Hakimler 6

¹İsrail oğulları RAB'bin huzurunda kötü olanı yaptılar; RAB de onları yedi yıl boyunca Midyan'ın eline teslim etti.

²Midyan'ın gücü İsrail'e üstün geldi. Midyanlıların baskısı yüzünden İsrail oğulları kendilerine dağlarda sığınaklar, mağaralar ve uçurum kenarlarında asılı siperler yaptılar.

³Ne zaman İsrail oğulları ekin ekse, Midyanlılar, Amalekliler ve doğu halkları onlara karşı yukarı çıkar ve üzerlerine yürüyerek ordugah kurarlardı.

⁴Gazze sınırına kadar onların toprak ürünlerini mahvederler, İsrail toprağında ne yaşamı sürdürecek bir geçim kaynağı, ne de sürüler arasında bir sığır ya da eşek bırakırlardı.

⁵Çünkü onlar, tüm mülkleri ve çadırlarıyla birlikte çekirge sürüsü gibi çoklukla gelirlerdi; kendilerinin de develerinin de sayısı belirsizdi. İsrail toprağına girip orayı tamamen yıkıma uğratırlardı.

⁶Midyanlıların baskısı yüzünden İsrail iyice yoksullaşıp çaresiz kaldı.

⁷Ve İsrail oğulları Midyanlılar yüzünden RAB'be feryat ettiler.

⁸RAB İsrail oğullarına peygamber bir adam gönderdi. O da onlara şöyle dedi: "İsrail'in Tanrısı RAB şöyle diyor: 'Sizi Mısır toprağından ben çıkardım, sizi köleliğinizin evinden ben kurtardım.

⁹Sizi Mısırlıların elinden ve size baskı yapanların hepsinin elinden kurtardım; onları önünüzden kovup topraklarını size verdim.

¹⁰Ve size dedim ki: Ben Tanrınız RAB'bim; topraklarında yerleştiğiniz Amorluların ilahlarından korkmayın. Ama siz benim sesime kulak vermediniz.'"

¹¹RAB'bin meleği gelip Efrata'da, Esdrili Yoaş'a ait olan terebint ağacının altında oturdu. Yoaş'ın oğlu Gedeon ise Midyanlılardan kaçırmak amacıyla şarap sıkma teknesinde buğdayı değnekle dövüyordu.

¹²RAB'bin meleği ona göründü ve, "RAB seninledir, ey orduların güçlü yiğidi!" dedi.

¹³Gedeon ona, "Aman efendim," dedi, "Eğer RAB bizimleyse, bütün bu kötülükler neden başımıza geldi? Atalarımızın, 'RAB bizi Mısır'dan çıkarmadı mı?' diyerek bize anlattığı o harika işleri nerede? Şimdi ise RAB bizi bir kenara fırlatıp attı ve Midyan'ın eline teslim etti."

¹⁴RAB'bin meleği ona döndü ve şöyle dedi: "Bu gücünle git ve İsrail'i Midyan'ın elinden kurtaracaksın. İşte, seni ben gönderiyorum!"

¹⁵Gedeon ona, "Aman efendim, İsrail'i neyle kurtarabilirim?" dedi, "Bak, benim askeri birliğim Manasse'de en zayıf olanıdır ve ben babamın evinde en küçüğüyüm."

¹⁶RAB'bin meleği ona, "RAB seninle birlikte olacak," dedi, "ve Midyanlıları tek bir adamı yener gibi bozguna uğratacaksın."

¹⁷Gedeon ona, "Eğer gözünde lütuf bulduysam," dedi, "benimle konuştuğun her şeyi bana yapacağına dair bugün bana bir belirti göster.

¹⁸Ben yanına dönüp sunumu dışarı çıkarana ve senin huzuruna koyana dek lütfen buradan ayrılma." O da, "Sen dönene kadar burada bekleyeceğim," dedi.

¹⁹Gedeon içeri girdi, bir keçi oğlağı hazırladı ve bir efi undan mayasız ekmekler yaptı. Eti sepete koydu, et suyunu tencereye döktü; bunları terebint ağacının altındaki meleğe getirip sundu.

