31

61

A damsel, two damsels to every

man;

To Sisera a spoil' of 'divers colours,

A 'spoil' of divers colours of 'embroidery',

Of divers colours of lembroidery!
on both sides, on the necks of
the spoil?

So let all thine enemies perish, O
LORD:

But let them that love him be as

the sun when he goeth forth in his might.

And the land had rest forty years.

And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 °And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of 'Midian' the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strong (3 holds. And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up 4 against them; and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. (5 °For they came up with their cattle and their tents, they came in as 'locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number: and they came into the land to de6 stroy it. "And Israel was brought very low because of Midian'; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

dren of Israel cried unto the LORD 8 because of Midian, that the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel: and he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of 9 bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, 10) and gave you their land; and I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not 'hearkened unto my voice.

(11) And 'the angel of the LORD came, and sat under the 50ak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon Iwas beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man 13 of valour. And Gideon said unto

him, Oh my lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath Icast us off, and delivered us into (14 the hand of Midian'. And the

LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian': have not (15 I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least 16 in my father's house. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midi17 anites as one man. And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me. 18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou 19 come again. And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal': the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the

broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the 1oak, and pre20 sented it. And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. 21 And he did so. Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. 22 And Gideon saw that he was 'the angel of the LORD; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of the LORD 23 face to face. And the LORD said

unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear 24 not: thou shalt not die. "Then

(25

Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it 'Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the Asherah 26 that is by it: and build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this 'strong hold', in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou 27) shalt cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had spoken unto him: and it came to pass', because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. 28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was "by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. 29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done 30 this thing. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he

1 Or, Iterebinth

2 That is, The LORD is peace. & Or, and

4 See Ex. xxxiv. 13. Or, luponi

hath 'broken' down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the * 31 Asherah that was "by it. °And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? or will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one 32 hath broken down his altar. "Therefore on that day he called him 'Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath 'broken' down his altar.

33

And

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east 'assembled themselves together; and they passed' over, and pitched in 34 the valley of Jezreel. But the spirit of the LORD 10came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was 35 gathered together after him. he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they 36 came up to meet them. "And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast 'spo(37) ken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing -floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the groundi, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast 'spo38 ken. And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and 'pressed! the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of 39 water. °And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be kindled" 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 40 all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

10 Heb. clothed itself with.

11 That is, Trembling. See ver. 3. 12 Or, from the hill of Moreh Nonwards in the valley

4

And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with 5 thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down 6 upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to (7 drink water. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand : and let all the people go every man 8 unto his place. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets and he sent all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the 'camp' of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

O

9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down into the camp!; for I have delivered it into thine hand. 10 °But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah' thy servant down to the 11 camp and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down into the Icamp. Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the loutermost part of the armed men that were 12 in the camp. And the Midianites

1 Or, go round about

* According to some ancient versions,

and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts! for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea shorel 13 for multitude. And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the 'camp' of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it that it fell, and Iturned it upside down', that the tent (14) lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all the host.

15

And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped; and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host 16 of Midian. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. 17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall 18 ye do. "When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.

19

So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the loutermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, 'when' they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake 'in pieces the pitchers that were in their 20 hands. And the three companies blew. the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, 4The sword of the LORD and of Gid21 eon. "And they stood every man in

his place round about the camp: and all the host ran; and they shouted', 22) and put them to flight!. And they! blew the three hundred trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the

host and the host fled 'as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the 'border of Abel-meholah, 'by! 23 Tabbath. And the men of Israel Iwere gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after 'Midian'. 24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against 'Midian', and take before them the waters, 'as far as Beth-barah, leven! Jordan. 'So all the men of Ephraim 'werel gathered together, and took the waters las far as Beth-barah, even' Jordan. 25) And they took the two princes of

81

Midian', Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and 'they' brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond' Jordan.

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with 'Midian'? And they did chide with him sharply. 2) And he said unto them, What have I now done in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of 3 Abiezer? "God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, (4 when he had said that. And Gideon

came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were 5 with him, faint, yet pursuing. And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, 'the' kings of Midian. 6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give 7 bread unto thine army? And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and (8 with briers. And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them lin like manner; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth

9 had answered. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying. When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

10

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the 'host' of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that 11 drew sword. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was 12 secure. And Zebah and Zalmunna fled; and he pursued after them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discom13 fited all the host. And Gideon the son of Joash returned from 'the' battle 14 from the lascent of Heres'. And The caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described for him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, 15 seventy and seven' men. And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, Iconcerning whom ye did 'taunt' me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that 16 are weary? And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he 17 taught the men of Succoth. And

he brake down the tower of Penuel, 18 and slew the men of the city. Then said he unto Zebah and Žalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a (19 king. And he said, They were my

brethren, the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them 20 alive, I would not slay you. And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because (21 he was yet a youth. °Then Zebah

and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescents' that were on their camels' necks.

22

Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast saved us out of the 23 hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: 24 the LORD shall rule over you. And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that 'ye' would give me every man the earrings of his Ispoil. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man 26 the earrings of his 'spoil. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside the crescents', and 'the pendants', and the purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' 27 necks. And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah and all Israel went a whoring after it 'there and it became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. 28) Sol Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, 'and' they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of

Gideon.

::

91

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house (2 of his mother's father, saying, Speak,

I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one 'rule over you? remember also that I am your 3 bone and your flesh. And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He 4 is our brother. And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fel5 lows, which followed him. And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but' Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

6

And all the men of Shechem lassembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak! of the pillar that was in Shechem. 7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, yel men of Shechem, that 8 God may hearken unto you. °The

trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. 9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, "wherewith by me they honour God and man, and to wave to and frol over the trees? go 10 And the trees said to the fig tree, 11 Come thou, and reign over us. But

the fig tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and frol over 12) the trees? And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over 13 us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to 14 and frol over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the "bramble, Come *15 thou, and reign over us. And the 6 Or, which God and man honour lin me

1 Or, ithornl