1
Then the
sons of
Israel did what was
evil in the
sight of the
LORD; and the
LORD gave them into the
hands of
Midian seven years.
h'wh.y yenye[.B [;r'h lea'r.fIy -yen.b .Wf][;Y;w ? ~yin'v [;b,v !'y.dim -d;y.B h'wh.y ~en.TiY;w
2
The
power of
Midian prevailed against Israel.
Because * of
Midian the
sons of
Israel made for themselves the
dens which were in the
mountains and the
caves and the
strongholds.
!'y.dim yen.Pim lea'r.fIy -l;[ !'y.dim -d;y z'['T;w ? r,v]a tw{r'h.niM;h -t,a lea'r.fIy yen.B ~,h'l .Wf'[ ? tw{d'c.M;h -t,a.w tw{r'[.M;h -t,a.w ~yir'h,B
3
For it was
when Israel had
sown, that the
Midianites would
come up with the
Amalekites and the
sons of the
east and
go against them.
qel'm][;w !'y.dim h'l'[.w lea'r.fIy [;r'z -mia h'y'h.w ? wy'l'[ .Wl'[.w ~,d,q -yen.b.W
4
So they would
camp against them and
destroy the
produce of the
earth as
far * as
Gaza, and
leave no sustenance in
Israel as well as no
sheep,
ox, or
donkey.
#,r'a'h l.Wb.y -t,a .Wtyix.v;Y;w ~,hyel][ .Wn]x;Y;w ? lea'r.fIy.B h'y.xim .Wryia.v;y -a{l.w h'Z;[ '$]aw{B -d;[ ? rw{m]x;w rw{v'w h,f.w
5
For they would
come up with their
livestock and their
tents, they would
come in like
locusts for
number, both they and their
camels were
innumerable *; and they
came into the
land to
devastate it.
.Wa{b'y ~,hyel\h'a.w .Wl][;y ~,hyen.qim.W ~eh yiK ? !yea ~,hyeL;m.gil.w ~,h'l.w b{r'l h,B.r;a -yed.k ? H't]x;v.l #,r'a'b .Wa{b'Y;w r'P.sim
6
So
Israel was
brought very low because * of
Midian, and the
sons of
Israel cried to the
LORD.
.Wq][.ziY;w !'y.dim yen.Pim d{a.m lea'r.fIy l;DiY;w ? h'wh.y -l,a lea'r.fIy -yen.b
7
Now it
came about
when the
sons of
Israel cried to the
LORD on
account of
Midian,
h'wh.y -l,a lea'r.fIy -yen.b .Wq]['z -yiK yih.y;w ? !'y.dim tw{d{a l;[
8
that the
LORD sent a
prophet to the
sons of
Israel, and he
said to them,
"Thus says the
LORD, the
God of
Israel, 'It was I who
brought you up from
Egypt and
brought you out from the
house of
slavery.
lea'r.fIy yen.B -l,a ayib'n vyia h'wh.y x;l.viY;w ? lea'r.fIy yeh{l/a h'wh.y r;m'a -h{K ~,h'l r,ma{Y;w ? ~,k.t,a ayic{a'w ~Iy;r.ciMim ~,k.t,a yityel/[,h yik{n'a ? ~yid'b][ tyeBim
9
'I
delivered you from the
hands of the
Egyptians and from the
hands of
all your
oppressors, and
dispossessed them
before * you and
gave you their
land,
-l'K d;Yim.W ~Iy;r.cim d;Yim ~,k.t,a liC;a'w ? ~'c.r;a -t,a ~,k'l h'n.T,a'w ~,kyen.Pim ~'tw{a ver'g]a'w ~,kyec]x{l
10
and I
said to you, "I am the
LORD your
God; you shall not
fear the
gods of the
Amorites in
whose land you
live. But you have not
obeyed * Me.""'
.Wa.ryit a{l ~,kyeh{l/a h'wh.y yin]a ~,k'l h'r.m{a'w ? ~'c.r;a.B ~yib.vw{y ~,T;a r,v]a yir{m/a'h yeh{l/a -t,a ? @ yilw{q.B ~,T.[;m.v a{l.w
11
Then the
angel of the
LORD came and
sat under the
oak that was in
Ophrah,
which belonged to
Joash the
Abiezrite as his
son Gideon was
beating out
wheat in the
wine press in order to
save it from the
Midianites.
