ABP - Judges - 6

6:1  And [4acted 1the 2sons 3of Israel] wickedly before the lord, and [2delivered them over 1the lord] into the hand of Midian for seven years.

6:2  And [3prevailed 1the hand 2of Midian] against Israel. Because of the presence of Midian [4made 5for themselves 1the 2sons 3of Israel] havens in the mountains, and in the caves, and in the fortresses.

6:3  And it came to pass when [3sowed 1a man 2of Israel], that there ascended up Midian and Amalek; even the sons of the east were ascending against them.

6:4  And they camped by them, and they ruined the resources of the land unto the coming unto Gaza. And there was not left behind support for life in Israel, even for the flock, and calf, and donkey.

6:5  For they and their livestock ascended and [2their tents 1they carried about with]; and they came as the locusts by multitude. And for them and their camels there was no number. And they came in the land of Israel to ruin it.

6:6  And Israel became poor, exceedingly, from the presence of Midian.

6:7  And [4cried out 1the 2sons 3of Israel] to the lord. And it came to pass when [4cried out 1the 2sons 3of Israel] to the lord on account of Midian,

6:8  the lord sent a man, a prophet, to the sons of Israel. And he said to them, Thus says the lord God of Israel, I am the one bringing you up from Egypt, and I led you from the house of slavery;

6:9  and I rescued you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of all the ones afflicting you; and I cast them from your face, and I gave to you their land.

6:10  And I said to you, I am the lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in which you dwell in their land. But you hearkened not to my voice.

6:11  And [3came 1an angel 2of the lord] and sat under the oak, the one being in Ophrah, the one of the [2of Joash 1father] of Ezri. And Gideon his son beat [2with a rod 1wheat] in a wine-vat, to flee from the face of Midian.

6:12  And [4appeared 5to him 1the 2angel 3of the lord], and said to him, The lord is with you mighty in strength.

6:13  And [2said 3to 4him 1Gideon], Be it to me, O my Lord, and if the lord is with us, then why do [3find 4us 1all 2these bad things]? And where are all his wonders, as many as [2described 3to us 1our fathers], saying, Is it not from out of Egypt [2led 3us 1the lord]? And now he thrust us away, and delivered us over into the hand of Midian.

6:14  And [4looked 5towards 6him 1the 2angel 3of the lord], and said to him, Go in [2your strength 1this]! and you shall deliver Israel. Behold, I send you.

6:15  And [2said 3to 4him 1Gideon], Be it to me, O my Lord, by what means shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my thousand is humbler in Manasseh, and I am the lesser in the house of my father.

6:16  And [2said 3to 4him 1The lord] that, I will be with you, and you shall strike Midian as [2man 1one].

6:17  And [2said 3to 4him 1Gideon], And if I found favor in your eyes, then you shall give to me a sign that you spoke with me.

6:18  In no way should you separate from here until [2coming 1my] to you, and I shall bring my sacrifice, and I shall sacrifice before you. And he said, I am settled until you return.

6:19  And Gideon entered and prepared a kid of the goats, and an ephah [2flour 1of unleavened], and [2the 3meats 1he put] upon the bin, and the broth he poured into an earthen pot, and he brought it to him under the oak, and did obeisance.

6:20  And [4said 5to 6him 1the 2angel 3of the lord], Take the meats and the unleavened breads, and put them on that rock, and [2the 3broth 1pour out]! And he did so.

6:21  And [4stretched out 1the 2angel 3of the lord] the tip of the rod in his hand, and touched of the meats, and of the unleavened breads; and [2was lit 1fire] from out of the rock, and it devoured the meats and the unleavened breads. And the angel of the lord departed from his eyes.

6:22  And Gideon knew that [2the angel 3of the lord 1it is]. And Gideon said, Alas, O my Lord, O lord, for I beheld the angel of the lord face to face.

6:23  And [2said 3to him 1the lord], Peace to you, do not fear, in no way shall you die.

6:24  And [2built 3there 1Gideon] an altar to the lord. And he called it, Peace of the lord, until this day. It is still being with Ephratah father of Ezri.

6:25  And it came to pass in that night, that [2said 3to him 1the lord], Take the [2calf 1well fed] of your father, and the [2calf 1second] of seven years old! And you shall demolish the altar of Baal which is of your father; and the sacred grove by it you shall cut down.

6:26  And you shall build an altar to the lord your God, to the one appearing to you upon the top [2mountain 3of Maoz 1of this] in the battle array. And you shall take with the [2calf 1second], and you shall offer whole burnt-offerings in the trees of the sacred grove which you cut down.

6:27  And Gideon took ten men from his manservants, and he did as [2spoke 3to 4him 1the lord]. And it came to pass that he feared the household of his father, and the men of the city, so as to not act by day, and he acted it by night.

6:28  And [5rose early 1the 2men 3of the 4city] in the morning; and behold, [4was razed 1the 2altar 3of Baal], and the sacred grove by it was cut down; and the [2calf 1well fed] was offered for a whole burnt-offering upon the altar having been built.

6:29  And [2said 1each man] to his neighbor, Who did this thing? And they investigated and inquired. And they said, Gideon son of Joash did this thing.

6:30  And [5said 1the 2men 3of the 4city] to Joash, Lead out your son and let him die! for he razed the altar of Baal, and because he cut down the sacred grove by it.

6:31  And Joash said to the men rising against him, Do you now adjudicate for Baal? or shall you deliver him? Who ever pleaded to him let die in the morning. If [2God 1he is], he shall avenge for himself, for he razed his altar.

6:32  And he called him in that day, Jerubbaal, saying, The court of justice of Baal, for he razed his altar.

6:33  And all Midian and Amalek and the sons of the east came together at the same place, and they passed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel.

6:34  And spirit of God empowered Gideon, and he trumped with the horn; and he called for aid to Abiezer after him.

6:35  And [2messengers 1he sent] to all Manasseh, and he called also himself others after him. And [2messengers 1he sent out] in Asher, and in Zebulun, and in Naphtali. And they ascended for meeting him.

6:36  And Gideon said to God, If you deliver [2by 3my hand 1Israel], as you spoke,

6:37  behold, I fasten the fleece of wool pieces in the threshing-floor. And if dew comes upon the fleece only, and upon all the earth be dryness, then I will know that you shall deliver [2by 3my hand 1Israel] in which manner you spoke.

6:38  And it came to pass thus. And Gideon rose early on the next day, and he squeezed out the fleece, and [2dripped 1dew] from the fleece -- a full pan of water.

6:39  And Gideon said to God, Let not [2be provoked to anger 1your rage] against me! for I will speak still once more, and I will test still once more by the fleece. And let there become yet dryness upon the fleece only, and upon all the ground let there become dew!

6:40  And God did so in that night. And there was dryness upon the fleece only, and upon all the ground became dew.