6The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. So the LORD handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.H1121H3478H6213H7451H5869H3068H3068H5414H3027H4080H7651H8141 2The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.H3027H4080H5810H3478H6440H4080H1121H3478H6213H4492H2022H4631H4679 3Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel,H3478H2232H4080H5927H6002H1121H6924H5927 4camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys.H2583H7843H2981H776H935H5804H7604H4241H3478H7716H7794H2543 5These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare.H5927H4735H168H935H935H1767H697H7230H1581H4557H935H776H7843 6So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help.H3478H3966H1809H6440H4080H1121H3478H2199H3068 7When they cried out to the LORD because of Midian,H1121H3478H2199H3068H182H4080 8the LORD sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt.H3068H7971H376H5030H1121H3478H559H559H3068H430H3478H5927H4714H3318H1004H5650 9I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land.H5337H3027H4714H3027H3905H1644H6440H5414H776 10I told you, 'I am the LORD your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.' But you have not listened to me."H559H3068H430H3372H430H567H776H3427H8085H6963 11Then the angel of the LORD came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.H935H4397H3068H3427H424H6084H3101H33H1121H1439H2251H2406H1660H5127H6440H4080 12The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, "Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!"H4397H3068H7200H559H3068H1368H2428 13"Sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn't they say, 'The LORD brought us up out of Egypt'? But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites."H1439H559H994H113H3426H3068H4672H6381H1H5608H559H3068H5927H4714H3068H5203H5414H3709H4080 14Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!"H3068H6437H559H3212H3581H3467H3478H3709H4080H7971 15"But Lord," Gideon replied, "how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!"H559H994H136H4100H3467H3478H504H505H1800H4519H6810H1H1004 16The LORD said to him, "I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man."H3068H559H5221H4080H259H376 17Gideon replied, "If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the LORD speaking to me.H559H4672H2580H5869H6213H226H1696 18Don't go away until I come back and bring my offering to you." He answered, "I will stay here until you return."H4185H935H3318H4503H3240H6440H559H3427H7725 19Gideon hurried home. He cooked a young goat, and with a basket of flour he baked some bread without yeast. Then, carrying the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out and presented them to the angel, who was under the great tree.H1439H935H6213H5795H1423H4682H374H7058H1320H7760H5536H7760H4839H6517H3318H424H5066 20The angel of God said to him, "Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour the broth over it." And Gideon did as he was told.H4397H430H559H3947H1320H4682H3240H1975H5553H8210H4839H6213 21Then the angel of the LORD touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought. And the angel of the LORD disappeared.H4397H3068H7971H7097H4938H3027H5060H1320H4682H5927H784H6697H398H1320H4682H4397H3068H1980H5869 22When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he cried out, "Oh, Sovereign LORD, I'm doomed! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!"H1439H7200H4397H3068H1439H559H162H136H3069H3651H7200H4397H3068H6440H6440 23"It is all right," the LORD replied. "Do not be afraid. You will not die."H3068H559H7965H3372H4191 24And Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means "the LORD is peace"). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day.H1439H1129H4196H3068H7121H3073H3117H6084H33 25That night the LORD said to Gideon, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it.H3915H3068H559H3947H1H6499H7794H8145H6499H7651H8141H2040H4196H1168H1H3772H842 26Then build an altar to the LORD your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down."H1129H4196H3068H430H7218H4581H4634H3947H8145H6499H5927H5930H6086H842H3772 27So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father's household and the people of the town.H1439H3947H6235H582H5650H6213H3068H1696H3372H1H1004H582H5892H6213H3119H6213H3915 28Early the next morning, as the people of the town began to stir, someone discovered that the altar of Baal had been broken down and that the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down. In their place a new altar had been built, and on it were the remains of the bull that had been sacrificed.H582H5892H7925H1242H4196H1168H5422H842H3772H8145H6499H5927H4196H1129 29The people said to each other, "Who did this?" And after asking around and making a careful search, they learned that it was Gideon, the son of Joash.H559H376H7453H6213H1697H1875H1245H559H1439H1121H3101H6213H1697 30"Bring out your son," the men of the town demanded of Joash. "He must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asherah