r,v]a h'lea'h t;x;T b,veY;w h'wh.y .$;a.l;m a{b'Y;w ? !w{[.dig.w yir.z,['h yib]a v'aw{y.l r,v]a h'r.p'[.B ? !'y.dim yen.Pim syin'h.l t;G;B ~yiJix jeb{x w{n.B
12
The
angel of the
LORD appeared to him and
said to him, "The
LORD is with you, O
valiant warrior."
wy'lea r,ma{Y;w h'wh.y .$;a.l;m wy'lea a'reY;w ? lIy'x,h rw{BiG '$.Mi[ h'wh.y
13
Then
Gideon said to him,
"O my
lord, if the
LORD is with us,
why then has
all this happened to us? And
where are
all His
miracles which our
fathers told us about,
saying, 'Did not the
LORD bring us up from
Egypt?' But
now the
LORD has
abandoned us and
given us into the
hand of
Midian."
h'wh.y vey.w yin{d]a yiB !w{[.diG wy'lea r,ma{Y;w ? wy't{a.l.pin -l'k heY;a.w ta{z -l'K .Wn.t;a'c.m h'M'l.w .Wn'Mi[ ? a{l]h r{mael .Wnyetw{b]a .Wn'l -.Wr.Pis r,v]a ? h'wh.y .Wn'v'j.n h'T;[.w h'wh.y .Wn'l/[,h ~Iy;r.ciMim ? !'y.dim -p;k.B .Wnen.TiY;w
14
The
LORD looked at him and
said,
"Go in
this your
strength and
deliver Israel from the
hand of
Midian. Have I not
sent you?"
h,z '$]x{k.B .$el r,ma{Y;w h'wh.y wy'lea !,piY;w ? '$yiT.x;l.v a{l]h !'y.dim @;Kim lea'r.fIy -t,a 'T.[;vw{h.w
15
He
said to Him,
"O Lord,
how shall I
deliver Israel?
Behold, my
family is the
least in
Manasseh, and I am the
youngest in my
father's house."
lea'r.fIy -t,a ;[yivw{a h'M;B y'n{d]a yiB wy'lea r,ma{Y;w ? ryi['C;h yik{n'a.w h,V;n.miB l;D;h yiP.l;a heNih ? yib'a tyeb.B
16
But the
LORD said to him,
"Surely I will be with you, and you shall
defeat Midian as
one man."
'tyiKih.w .$'Mi[ h,y.h,a yiK h'wh.y wy'lea r,ma{Y;w ? d'x,a vyia.K !'y.dim -t,a
17
So Gideon
said to Him,
"If now I have
found favor in Your
sight, then
show me a
sign that it is You who
speak with me.
'$y,nye[.B !ex yita'c'm a'n -mia wy'lea r,ma{Y;w ? yiMi[ reB;d.m h'T;a'v tw{a yiL 'tyif'[.w
18
"Please do not
depart from
here,
until I
come back to You, and
bring out my
offering and
lay it
before You." And He
said, "I will
remain until you
return."
yitaec{h.w '$y,lea yia{B -d;[ h,Zim vUm't a'n -l;a ? yik{n'a r;ma{Y;w '$y,n'p.l yiT.x;Nih.w yit'x.nim -t,a ? '$,b.Wv d;[ bevea
19
Then
Gideon went in and
prepared a
young * goat * and
unleavened bread from an
ephah of
flour; he
put the
meat in a
basket and the
broth in a
pot, and
brought them out to him
under the
oak and
presented them.
x;m,q -t;pyea.w ~yiZi[ -yid.G f;[;Y;w a'B !w{[.dig.w ? r.Wr'P;B ~'f q;r'M;h.w l;S;B ~'f r'f'B;h tw{C;m ? v;G;Y;w h'lea'h t;x;T -l,a wy'lea aecw{Y;w
20
The
angel of
God said to him,
"Take the
meat and the
unleavened bread and
lay them on
this rock, and
pour out the
broth." And he
did so.
r'f'B;h -t,a x;q ~yih{l/a'h .$;a.l;m wy'lea r,ma{Y;w ? q;r'M;h -t,a.w z'L;h [;l,S;h -l,a x;N;h.w tw{C;M;h -t,a.w ? !eK f;[;Y;w .$w{p.v
21
Then the
angel of the
LORD put out the
end of the
staff that was in his
hand and
touched the
meat and the
unleavened bread; and
fire sprang up from the
rock and
consumed the
meat and the
unleavened bread. Then the
angel of the
LORD vanished from his
sight.
