6:1
The Midianite Oppression and the Calling of Gid'un
And the children of Yashar'al did evil in the sight of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄: and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
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Shaphatiym 6
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And the hand of Midian prevailed against Yashar'al: and because of the Midianites the children of Yashar'al made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds.
6:3
And so it was, when Yashar'al had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
6:4
And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Azzah, and left no sustenance for Yashar'al, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.
6:5
For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers (locusts) for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6:6
And Yashar'al was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Yashar'al cried unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
6:7
The Rebuke of the Unknown Prophet
And it came to pass, when the children of Yashar'al cried unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 because of the Midianites,
6:8
That 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 sent a prophet unto the children of Yashar'al, which said unto them, "Thus saith 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Alahiym of Yashar'al, I brought you up from Mitzrayim, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;"
6:9
"And I delivered you out of the hand of the Mitzrites, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land;"
6:10
"And I said unto you, I am 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Alahiym; fear not the lo alahiym of the Emorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice."
6:11
The Malakh at Ophrah
And there came a Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Yoash the Abiezrite: and his son Gid'un threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
6:12
And the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 appeared unto him, and said unto him, "𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is with thee, thou mighty man of valor."
6:13
And Gid'un said unto him, "Oh my Adun, if 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 bring us up from Mitzrayim? but now 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."
6:14
The Commission of Gid'un
And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 looked upon him, and said, "Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Yashar'al from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?"
6:15
And he said unto him, "Oh my Adun, wherewith shall I save Yashar'al? behold, my family is poor in Manashah, and I am the least in my father's house."
6:16
And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said unto him, "Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man."
6:17
The Verification of the Presence
And he said unto him, "If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me."
6:18
"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."
6:19
And Gid'un went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes (matzut) 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.
6:20
And the Malakh of Alahiym 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.
6:21
Then the Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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 Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 departed out of his sight.
6:22
And when Gid'un perceived that he was a Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, Gid'un said, "Alas, O Adunay 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄! for because I have seen a Malakh of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 face to face."
6:23
And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said unto him, "Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die."
6:24
The Altar of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄-Shalum
Then Gid'un built an altar there unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and called it 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄-Shalum: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
6:25
The Midnight Strike on Baal's Matrix
And it came to pass the same night, that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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 (Asharah) that is by it:"
6:26
"And build an altar unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 thy Alahiym 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."
6:27
Then Gid'un took ten men of his servants, and did as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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.
6:28
The Backlash of the City
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.
6:29
And they said one to another, "Who hath done this thing?" And when they inquired and asked, they said, "Gid'un the son of Yoash hath done this thing."
6:30
Then the men of the city said unto Yoash, "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."
6:31
The Defense of Yoash: Let Baal Plead
And Yoash 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 an alahiym, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar."
6:32
Therefore on that day he called him Yerubbaal, saying, "Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar."
6:33
The Assembly in Yezreel
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 Yezreel.
6:34
The Ruach Clothes Gid'un
But the Spirit (Ruach) of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came upon Gid'un, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
6:35
And he sent messengers throughout all Manashah; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Ashar, and unto Zabalun, and unto Naphtaliy; and they came up to meet them.
6:36
The Frequency-Test of the Fleece
And Gid'un said unto Alahiym, "If thou wilt save Yashar'al by mine hand, as thou hast said,"
6:37
"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 Yashar'al by mine hand, as thou hast said."
6:38
And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
6:39
And Gid'un said unto Alahiym, "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."
6:40
And Alahiym did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.