pole."H582H5892H559H3101H3318H1121H4191H5422H4196H1168H3772H842 31But Joash shouted to the mob that confronted him, "Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!"H3101H559H5975H7378H1168H3467H7378H4191H1242H430H7378H5422H4196 32From then on Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means "Let Baal defend himself," because he broke down Baal's altar.H3117H7121H3378H559H1168H7378H5422H4196 33Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel.H4080H6002H1121H6924H622H3162H5674H2583H6010H3157 34Then the Spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram's horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.H7307H3068H3847H1439H8628H7782H44H2199H310 35He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors, and all of them responded.H7971H4397H4519H2199H310H7971H4397H836H2074H5321H5927H7125 36Then Gideon said to God, "If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised,H1439H559H430H3426H3467H3478H3027H1696 37prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised."H3322H1492H6785H1637H2919H1492H2721H776H3045H3467H3478H3027H1696 38And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.H7925H4283H2115H1492H2115H4680H2919H1492H5602H4393H4325 39Then Gideon said to God, "Please don't be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew."H1439H559H430H639H2734H1696H6471H5254H6471H1492H2721H1492H776H2919 40So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.H430H6213H3915H2721H1492H2919H776
7So Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon) and his army got up early and went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.H3378H1439H5971H7925H2583H5878H4264H4080H6828H1389H4176H6010 2The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.H3068H559H1439H5971H7227H5414H4080H3027H3478H6286H559H3027H3467 3Therefore, tell the people, 'Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.'" So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.H4994H7121H241H5971H559H3373H2730H7725H6852H2022H1568H7725H5971H6242H8147H505H7604H6235H505 4But the LORD told Gideon, "There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not."H3068H559H1439H5971H7227H3381H4325H6884H559H3212H3212H559H3212H3212 5When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the LORD told him, "Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream."H3381H5971H4325H3068H559H1439H3952H4325H3956H3611H3952H3322H3766H1290H8354 6Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream.H4557H3952H3027H6310H7969H3967H376H3499H5971H3766H1290H8354H4325 7The LORD told Gideon, "With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home."H3068H559H1439H7969H3967H376H3952H3467H5414H4080H3027H5971H3212H376H4725 8So Gideon collected the provisions and rams' horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him. The Midianite camp was in the valley just below Gideon.H5971H3947H6720H3027H7782H7971H376H3478H376H168H2388H7969H3967H376H4264H4080H6010 9That night the LORD said, "Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them!H3915H3068H559H6965H3381H4264H5414H3027 10But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah.H3373H3381H3381H6513H5288H3381H4264 11Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack." So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp.H8085H1696H310H3027H2388H3381H4264H3381H6513H5288H7097H2571H4264 12The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count!H4080H6002H1121H6924H5307H6010H697H7230H1581H4557H2344H3220H8193H7230 13Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, "I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!"H1439H935H376H5608H2472H7453H559H2492H2472H6742H6742H8184H3899H2015H4264H4080H935H168H5221H5307H2015H4605H168H5307 14His companion answered, "Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!"H7453H6030H559H2719H1439H1121H3101H376H3478H3027H430H5414H4080H4264 15When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the LORD. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, "Get up! For the LORD has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!"H1439H8085H4557H2472H7667H7812H7725H4264H3478H559H6965H3068H5414H3027H4264H4080 16He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram's horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.H2673H7969H3967H376H7969H7218H5414H7782H3027H7386H3537H3940H8432H3537 17Then he said to them, "Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do.H559H7200H6213H935H7097H4264H6213H6213 18As soon as I and those with me blow the rams' horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon!'"H8628H7782H8628H7782H5439H4264H559H3068H1439 19It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams' horns and broke their clay jars.H1439H3967H376H935H7097H4264H7218H8484H821H389H6965H6965H8104H8628H7782H5310H3537H3027 20Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"H7969H7218H8628H7782H7665H3537H2388H3940H8040H3027H7782H3225H3027H8628H7121H2719H3068H1439 21Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape.H5975H376H5439H4264H4264H7323H7321H5127H5127 22When the 300 Israelites blew their