²⁰Tanrı'nın meleği ona, "Eti ve mayasız ekmekleri al, şu kayanın üzerine koy, et suyunu da yanıbaşına dök," dedi. Gedeon denileni yaptı.

²¹RAB'bin meleği elindeki değneğin ucunu uzatıp ete ve mayasız ekmeklere dokundurdu. Kayadan ateş yükseldi; eti ve mayasız ekmekleri yiyip bitirdi. Sonra RAB'bin meleği onun gözünün önünden kayboldu.

²²Gedeon onun RAB'bin meleği olduğunu anlayınca, "Ah, benim Efendim RAB!" dedi, "Çünkü RAB'bin meleğini yüz yüze gördüm!"

²³Ama RAB ona, "Sana esenlik olsun, korkma, kesinlikle ölmeyeceksin," dedi.

²⁴Gedeon orada RAB'be bir sunak yaptı ve ona "RAB'bin Esenliği" adını verdi. Bu sunak bugüne dek Esdrili babanın Efrata'sında durmaktadır.

²⁵O gece RAB ona şöyle dedi: "Babanın boğasını, yani yedi yaşındaki ikinci boğayı al. Babanın Baal için yaptırdığı sunağı yık ve üzerindeki kutsal koruluğu kesip yok et.

²⁶Ve bu Mauek sığınağının tepesinde Tanrın RAB'be uygun bir düzen içinde bir sunak yap. Sonra ikinci boğayı alıp keseceğin kutsal koruluğun odunlarıyla yakmalık sunu olarak sun."

²⁷Gedeon kendi kölelerinden on adam alıp RAB'bin kendisine söylediği gibi yaptı. Ancak babasının ev halkından ve kent halkından korktuğu için bunu gündüzün değil, geceleyin yaptı.

²⁸Kent halkı sabah erkenden kalktığında, Baal'ın sunağının yıkılmış, üzerindeki kutsal koruluğun kesilmiş olduğunu ve yeni yapılan sunağın üzerinde ikinci boğanın sunulmuş olduğunu gördüler.

²⁹Birbirlerine, "Bu işi kim yaptı?" diye sordular. Araştırıp soruşturduktan sonra, "Bunu Yoaş'ın oğlu Gedeon yapmış," dediler.

³⁰Kent halkı Yoaş'a, "Oğlunu dışarı çıkar, ölsün!" dedi, "Çünkü Baal'ın sunağını yıktı ve üzerindeki kutsal koruluğu kesti."

³¹Yoaş, kendisine karşı çıkan bütün adamlara şöyle dedi: "Baal'ı siz mi savunacaksınız? Onu siz mi kurtaracaksınız? Kim onu savunursa sabaha kalmadan öldürülsün! Eğer o tanrıysa, kendi sunağını yıkan kişiye karşı kendisi dava gütsün."

³²O gün ona Yerobaal adını verdi; çünkü "Baal onunla çekişsin, çünkü onun sunağını yıktı," dedi.

³³Bütün Midyanlılar, Amalekliler ve doğu halkı bir araya gelip Yizreel Vadisi'nde ordugah kurdular.

³⁴RAB'bin Ruhu Gedeon'u güçlendirdi; Gedeon boynuz boru çaldı ve Abiezerliler onun arkasından gitmek üzere toplandılar.

³⁵Bütün Manasse'ye haberciler gönderdi; onlar da onun arkasından gitmek üzere toplandılar. Aşer, Zabulon ve Neftali'ye de haberciler gönderdi; onlar da onları karşılamaya çıktılar.

³⁶Gedeon Tanrı'ya şöyle dedi: "Eğer söylediğin gibi İsrail'i benim elimle kurtaracaksan,

³⁷işte, harman yerine bir yün yapağısı koyuyorum. Eğer çiy yalnız yapağının üzerine düşer ve bütün toprak kuru kalırsa, söylediğin gibi İsrail'i benim elimle kurtaracağını anlayacağım."

³⁸Ve öyle oldu. Ertesi gün erkenden kalkıp yapağıyı sıktı; yapağıdan süzülen çiy bir kap dolusu su etti.

