1The kids of Israel were acting sus in the Lord's eyes, so He let them get wrecked by Midian for seven years.

2Midian was straight-up dominating Israel, and the Israelites had to hide out in caves and mountains like it was a whole survival game.

3Whenever Israel tried to plant crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and some peeps from the east rolled up on them.

4They set up camp and wrecked everything, leaving Israel with zero food, no sheep, no ox, no nada.

5They came through with their herds and tents, like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were too many to count; they just wanted to destroy the land.

6Israel was seriously struggling 'cause of the Midianites, and the kids of Israel were like, "Lord, help us!"

7So, when the kids of Israel called out to the Lord because of Midian,

8The Lord sent a prophet to them, saying, "Yo, this is what the Lord God of Israel says: I brought you up from Egypt and freed you from slavery."

9I rescued you from the Egyptians and everyone who was oppressing you, kicked them out, and gave you their land, no cap.

10I told you, "I’m the Lord your God; don’t trip over the gods of the Amorites in your hood," but you didn’t listen to me, periodt.

11An angel from the Lord pulled up and chilled under an oak in Ophrah, which was Joash's spot. Gideon was grinding wheat by the winepress, low-key hiding it from the Midianites.

12The angel of the Lord showed up and said, "Yo, the Lord’s got your back, you total rizz king."

13Gideon was like, "Bruh, if the Lord's with us, why are we dealing with all this mess? Where are the epic miracles our fam talked about, like when He brought us outta Egypt? Now it feels like He ghosted us and let the Midianites flex on us."

14The Lord looked at him and said, "Vibe with this strength, and you’ll save Israel from the Midianites. Didn’t I send you?"

15Gideon replied, "Ayo, how am I gonna save Israel? My fam’s broke in Manasseh, and I’m the least in my dad's squad."

16The Lord said, "No cap, I’ll be with you, and you’ll take down the Midianites like it’s nothing."

17Gideon was like, "If I’ve got your grace, show me a sign that you’re really talking to me."

18"Don’t bounce yet, let me grab a gift and bring it to you." The angel said, "I’ll chill until you come back."

19Gideon went in and whipped up a young goat and some unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, then brought it out to the angel under the oak.

20The angel of God said, "Take the meat and bread, put them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did just that.

21The angel of the Lord pulled out his staff, touched the meat and the bread, and then fire popped off from the rock, burning it all up. Then the angel just dipped.

22When Gideon realized he was talking to an angel, he was like, “OMG, Lord! I just saw an angel face to face, no cap!”

23The Lord was like, “Chill out, fam; you’re good. You won’t die.”

24So Gideon built an altar for the Lord and named it Jehovah–shalom. It’s still a vibe in Ophrah with the Abi–ezrites.

25That same night, the Lord told him, “Grab your dad’s young bull, the second one, and smash that altar of Baal your dad has, plus chop down the grove next to it.”

26“Build an altar to the Lord on top of this rock, in the right spot, and take the second bull to offer as a burnt sacrifice using the wood from the grove you just cut down.”

27Gideon grabbed ten of his boys and did what the Lord said, but he was lowkey scared of his dad and the city peeps, so he pulled it off at night.

28When the city woke up in the morning, they saw that Baal's altar was wrecked, the grove was gone, and the second bull was sacrificed on the new altar.

29They were like, “Who did this?” When they asked around, they found out it was Gideon, Joash's son.

30The city guys told Joash, “Bring out your son; he’s gotta go! He smashed Baal’s altar and chopped down the grove!”

31Joash was like, "Y'all really gonna stand up for Baal? If you got his back, you might as well catch these hands at dawn. If he's a god, let him handle his own drama, 'cause someone just wrecked his altar."

32So, that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, "Let Baal throw down if he wants, since he got his altar smashed."

33Then all the Midianites, Amalekites, and peeps from the east rolled up, and they set up camp in the valley of Jezreel.

34But then the Spirit of the Lord vibed with Gideon, and he blew the trumpet; Abi-ezer was like, "I'm in!"

35He sent messengers all over Manasseh; they pulled up too. He hit up Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they all came through.

36Gideon was like, "God, if you’re gonna save Israel through me, just like you said,"

37"Check it, I’m putting a fleece on the ground; if the dew’s only on the fleece and everything else is dry, then I’ll know you’re for real about saving Israel through me."

38And it went down like that: he woke up the next day, squeezed the fleece, and got a whole bowl of water from it.

39Gideon said to God, "Yo, don’t get mad at me, I just wanna test this one last time: let the fleece be dry and the ground be all dewy."

40And God came through that night: the fleece was dry, and the ground was dripping with dew.

1And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

3And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

4And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

5For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

6And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.

7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites,

8That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

9And 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, and gave you their land;

10And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

11And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi–ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

12And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13And 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 miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

14And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

15And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

16And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

17And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

18Depart 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.

19And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes 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.

20And 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. And he did so.

21Then 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 rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.

22And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

23And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

24Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah–shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi–ezrites.

25And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord 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 that is by it:

26And build an altar unto the Lord thy God 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.

27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord 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.

28And 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.

29And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

30Then the men of the city said unto Joash, 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.

31And Joash 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 a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

32Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

34But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi–ezer was gathered after him.

35And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

36And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,

37Behold, 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 Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

38And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

39And Gideon said unto God, 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.

40And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.