rams' horns, the LORD caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.H7969H3967H8628H7782H3068H7760H376H2719H7453H4264H4264H5127H1029H6888H8193H65H2888 23Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, who joined in chasing the army of Midian.H376H3478H6817H5321H836H4519H7291H310H4080 24Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down to attack the Midianites. Cut them off at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River at Beth-barah." So all the men of Ephraim did as they were told.H1439H7971H4397H2022H669H559H3381H7125H4080H3920H4325H1012H3383H376H669H6817H3920H4325H1012H3383 25They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders, killing Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they continued to chase the Midianites. Afterward the Israelites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan River.H3920H8147H8269H4080H6159H2062H2026H6159H6697H6159H2062H2026H3342H2062H7291H4080H935H7218H6159H2062H1439H5676H3383
8Then the people of Ephraim asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us this way? Why didn't you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?" And they argued heatedly with Gideon.H376H669H559H4100H6213H1697H7121H1980H3898H4080H7378H2394 2But Gideon replied, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't even the leftover grapes of Ephraim's harvest better than the entire crop of my little clan of Abiezer?H559H6213H5955H669H2896H1210H44 3God gave you victory over Oreb and Zeeb, the commanders of the Midianite army. What have I accomplished compared to that?" When the men of Ephraim heard Gideon's answer, their anger subsided.H430H5414H3027H8269H4080H6159H2062H3201H6213H7307H7503H1697H1696 4Gideon then crossed the Jordan River with his 300 men, and though exhausted, they continued to chase the enemy.H1439H935H3383H5674H7969H3967H376H5889H7291 5When they reached Succoth, Gideon asked the leaders of the town, "Please give my warriors some food. They are very tired. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian."H559H582H5523H5414H3603H3899H5971H7272H5889H7291H310H2078H6759H4428H4080 6But the officials of Succoth replied, "Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your army."H8269H5523H559H3709H2078H6759H3027H5414H3899H6635 7So Gideon said, "After the LORD gives me victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will return and tear your flesh with the thorns and briers from the wilderness."H1439H559H3068H5414H2078H6759H3027H1758H1320H6975H4057H1303 8From there Gideon went up to Peniel and again asked for food, but he got the same answer.H5927H6439H1696H2063H582H6439H6030H582H5523H6030 9So he said to the people of Peniel, "After I return in victory, I will tear down this tower."H559H582H6439H559H7725H7965H5422H4026 10By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with 15,000 warriors—all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed.H2078H6759H7174H4264H2568H6240H505H3498H4264H1121H6924H5307H3967H6242H505H376H8025H2719 11Gideon circled around by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, taking the Midianite army by surprise.H1439H5927H1870H7931H168H6924H5025H3011H5221H4264H4264H983 12Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings, fled, but Gideon chased them down and captured all their warriors.H2078H6759H5127H7291H310H3920H8147H4428H4080H2078H6759H2729H4264 13After this, Gideon returned from the battle by way of Heres Pass.H1439H1121H3101H7725H4421H4608H2775 14There he captured a young man from Succoth and demanded that he write down the names of all the seventy-seven officials and elders in the town.H3920H5288H582H5523H7592H3789H8269H5523H2205H7657H7651H376 15Gideon then returned to Succoth and said to the leaders, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. When we were here before, you taunted me, saying, 'Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your exhausted army.'"H935H582H5523H559H2078H6759H2778H559H3709H2078H6759H3027H5414H3899H582H3287 16Then Gideon took the elders of the town and taught them a lesson, punishing them with thorns and briers from the wilderness.H3947H2205H5892H6975H4057H1303H3045H582H5523 17He also tore down the tower of Peniel and killed all the men in the town.H5422H4026H6439H2026H582H5892 18Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "The men you killed at Tabor—what were they like?" "Like you," they replied. "They all had the look of a king's son."H559H2078H6759H375H582H2026H8396H559H3644H259H8389H1121H4428 19"They were my brothers, the sons of my own mother!" Gideon exclaimed. "As surely as the LORD lives, I wouldn't kill you if you hadn't killed them."H559H251H1121H517H3068H2416H3863H2421H2026 20Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, "Kill them!" But Jether did not draw his sword, for he was only a boy and was afraid.H559H3500H1060H6965H2026H5288H8025H2719H3372H5288 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, "Be a man! Kill us yourself!" So Gideon killed them both and took the royal ornaments from the