³⁹Gedeon Tanrı'ya, "Bana öfkelenme, bir kez daha konuşayım," dedi, "Yapağıyla bir kez daha deneyeyim: Lütfen yalnız yapağı kuru kalsın, bütün toprağın üzerine ise çiy düşsün."

⁴⁰Tanrı o gece öyle yaptı; yalnız yapağı kuru kaldı, bütün toprağın üzerine ise çiy düştü.

¹ΚΑΙ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐν χειρὶ Μαδιὰμ ἑπτὰ ἔτη.

²καὶ ἴσχυσε χεὶρ Μαδιὰμ ἐπὶ ᾿Ισραήλ· καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιὰμ τὰς τρυμαλιὰς τὰς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι καὶ τὰ σπήλαια καὶ τὰ κρεμαστά.

³καὶ ἐγένετο ἐὰν ἔσπειραν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἀνέβαινον Μαδιὰμ καὶ ᾿Αμαλήκ, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνανέβαινον αὐτοῖς· καὶ παρενέβαλον εἰς αὐτοὺς

⁴καὶ κατέφθειραν τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῶν ἕως ἐλθεῖν εἰς Γάζαν καὶ οὐ κατελείποντο ὑπόστασιν ζωῆς ἐν τῇ γῇ ᾿Ισραὴλ οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ποιμνίοις ταῦρον καὶ ὄνον·

⁵ὅτι αὐτοὶ καὶ αἱ κτήσεις αὐτῶν ἀνέβαινον καὶ αἱ σκηναὶ αὐτῶν παρεγίνοντο καθὼς ἀκρὶς εἰς πλῆθος, καὶ αὐτοῖς καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις αὐτῶν οὐκ ἦν ἀριθμός, καὶ ἤρχοντο εἰς τὴν γῆν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ διέφθειρον αὐτήν.

⁶καὶ ἐπτώχευσεν ᾿Ισραὴλ σφόδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιάμ,

⁷καὶ ἐβόησαν υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς Κύριον ἀπὸ προσώπου Μαδιάμ.

⁸καὶ ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος ἄνδρα προφήτην πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ· ἐγώ εἰμι ὃς ἀνήγαγον ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐξήγαγον ὑμᾶς ἐξ οἴκου δουλείας ὑμῶν

⁹καὶ ἐρρυσάμην ὑμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν θλιβόντων ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς ἐκ προσώπου ὑμῶν καὶ ἔδωκα ὑμῖν τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν

¹⁰καὶ εἶπα ὑμῖν· ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, οὐ φοβηθήσεσθε τοὺς θεοὺς τοῦ ᾿Αμορραίου, ἐν οἷς ὑμεῖς κάθησθε ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν· καὶ οὐκ εἰσηκούσατε τῆς φωνῆς μου.

¹¹Καὶ ἦλθεν ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὑπὸ τὴν τερέμινθον τὴν ἐν ᾿Εφραθὰ τὴν ᾿Ιωὰς πατρὸς τοῦ ᾿Εσδρί, καὶ Γεδεὼν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ῥαβδίζων σῖτον ἐν ληνῷ εἰς ἐκφυγεῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Μαδιάμ.

¹²καὶ ὤφθη αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ, ἰσχυρὸς τῶν δυνάμεων.

¹³καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεών· ἐν ἐμοί, Κύριέ μου, καὶ εἰ ἔστι Κύριος μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν, εἰς τί εὗρεν ἡμᾶς τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα; καὶ ποῦ ἐστι πάντα τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ, ἃ διηγήσαντο ἡμῖν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν λέγοντες, μὴ οὐχὶ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀνήγαγεν ἡμᾶς Κύριος; καὶ νῦν ἐξέρριψεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς ἐν χειρὶ Μαδιάμ.

¹⁴καὶ ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ εἶπε· πορεύου ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ σου ταύτῃ καὶ σώσεις τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐκ χειρὸς Μαδιάμ· ἰδοὺ ἐξαπέστειλά σε.

¹⁵καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεών· ἐν ἐμοί, Κύριέ μου, ἐν τίνι σώσω τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ; ἰδοὺ ἡ χιλιάς μου ἠσθένησεν ἐν Μανασσῇ, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι μικρότερος ἐν οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός μου.

