Judges 6

vayya'asu vene-yisra'el hara be'ene Adonai vayyittenem Adonai beyad-midyan sheva shanim

Then the Israelites did what was offensive to GOD, and GOD delivered them into the hands of the Midianites for seven years.

vatta'oz yad-midyan al-yisra'el mippene midyan asu lahem bene yisra'el et-hamminharot asher beharim ve'et-hamme'arot ve'et-hammetsadot

The hand of the Midianites prevailed over Israel; and because of Midian, the Israelites provided themselves with refuges in the caves and strongholds of the mountains.

vehayah im-zara yisra'el ve'alah midyan va'amaleq uvene-qedem ve'alu alayw

After the Israelites had done their sowing, Midian, Amalek, and the Kedemites would come up and raid them;

vayyakhanu alehem vayyashkhitu et-yevul ha'arets ad-bo'akha azzah velo-yashiru mikhyah beyisra'el veseh vashor vakhamor

they would attack them, destroy the produce of the land all the way to Gaza, and leave no means of sustenance in Israel, not a sheep or an ox or a donkey.

ki hem umiqnehem ya'alu ve'oholehem (yvv) [uva'u] khede-arbeh larov velahem veligmallehem en mispar vayyavo'u va'arets leshakhatah

For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, swarming as thick as locusts; they and their camels were innumerable. Thus they would invade the land and ravage it.

vayyiddal yisra'el me'od mippene midyan vayyizaqu vene-yisra'el el-Adonai

Israel was reduced to utter misery by the Midianites, and the Israelites cried out to GOD.

vayehi ki-za'aqu vene-yisra'el el-Adonai al odot midyan

When the Israelites cried to GOD on account of Midian,

vayyishlakh Adonai ish navi el-bene yisra'el vayyomer lahem koh-amar Adonai elohe yisra'el anokhi he'eleti etkhem mimmitsrayim va'otsi etkhem mibbet avadim

GOD sent a certain prophet to the Israelites. He said to them, “Thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: I brought you up out of Egypt and freed you from the house of bondage.

va'atsil etkhem miyyad mitsrayim umiyyad kol-lokhatsekhem va'agaresh otam mippenekhem va'ettenah lakhem et-artsam

I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all your oppressors; I drove them out before you, and gave you their land.

va'omerah lakhem ani Adonai elohekhem lo tire'u et-elohe ha'emori asher attem yoshevim be'artsam velo shematem beqoli

And I said to you, ‘I the ETERNAL One am your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.”

vayyavo malakh Adonai vayyeshev takhat ha'elah asher be'ofrah asher leyo'ash avi ha'ezri vegidon beno khovet khittim baggat lehanis mippene midyan

An angel of GOD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was then beating out wheat inside a winepress in order to keep it safe from the Midianites.

vayyera elayw malakh Adonai vayyomer elayw Adonai immekha gibbor hekhayil

The angel of GOD appeared to him and said to him, “GOD is with you, valiant warrior!”

vayyomer elayw gidon bi adoni veyesh Adonai immanu velammah metsa'atnu kol-zot ve'ayyeh khol-nifle'otayw asher sipperu-lanu avotenu lemor halo mimmitsrayim he'elanu Adonai ve'attah netashanu Adonai vayyittenenu bekhaf-midyan

Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if GOD is with us, why has all this befallen us? Where are all those wondrous deeds about which our ancestors told us, saying, ‘Truly GOD brought us up from Egypt’? Now GOD has abandoned us and delivered us into the hands of Midian!”

vayyifen elayw Adonai vayyomer lekh bekhokhakha zeh vehoshata et-yisra'el mikkaf midyan halo shelakhtikha

GOD turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and deliver Israel from the Midianites. I herewith make you My messenger.”

vayyomer elayw bi adonay bammah oshia et-yisra'el hinneh alpi haddal bimnasheh ve'anokhi hatsa'ir bevet avi

He said to him, “Please, my Sovereign, how can I deliver Israel? Why, my clan is the humblest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s household.”

vayyomer elayw Adonai ki ehyeh immakh vehikkita et-midyan ke'ish ekhad

GOD replied, “I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian all at once.”

vayyomer elayw im-na matsati khen be'enekha ve'asita li ot sha'attah medabber immi

And he said to him, “If I have gained Your favor, give me a sign that it is You who are speaking to me.

al-na tamush mizzeh ad-bo'i elekha vehotseti et-minkhati vehinnakhti lefanekha vayyomar anokhi eshev ad shuvekha

Do not leave this place until I come back to you and bring out my offering and place it before you.” And he answered, “I will stay until you return.”

vegidon ba vayya'as gedi-izzim ve'efat-qemakh matsot habbasar sam bassal vehammaraq sam bapparur vayyotse elayw el-takhat ha'elah vayyaggash

So Gideon went in and prepared a kid, and [baked] unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and poured the broth into a pot, and he brought them out to him under the terebinth. As he presented them,

vayyomer elayw malakh ha'elohim qakh et-habbasar ve'et-hammatsot vehannakh el-hassela hallaz ve'et-hammaraq shefokh vayya'as ken

the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, put them on yonder rock, and spill out the broth.” He did so.

vayyishlakh malakh Adonai et-qetseh hammishenet asher beyado vayyigga babbasar uvammatsot vatta'al ha'esh min-hatsur vattokhal et-habbasar ve'et-hammatsot umalakh Adonai halakh me'enayw