t,n,[.viM;h hec.q -t,a h'wh.y .$;a.l;m x;l.viY;w ? l;[;T;w tw{C;M;b.W r'f'B;B [;GiY;w w{d'y.B r,v]a ? tw{C;M;h -t,a.w r'f'B;h -t,a l;ka{T;w r.WC;h -nim vea'h ? wy'nye[em .$;l'h h'wh.y .$;a.l;m.W
22
When
Gideon saw that he was the
angel of the
LORD, he
said,
"Alas, O
Lord GOD! For
now * I have
seen the
angel of the
LORD face to
face."
r,ma{Y;w a.Wh h'wh.y .$;a.l;m -yiK !w{[.diG a.r;Y;w ? !eK -l;[ -yiK hiwh.y<03069!> y'n{d]a H'h]a !w{[.diG ? ~yin'P -l,a ~yin'P h'wh.y .$;a.l;m yityia'r
23
The
LORD said to him,
"Peace to you, do not
fear; you shall not
die."
a'ryiT -l;a '$.l ~w{l'v h'wh.y w{l r,ma{Y;w ? t.Wm'T a{l
24
Then
Gideon built an
altar there to the
LORD and
named it The
LORD is
Peace. To
this day it is
still in
Ophrah of the
Abiezrites.
w{l -a'r.qiY;w h'why;l ;xeB.zim !w{[.diG ~'v !,biY;w ? t'r.p'[.B .WN,dw{[ h,Z;h ~w{Y;h d;[ ~w{l'v h'wh.y ? yir.z,['h yib]a
25
Now on the
same night the
LORD said to him,
"Take your
father's bull and a
second bull seven years old, and
pull down the
altar of
Baal which belongs to your
father, and
cut down the
Asherah that is
beside it;
x;q h'wh.y w{l r,ma{Y;w a.Wh;h h'l.y;L;B yih.y;w ? yineV;h r;p.W '$yib'a.l r,v]a rw{V;h -r;P -t,a ? r,v]a l;[;B;h x;B.zim -t,a 'T.s;r'h.w ~yin'v [;b,v ? t{r.kiT wy'l'[ -r,v]a h'rev]a'h -t,a.w '$yib'a.l
26
and
build an
altar to the
LORD your
God on the
top of
this stronghold in an
orderly manner, and
take a
second bull and
offer a
burnt offering with the
wood of the
Asherah which you shall
cut down."
zw{['M;h va{r l;[ '$y,h{l/a h'why;l ;xeB.zim 'tyin'b.W ? 'tyil][;h.w yineV;h r'P;h -t,a 'T.x;q'l.w h'k'r][;M;B h,Z;h ? t{r.kiT r,v]a h'rev]a'h yec][;B h'lw{[
27
Then
Gideon took ten men of his
servants and
did as the
LORD had
spoken to him; and
because he was too
afraid of his
father's household and the
men of the
city to
do it by
day, he
did it by
night.
f;[;Y;w wy'd'b][em ~yiv'n]a h'r'f][ !w{[.diG x;QiY;w ? aer'y r,v]a;K yih.y;w h'wh.y wy'lea r,BiD r,v]a;K ? tw{f][em ryi['h yev.n;a -t,a.w wyib'a tyeB -t,a ? h'l.y'l f;[;Y;w ~'mw{y
28
When the
men of the
city arose early in the
morning,
behold, the
altar of
Baal was
torn down, and the
Asherah which was
beside it was
cut down, and the
second bull was
offered on the
altar which had been
built.
#;TUn heNih.w r,q{B;B ryi['h yev.n;a .WmyiK.v;Y;w ? h't'r{K wy'l'[ -r,v]a h'rev]a'h.w l;[;B;h x;B.zim ? y.Wn'B;h ;xeB.ziM;h -l;[ h'l][{h yineV;h r'P;h tea.w
29
They
said to
one another,
"Who did this thing?" And when they
searched about and
inquired, they
said,
"Gideon the
son of
Joash did this thing."
r'b'D;h h'f'[ yim .Whe[er -l,a vyia .Wr.ma{Y;w ? !w{[.diG .Wr.ma{Y;w .Wv.q;b.y;w .Wv.r.diY;w h,Z;h ? h,Z;h r'b'D;h h'f'[ v'aw{y -n,B
30
Then the
men of the
city said to
Joash,
"Bring out your
son, that he may
die, for he has
torn down the
altar of
Baal, and
indeed, he has
cut down the
Asherah which was
beside it."
aecw{h v'aw{y -l,a ryi['h yev.n;a .Wr.ma{Y;w ? l;[;B;h x;B.zim -t,a #;t'n yiK t{m'y.w '$.niB -t,a ? wy'l'[ -r,v]a h'rev]a'h t;r'k yik.w
31
But
Joash said to
all who stood against him, "Will you
contend for
Baal,
or will you
deliver him?