¹⁶καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου· Κύριος ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ πατάξεις τὴν Μαδιὰμ ὡσεὶ ἄνδρα ἕνα.

¹⁷καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Γεδεών· εἰ δὴ εὗρον ἔλεος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ ποιήσεις μοι σήμερον πᾶν ὅ,τι ἐλάλησας μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ,

¹⁸μὴ χωρισθῇς ἐντεῦθεν ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν με πρός σε, καὶ ἐξοίσω τὴν θυσίαν καὶ θύσω ἐνώπιόν σου. καὶ εἶπεν· ἐγώ εἰμι, καθήσομαι ἕως τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι σε.

¹⁹καὶ Γεδεὼν εἰσῆλθε καὶ ἐποίησεν ἔριφον αἰγῶν καὶ οἰφὶ ἀλεύρου ἄζυμα καὶ τὰ κρέα ἔθηκεν ἐν τῷ κοφίνῳ καὶ τὸν ζωμὸν ἔβαλεν ἐν τῇ χύτρᾳ καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν αὐτὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὴν τερέμινθον καὶ προσήγγισε.

²⁰καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ Θεοῦ· λαβὲ τὰ κρέα καὶ τὰ ἄζυμα καὶ θὲς πρὸς τὴν πέτραν ἐκείνην καὶ τὸν ζωμὸν ἐχόμενα ἔκχεε· καὶ ἐποίησεν οὕτως.

²¹καὶ ἐξέτεινεν ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ράβδου τῆς ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἥψατο τῶν κρεῶν καὶ τῶν ἀζύμων, καὶ ἀνέβη πῦρ ἐκ τῆς πέτρας καὶ κατέφαγε τὰ κρέα καὶ τοὺς ἀζύμους· καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἐπορεύθη ἀπ᾿ ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ.

²²καὶ εἶδε Γεδεὼν ὅτι ἄγγελος Κυρίου οὗτός ἐστι, καὶ εἶπε Γεδεών· ἆ ἆ, Κύριέ μου Κύριε, ὅτι εἶδον τὸν ἄγγελον Κυρίου πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον.

²³καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Κύριος· εἰρήνη σοι, μὴ φοβοῦ, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς.

²⁴καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ Γεδεὼν θυσιαστήριον τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἐπεκάλεσεν αὐτῷ Εἰρήνη Κυρίου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης, ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ἐν ᾿Εφραθὰ πατρὸς τοῦ ᾿Εσδρί.

²⁵Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Κύριος· λαβὲ τὸν μόσχον τὸν ταῦρον, ὅς ἐστι τῷ πατρί σου, καὶ μόσχον δεύτερον ἑπταετῆ καὶ καθελεῖς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βάαλ ὅ ἐστι τῷ πατρί σου, καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸ ὀλοθρεύσεις.

²⁶καὶ οἰκοδομήσεις θυσιαστήριον τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ σου ἐπὶ κορυφὴν τοῦ Μαουὲκ τούτου ἐν τῇ παρατάξει καὶ λήψῃ τὸν μόσχον τὸν δεύτερον καὶ ἀνοίσεις ὁλοκαυτώματα ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τοῦ ἄλσους, οὗ ἐξολοθρεύσεις.

²⁷καὶ ἔλαβε Γεδεὼν δέκα ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν δούλων ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ὃν τρόπον ἐλάλησε πρὸς αὐτὸν Κύριος· καὶ ἐγενήθη ὡς ἐφοβήθη τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας τῆς πόλεως τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἡμέρας, καὶ ἐποίησε νυκτός.

²⁸καὶ ὤρθρισαν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως τὸ πρωΐ, καὶ ἰδοὺ καθῄρητο τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βάαλ, καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ ὠλόθρευτο· καὶ εἶδαν τὸν μόσχον τὸν δεύτερον, ὃν ἀνήνεγκεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ᾠκοδομημένον.