necks of their camels.H2078H6759H559H6965H6293H376H1369H1439H6965H2026H2078H6759H3947H7720H1581H6677 22Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Be our ruler! You and your son and your grandson will be our rulers, for you have rescued us from Midian."H376H3478H559H1439H4910H1121H1121H1121H3467H3027H4080 23But Gideon replied, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD will rule over you!H1439H559H4910H1121H4910H3068H4910 24However, I do have one request—that each of you give me an earring from the plunder you collected from your fallen enemies." (The enemies, being Ishmaelites, all wore gold earrings.)H1439H559H7592H7596H5414H376H5141H7998H2091H5141H3459 25"Gladly!" they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each one threw in a gold earring he had gathered from the plunder.H559H5414H5414H6566H8071H7993H376H5141H7998 26The weight of the gold earrings was forty-three pounds, not including the royal ornaments and pendants, the purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, or the chains around the necks of their camels.H4948H2091H5141H7592H505H7651H3967H2091H7720H5188H713H899H4428H4080H6060H1581H6677 27Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.H1439H6213H646H3322H5892H6084H3478H2181H310H4170H1439H1004 28That is the story of how the people of Israel defeated Midian, which never recovered. Throughout the rest of Gideon's lifetime—about forty years—there was peace in the land.H4080H3665H6440H1121H3478H5375H7218H3254H776H8252H705H8141H3117H1439 29Then Gideon son of Joash returned home.H3378H1121H3101H3212H3427H1004 30He had seventy sons born to him, for he had many wives.H1439H7657H1121H3409H3318H7227H802 31He also had a concubine in Shechem, who gave birth to a son, whom he named Abimelech.H6370H7927H3205H1121H8034H7760H40 32Gideon died when he was very old, and he was buried in the grave of his father, Joash, at Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer.H1439H1121H3101H4191H2896H7872H6912H6913H3101H1H6084H33 33As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god.H1439H4191H1121H3478H7725H2181H310H1168H7760H1170H430 34They forgot the LORD their God, who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them.H1121H3478H2142H3068H430H5337H3027H341H5439 35Nor did they show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon), despite all the good he had done for Israel.H6213H2617H1004H3378H1439H2896H6213H3478
72[A psalm of Solomon.] Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son.H8010H5414H4428H4941H430H6666H4428H1121 2Help him judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly.H1777H5971H6664H6041H4941 3May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful.H2022H5375H7965H5971H1389H6666 4Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors.H8199H6041H5971H3467H1121H34H1792H6231 5May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever!H3372H5973H8121H3394H6440H1755H1755 6May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth.H3381H4306H1488H7241H2222H776 7May all the godly flourish during his reign. May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more.H3117H6662H6524H7230H7965H3394 8May he reign from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.H7287H3220H3220H5104H657H776 9Desert nomads will bow before him; his enemies will fall before him in the dust.H6728H3766H6440H341H3897H6083 10The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands will bring him tribute. The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts.H4428H8659H339H7725H4503H4428H7614H5434H7126H814 11All kings will bow before him, and all nations will serve him.H4428H7812H1471H5647 12He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.H5337H34H7768H6041H5826 13He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them.H2347H1800H34H3467H5315H34 14He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.H1350H5315H8496H2555H3365H1818H5869 15Long live the king! May the gold of Sheba be given to him. May the people always pray for him and bless him all day long.H2421H5414H2091H7614H6419H8548H3117H1288 16May there be abundant grain throughout the land, flourishing even on the hilltops. May the fruit trees flourish like the trees of Lebanon, and may the people thrive like grass in a field.H6451H1250H776H7218H2022H6529H7493H3844H5892H6692H6212H776 17May the king’s name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun shines. May all nations be blessed through him and bring him praise.H8034H5769H8034H5125H5125H6440H8121H1288H1471H833 18Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things.H1288H3068H430H430H3478H6213H6381 19Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!H1288H3519H8034H5769H776H4390H3519H543H543 20(This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.)H8605H1732H1121H3448H3615
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of flour he baked some bread without yeast. Then, carrying the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out and presented them to the angel, who was under the great tree.H1439