Whoever will
plead for him shall be
put to
death by
morning.
If he is a
god, let him
contend for himself,
because someone has
torn down his
altar."
~,T;a;h wy'l'[ .Wd.m'[ -r,v]a l{k.l v'aw{y r,ma{Y;w ? w{tw{a !.W[yivw{T ~,T;a -mia l;[;B;l !.Wbyir.T ? ~yih{l/a -mia r,q{B;h -d;[ t;m.Wy w{l byir'y r,v]a ? w{x.B.zim -t,a #;t'n yiK w{l b,r'y a.Wh
32
Therefore on that
day he
named him
Jerubbaal, that is to
say, "Let
Baal contend against him,"
because he had
torn down his
altar.
r{mael l;[;BUr.y a.Wh;h -mw{Y;b w{l -a'r.qiY;w ? w{x.B.zim -t,a #;t'n yiK l;[;B;h w{B b,r'y
33
Then
all the
Midianites and the
Amalekites and the
sons of the
east assembled themselves; and they
crossed over and
camped in the
valley of
Jezreel.
.Wp.s,a,n ~,d,q -yen.b.W qel'm][;w !'y.dim -l'k.w ? la,[.r.zIy q,me[.B .Wn]x;Y;w .Wr.b;[;Y;w w'D.x;y
34
So the
Spirit of the
LORD came upon
Gideon; and he
blew a
trumpet, and the
Abiezrites were
called together to
follow him.
[;q.tiY;w !w{[.diG -t,a h'v.b'l h'wh.y ;x.Wr.w ? wy'r]x;a r,z,[yib]a qe['ZiY;w r'pw{V;B
35
He
sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they
also were
called together to
follow him; and he
sent messengers to
Asher,
Zebulun, and
Naphtali, and they
came up to
meet them.
a.Wh -m;G qe['ZiY;w h,V;n.m -l'k.B x;l'v ~yik'a.l;m.W ? !.WlUb.zib.W rev'a.B x;l'v ~yik'a.l;m.W wy'r]x;a ? ~'ta'r.qil .Wl][;Y;w yil'T.p;n.b.W
36
Then
Gideon said to
God,
"If You
will deliver Israel through me, as You have
spoken,
'$.v,y -mia ~yih{l/a'h -l,a !w{[.diG r,ma{Y;w ? 'T.r;BiD r,v]a;K lea'r.fIy -t,a yid'y.B ;[yivw{m
37
behold, I will
put a
fleece of
wool on the
threshing floor.
If there is
dew on the
fleece only, and it is
dry on
all the
ground, then I will
know that You will
deliver Israel through me, as You have
spoken."
!,r{G;B r,m,C;h t;ZiG -t,a gyiC;m yik{n'a heNih ? #,r'a'h -l'K -l;[.w H'D;b.l h'ZiG;h -l;[ h,y.hIy l;j ~ia ? lea'r.fIy -t,a yid'y.B ;[yivw{t -yiK yiT.[;d'y.w b,r{x ? 'T.r;BiD r,v]a;K
38
And it was
so. When he
arose early the
next morning and
squeezed the
fleece, he
drained the
dew from the
fleece, a
bowl full of
water.
h'ZiG;h -t,a r;z'Y;w t'r\x'Mim ~eK.v;Y;w !ek -yih.y;w ? ~Iy'm l,peS;h aw{l.m h'ZiG;h -nim l;j #,miY;w
39
Then
Gideon said to
God, "Do not let Your
anger burn against me that I may
speak once more;
please let me
make a
test once more with the
fleece, let it
now be
dry only on the
fleece, and let there be
dew on
all the
ground."
r;xIy -l;a ~yih{l/a'h -l,a !w{[.diG r,ma{Y;w ? -q;r -a'N h,S;n]a ~;['P;h .$;a h'r.B;d]a;w yiB '$.P;a ? h'ZiG;h -l,a b,r{x a'n -yih.y h'ZiG;B ~;[;P;h ? l'J -h,y.hIy #,r'a'h -l'K -l;[.w H'D;b.l
40
God did so that
night; for it was
dry only on the
fleece, and
dew was on
all the
ground.
b,r{x -yih.y;w a.Wh;h h'l.y;L;B !eK ~yih{l/a f;[;Y;w ? h'y'h #,r'a'h -l'K -l;[.w H'D;b.l h'ZiG;h -l,a ? l'j