²⁹καὶ εἶπεν ἀνὴρ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ· τίς ἐποίησε τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο; καὶ ἐπεζήτησαν καὶ ἠρεύνησαν καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι Γεδεὼν υἱὸς ᾿Ιωὰς ἐποίησε τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο.

³⁰καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως πρὸς ᾿Ιωάς· ἐξένεγκε τὸν υἱόν σου καὶ ἀποθανέτω, ὅτι καθεῖλε τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βάαλ καὶ ὅτι ὠλόθρευσε τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ.

³¹καὶ εἶπε Γεδεὼν υἱὸς ᾿Ιωὰς τοῖς ἀνδράσι πᾶσιν, οἳ ἐπανέστησαν αὐτῷ· μὴ ὑμεῖς νῦν δικάζεσθε ὑπὲρ τοῦ Βάαλ; ἢ ὑμεῖς σώσετε αὐτόν; ὃς ἐὰν δικάσηται αὐτῷ, θανατωθήτω ἕως πρωΐ· εἰ Θεός ἐστι, δικαζέσθω αὐτῷ, ὅτι καθεῖλε τὸ θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ.

³²καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ῾Ιεροβάαλ λέγων· δικαζέσθω ἐν αὐτῷ ὁ Βάαλ, ὅτι καθῃρέθη τὸ θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ.

³³καὶ πᾶσα Μαδιὰμ καὶ ᾿Αμαλὴκ καὶ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι ᾿Ιεζραέλ.

³⁴καὶ πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐνεδυνάμωσε τὸν Γεδεών, καὶ ἐσάλπισεν ἐν κερατίνῃ καὶ ἐφοβήθη ᾿Αβιέζερ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ.

³⁵καὶ ἀγγέλους ἀπέστειλεν εἰς πάντα Μανασσῆ καὶ ἐν ᾿Ασὴρ καὶ ἐν Ζαβουλὼν καὶ ἐν Νεφθαλὶ καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν.

³⁶καὶ εἶπε Γεδεὼν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· εἰ σύ σώζεις ἐν χειρί μου τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ καθὼς ἐλάλησας,

³⁷ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ τίθημι τὸν πόκον τοῦ ἐρίου ἐν τῇ ἅλωνι· ἐὰν δρόσος γένηται ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ξηρασία, γνώσομαι ὅτι σώσεις ἐν χειρί μου τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ, καθὼς ἐλάλησας.

³⁸καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως· καὶ ὤρθρισε τῇ ἐπαύριον καὶ ἐξεπίασε τὸν πόκον, καὶ ἔσταξε δρόσος ἀπὸ τοῦ πόκου, πλήρης λεκάνη ὕδατος.

³⁹καὶ εἶπε Γεδεὼν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· μὴ δὴ ὀργισθήτω ὁ θυμός σου ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ λαλήσω ἔτι ἅπαξ· πειράσω δὴ καί γε ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐν τῷ πόκῳ, καὶ γενέσθω ἡ ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν γενηθήτω δρόσος.

⁴⁰καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς οὕτως ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ· καὶ ἐγένετο ξηρασία ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον μόνον, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐγενήθη δρόσος.

¹And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Madiam seven years.

²And the hand of Madiam prevailed against Israel: and the children of Israel made for themselves because of Madiam the caves in the mountains, and the dens, and the holes in the rocks.

³And it came to pass when the children of Israel sowed, that Madiam and Amalec went up, and the children of the east went up together with them.

⁴And they encamped against them, and destroyed their fruits until they came to Gaza; and they left not the support of life in the land of Israel, not even ox or ass among the herds.

⁵For they and their stock came up, and their tents were with them, as the locust in multitude, and there was no number to them and their camels; and they came to the land of Israel, and laid it waste.

⁶And Israel was greatly impoverished because of Madiam.

⁷And the children of Israel cried to the Lord because of Madiam.

⁸And the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I am he that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and I brought you up out of the house of your bondage.

⁹And I delivered you out of the hand of Egypt, and out of the hand of all that afflicted you, and I cast them out before you; and I gave you their land.

¹⁰And I said to you, I [am] the Lord your God: ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but ye hearkened not to my voice.

