Judges:6

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* And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord , and the Lord gave them into the hand of Madiam seven years . * And 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 (note :)Some read kremasta ocurwmasi , q . d ., loca pensilia (:note ) holes in the rocks . * And 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 . * And 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 . * For 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 . * And Israel was greatly impoverished (note :)Gr . from before the face of (:note ) because of Madiam . * And the children of Israel cried to the Lord (note :)Gr . from before the face of (:note ) because of Madiam . * And the Lord sent (note :)Gr . a man a prophet (:note ) 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 . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him , The Lord is with thee , thou mighty in strength . * And Gedeon said to him , Be gracious (note :)Hebrews . yb , a particle of entreaty , here rendered literally (:note ) 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 . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And the angel of the Lord said to him , The Lord shall be with thee , and thou shalt smite Madiam as one man . * And 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 , * depart 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 . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And the Lord said to him , Peace be to thee , fear not , thou shalt not die . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And thou shalt build an altar to the Lord thy God on the top of this Maozi in (note :)Or , the ordered place (:note ) 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 . * And 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 (note :)Or , because of the doing it (:note ) if he should do it by day , that he did it by night . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And he called it in that day Jerobaal , saying , Let Baal plead thereby , because his altar has been thrown down . * And all Madiam , and Amalek , and the sons of the east gathered themselves together , and encamped in the valley of Jezrael . * And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon , and he blew with the horn , and Abiezer came to help after him . * And Gedeon sent messengers into all Manasse , and (note :)Gr . in (:note ) into Aser , and into Zabulon , and into Nephthali ; and he went up to meet them . * And Gedeon said to God , If thou wilt save Israel by my hand , as thou hast said , * behold , 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 . * And 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 . * And 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 . * And God did so in that night ; and there was drought on the fleece only , and on all the ground there was dew .

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