Israel does evil, and the Midianites oppress them. The angel of the LORD calls Gideon, a farmer threshing in a winepress, to save Israel. Gideon tears down his father's altar to Baal and asks for a sign with a fleece.
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 .
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 .
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 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 .
11 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 .
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour .
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 .
14 And 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?
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 .
16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man .
17 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 .
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.
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 .
22 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 .
23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not 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:
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 .
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 .
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.
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 .
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.
36 And Gideon said unto God , If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand , as thou hast 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 beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand , as thou hast said .
38 And 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 .
39 And 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 .
40 And God did so that night : for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground .