Judges:6:11-40

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* 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 . * And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him , and said unto him , The LORD is with thee , thou mighty man of valour . * 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 . * 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 ? * 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 . * And the LORD said unto him , Surely I will be with thee , and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man . * And he said unto him , If now I have found grace in thy sight , then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * And the LORD said unto him , Peace be unto thee ; fear not : thou shalt not die . * Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD , and called it Jehovahshalom : unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites . * 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 : * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal , saying , Let Baal plead against him , because he hath thrown down his altar . * 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 . * But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon , and he blew a trumpet ; and Abiezer was gathered after him . * 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 . * And Gideon said unto God , If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand , as thou hast said , * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * And God did so that night : for it was dry upon the fleece only , and there was dew on all the ground .

---