.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as יהוה 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 the Baal was cast down, and the Asherah 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 Yoash hath done this thing.”
30 Then the men of the city said unto Yoash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he hath cast down the altar of the Baal, and because he hath cut down the Asherah that was by it.”
31 And Yoash said unto all that stood against him, “Will you plead for the Baal? Will you save him? He that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning; if he is a god (elohim), let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar!”
32 Therefore on that day he called him Yerubaal, saying, “Let the Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.”
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 Yizreel.
34 But the Spirit (Ruach) of יהוה came upon Gideon, and he blew a shofar; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Menashsheh, who also was gathered after him; and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zevulun, and unto Naftali; and they came up to meet them.
36 And Gideon said unto God (Elohim), “If You wilt save Yisrael by mine hand, as You have said,
37 “Behold, 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, then shall I know that You wilt save Yisrael by mine hand, as You have said.”
38 And it was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39 And Gideon said unto God (Elohim), “Let not Your anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once; please let me prove, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.”
40 And God (Elohim) did so that night; as it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.