¹¹And an angel of the Lord came, and sat down under the fir tree, which was in Ephratha in the land of Joas father of Esdri; and Gedeon his son [was] threshing wheat in a wine-press in order to escape from the face of Madiam.

¹²And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord [is] with thee, thou mighty in strength.

¹³And Gedeon said to him, [Be gracious] with me, my Lord: but if the Lord is with us, why have these evils found us? and where are all his miracles, which our fathers have related to us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt? and now he has cast us out, and given us into the hand of Madiam.

¹⁴And the angel of the Lord turned to him, and said, Go in this thy strength, and thou shalt save Israel out of the hand of Madiam: behold, I have sent thee.

¹⁵And Gedeon said to him, [Be gracious] with me, my Lord: whereby shall I save Israel? behold, my thousand is weakened in Manasse, and I am the least in my father’s house.

¹⁶And the angel of the Lord said to him, The Lord shall be with thee, and thou shalt smite Madiam as one man.

¹⁷And Gedeon said to him, If now I have found mercy in thine eyes, and thou wilt do this day for me all that thou hast spoken of with me,

¹⁸depart not hence until I come to thee, and I will bring forth an offering and offer it before thee: and he said, I will remain until thou return.

¹⁹And Gedeon went in, and prepared a kid of the goats, and an ephah of fine flour unleavened; and he put the flesh in the basket, and poured the broth into the pot, and brought them forth to him under the turpentine tree, and drew nigh.

²⁰And the angel of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and put them on that rock, and pour out the broth close by: and he did so.

²¹And the angel of the Lord stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened bread; and fire came up out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened bread, and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.

²²And Gedeon saw that he was an angel of the Lord; and Gedeon said, Ah, ah, Lord my God! for I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.

²³And the Lord said to him, Peace be to thee, fear not, thou shalt not die.

²⁴And Gedeon built there an altar to the Lord, and called it The peace of the Lord, until this day, as it is still in Ephratha of the father of Esdri.

²⁵And it came to pass in that night, that the Lord said to him, Take the young bullock which thy father has, even the second bullock of seven years old, and thou shalt destroy the altar of Baal which thy father has, and the grove which is by it thou shalt destroy.

²⁶And thou shalt build an altar to the Lord thy God on the top of this Maozi in the ordering [it], and thou shalt take the second bullock, and shalt offer up whole-burnt-offerings with the wood of the grove, which thou shalt destroy.

²⁷And Gedeon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord spoke to him: and it came to pass, as he feared the house of his father and the men of the city if he should do it by day, that he did it by night.

²⁸And the men of the city rose up early in the morning; and behold, the altar of Baal had been demolished, and the grove by it had been destroyed; and they saw the second bullock, which Gedeon offered on the altar that had been built.

²⁹And a man said to his neighbour, Who has done this thing? and they enquired and searched, and learnt that Gedeon the son of Joas had done this thing.

³⁰And the men of the city said to Joas, Bring out thy son, and let him die, because he has destroyed the altar of Baal, and because he has destroyed the grove that is by it.

³¹And Gedeon the son of Joas said to all the men who rose up against him, Do ye now plead for Baal, or will ye save him? whoever will plead for him, let him be slain this morning: if he be a god let him plead for himself, [because] one has thrown down his altar.

³²And he called it in that day Jerobaal, saying, Let Baal plead thereby, because his altar has been thrown down.

³³And all Madiam, and Amalek, and the sons of the east gathered themselves together, and encamped in the valley of Jezrael.

³⁴And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon, and he blew with the horn, and Abiezer came to help after him.

³⁵And [Gedeon] sent messengers into all Manasse, and into Aser, and into Zabulon, and into Nephthali; and he went up to meet them.

³⁶And Gedeon said to God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said,

³⁷behold, I put the fleece of wool in the threshing-floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and drought on all the ground, I shall know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said.

³⁸And it was so: and he rose up early in the morning, and wrung the fleece, and dew dropped from the fleece, a bowl full of water.

³⁹And Gedeon said to God, Let not, I pray thee, thine anger be kindled with me, and I will speak yet once; I will even yet make one trial more with the fleece: let now the drought be upon the fleece only, and let there be dew on all the ground.

⁴⁰And God did so in that night; and there was drought on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.