The angel of GOD held out the staff that he carried, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread with its tip. A fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the angel of GOD vanished from his sight.

vayyar gidon ki-malakh Adonai hu vayyomer gidon ahah adonay Elohim ki-al-ken ra'iti malakh Adonai panim el-panim

Then Gideon realized that indeed it was an angel of GOD; and Gideon said, “Alas, O Sovereign GOD! For I have seen an angel of GOD face to face.”

vayyomer lo Adonai shalom lekha al-tira lo tamut

But GOD said to him, “All is well; have no fear, you shall not die.”

vayyiven sham gidon mizbeakh la-Adonai vayyiqra-lo Adonai shalom ad hayyom hazzeh odennu be'ofrat avi ha'ezri

So Gideon built there an altar to GOD and called it Adonai-shalom. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

vayehi ballaylah hahu vayyomer lo Adonai qakh et-par-hashor asher le'avikha ufar hasheni sheva shanim veharasta et-mizbakh habba'al asher le'avikha ve'et-ha'asherah asher-alayw tikhrot

That night GOD said to him: “Take the young bull belonging to your father and another bull seven years old; pull down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the sacred post that is beside it.

uvanita mizbeakh la-Adonai elohekha al rosh hamma'oz hazzeh bamma'arakhah velaqakhta et-happar hasheni veha'alita olah ba'atse ha'asherah asher tikhrot

Then build an altar to the ETERNAL your God, on the level ground on top of this stronghold. Take the other bull and offer it as a burnt offering, using the wood of the sacred post that you have cut down.”

vayyiqqakh gidon asarah anashim me'avadayw vayya'as ka'asher dibber elayw Adonai vayehi ka'asher yare et-bet aviv ve'et-anshe ha'ir me'asot yomam vayya'as layelah

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as GOD had told him; but as he was afraid to do it by day, on account of his father’s household and the townspeople, he did it by night.

vayyashkimu anshe ha'ir babboqer vehinneh nuttats mizbakh habba'al veha'asherah asher-alayw koratah ve'et happar hasheni ho'alah al-hammizbeakh habbanuy

Early the next morning, the townspeople found that the altar of Baal had been torn down and the sacred post beside it had been cut down, and that the second bull had been offered on the newly built altar.

vayyomeru ish el-re'ehu mi asah haddavar hazzeh vayyidreshu vayevaqshu vayyomeru gidon ben-yo'ash asah haddavar hazzeh

They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” Upon inquiry and investigation, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did this thing!”

vayyomeru anshe ha'ir el-yo'ash hotse et-binkha veyamot ki natats et-mizbakh habba'al vekhi kharat ha'asherah asher-alayw

The townspeople said to Joash, “Bring out your son, for he must die: he has torn down the altar of Baal and cut down the sacred post beside it!”

vayyomer yo'ash lekhol asher-amedu alayw ha'attem terivun labba'al im-attem toshi'un oto asher yariv lo yumat ad-habboqer im-elohim hu yarev lo ki natats et-mizbekho

But Joash said to all who had risen against him, “Do you have to contend for Baal? Do you have to vindicate him? Whoever fights his battles shall be dead by morning! If he is a god, let him fight his own battles, since it is his altar that has been torn down!”

vayyiqra-lo vayyom-hahu yerubba'al lemor yarev bo habba'al ki natats et-mizbekho

That day they named him Jerubbaal, meaning “Let Baal contend with him, since he tore down his altar.”

vekhol-midyan va'amaleq uvene-qedem ne'esfu yakhdav vayya'avru vayyakhanu be'emeq yizre'el

All Midian, Amalek, and the Kedemites joined forces; they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.

veruakh Adonai laveshah et-gidon vayyitqa bashofar vayyizza'eq avi'ezer akharayw

The spirit of GOD enveloped Gideon; he sounded the horn, and the Abiezrites rallied behind him.

umalakhim shalakh bekhol-menasheh vayyizza'eq gam-hu akharayw umalakhim shalakh be'asher uvizvulun uvenaftali vayya'alu liqratam

And he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they too rallied behind him. He then sent messengers through Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet the Manassites.

vayyomer gidon el-ha'elohim im-yeshkha moshia beyadi et-yisra'el ka'asher dibbarta

And Gideon said to God, “If You really intend to deliver Israel through me as You have said—

hinneh anokhi matsig et-gizzat hatsemer baggoren im tal yihyeh al-haggizzah levaddah ve'al-kol-ha'arets khorev veyadati ki-toshia beyadi et-yisra'el ka'asher dibbarta

here I place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew falls only on the fleece and all the ground remains dry, I shall know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have said.”

vayehi-khen vayyashkem mimmokhorat vayyazar et-haggizzah vayyimets tal min-haggizzah melo hassefel mayim

And that is what happened. Early the next day, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew from the fleece, a bowlful of water.

vayyomer gidon el-ha'elohim al-yikhar appekha bi va'adabberah akh happa'am anasseh na-raq-happa'am baggizzah yehi-na khorev el-haggizzah levaddah ve'al-kol-ha'arets yihyeh-ttal

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me if I speak just once more. Let me make just one more test with the fleece: let the fleece alone be dry, while there is dew all over the ground.”

vayya'as elohim ken ballaylah hahu vayehi-khorev el-haggizzah levaddah ve'al-kol-ha'arets hayah tal

God did so that night: only the fleece was dry, while there was dew all over the ground.