39 Bible Verses about gideon

Build a well-constructed altar to Jehovah your God on top of this mound. Take the second bull and burn it as a whole offering. Cut down the symbol of Asherah and use it for firewood. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night.

His friend responded: This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash. For God delivered Midian and its army to this man of Israel.

The angel of Jehovah came to the village of Ophrah. He sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him. Jehovah's angel appeared to him there and said: Jehovah is with you, mighty man of valor! Gideon said to him: May I ask, sir, why has all this happened to us if Jehovah is with us? What happened to all the wonderful things that our fathers told us Jehovah used to do, how he brought them out of Egypt? Jehovah has abandoned us. He left us to the mercy of the Midianites. read more.
Jehovah answered him: Go in the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you. Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family. Jehovah answered: You can do it. I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man.

The angel of Jehovah came to the village of Ophrah. He sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him. Jehovah's angel appeared to him there and said: Jehovah is with you, mighty man of valor! Gideon said to him: May I ask, sir, why has all this happened to us if Jehovah is with us? What happened to all the wonderful things that our fathers told us Jehovah used to do, how he brought them out of Egypt? Jehovah has abandoned us. He left us to the mercy of the Midianites. read more.
Jehovah answered him: Go in the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you. Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family. Jehovah answered: You can do it. I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man. Gideon replied: If you are pleased with me, give me proof that you are really Jehovah. Please do not leave until I return and bring you an offering. Jehovah said: I will stay until you come back. So Gideon went into his house and cooked a young goat and used a bushel of flour to make bread without any yeast. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, brought them to Jehovah's angel under the oak tree, and gave them to him. The angel told him: Put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them. Gideon did so. Jehovah's angel reached out and touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick he was holding. Fire came out of the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel disappeared. With that Gideon realized that it was Jehovah's angel he saw. He said in terror: Sovereign Lord Jehovah! I have seen your angel face-to-face! Jehovah told him: Peace. Do not be afraid. You will not die. Gideon built an altar to Jehovah there and named it: Jehovah is Peace. (Jehovah-shalom) It is still standing at Ophrah and belongs to the clan of Abiezer.

He also kept a concubine in Shechem. She bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

That night Jehovah told Gideon: Take your father's bull and another seven year old bull, tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, that is beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to Jehovah your God on top of this mound. Take the second bull and burn it as a whole offering. Cut down the symbol of Asherah and use it for firewood. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night. read more.
The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there. They asked each other: Who did this? They investigated and found out that Gideon, son of Joash, did it. They said to Joash: Bring your son here. We will kill him! He tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the symbol of Asherah! Joash replied: Are you arguing for Baal? Are you defending him? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If Baal really is a god he can defend himself. It is his altar that was torn down. From then on Gideon was known as Jerubbaal, because Joash said: Let Baal defend himself for his altar was torn down. The Midianites, Amalekites, and the desert tribes assembled, crossed the Jordan River, and camped in Jezreel Valley. The Spirit of Jehovah took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him. He sent messengers throughout the territory of both parts of Manasseh to call them to follow him. He sent messengers to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they also came to join him. Gideon said to God: You have said you will rescue Israel using me. Look I will place wool on the threshing floor where we thresh the wheat. If in the morning there is dew only on the wool but not on the ground, I will know that you are going to use me to rescue Israel. That is what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the wool and wrung enough dew out of it to fill a bowl with water. Then Gideon said to God: Do not be angry with me. Allow me to speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground wet. That night God did it. The next morning the wool was dry, but the ground was wet with dew.

That is what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the wool and wrung enough dew out of it to fill a bowl with water.

He said to them: Look at me, and do as I do. When I come to the outside of the camp do the same as I do.

The angel of Jehovah came to the village of Ophrah. He sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him.

They captured the two Midianite chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb; they killed Oreb at Oreb Rock, and Zeeb at the Winepress of Zeeb. They continued to pursue the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was now east of the Jordan.

Gideon took the men to the water. Jehovah told him: Separate everyone who laps up the water with his tongue like a dog, from everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night.

Gideon said to God: You have said you will rescue Israel using me.

Jehovah said: I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Use the three hundred men who lapped the water. Tell everyone else to go home.

Gideon said to God: You have said you will rescue Israel using me.

Jehovah said to Gideon: You still have too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will separate them for you. If I tell you a man should go with you, he will go. If I tell you a man should not go with you, he will not go.

That night Jehovah commanded Gideon: Get up and attack the camp. I give you victory over it!

The Midianites, Amalekites, and the desert tribes assembled, crossed the Jordan River, and camped in Jezreel Valley. The Spirit of Jehovah took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him. He sent messengers throughout the territory of both parts of Manasseh to call them to follow him. He sent messengers to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they also came to join him.

Gideon and his three hundred men passed over the Jordan. Their pursuit continued. He said to the men of Succoth: Give my troops some bread. They are tired. I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. The princes of Succoth said: Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army? read more.
Gideon said: When Jehovah delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. He went up to Penuel and made the same request of them. The men of Penuel gave the same answer as the men of Succoth. He spoke to the men of Penuel: When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor. Their armies were with them, about fifteen thousand men all that were left of all the armies of the children of the east. They had already lost a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen. Gideon went up by the way of the nomads who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah. They attacked the army while the camp felt secure. When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured them and routed the entire army.

He also said: Let me ask one thing of you. Every one of you must give me the earrings you took. (The Midianites wore gold earrings.) They answered: We will gladly give them to you. They spread out a cloth, and everyone put the earrings that he had taken on it. The gold earrings that Gideon got weighed over forty pounds. This did not include the ornaments, necklaces, and purple clothes that the kings of Midian wore. It also did not include the collars that were around the necks of their camels. read more.
Gideon made an idol from the gold and placed it in his hometown, Ophrah. The Israelites abandoned God and went there to worship the idol. It was a trap for Gideon and his family. Midian was defeated by the Israelites and was no longer a threat. The land was at peace for forty years, until Gideon died. Gideon went back to his home and lived there. He had many wives and seventy sons. He also kept a concubine in Shechem. She bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

The Israelites said to Gideon: Be our ruler, you and your descendants after you. You saved us from the Midianites. Gideon answered: I will not be your ruler, nor will my son. Jehovah will be your ruler!

He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty jars, and lamps within the jars. He said to them: Look at me, and do as I do. When I come to the outside of the camp do the same as I do. When I blow the trumpet, all who are with me should blow the trumpets. Blow the trumpets on every side of the camp and say: 'The sword of Jehovah, and of Gideon!'

Then the people of Ephraim said to Gideon: Why did you not call us when you went to fight the Midianites? Why did you treat us like this? They complained bitterly about it. He said: What have I accomplished compared to you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, to you. What was I able to do in comparison to you? Then their anger toward him subsided at what he said.

The Spirit of Jehovah took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him.

Gideon built an altar to Jehovah there and named it: Jehovah is Peace. (Jehovah-shalom) It is still standing at Ophrah and belongs to the clan of Abiezer.

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night.

Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family.

Gideon replied: If you are pleased with me, give me proof that you are really Jehovah.

That night Jehovah told Gideon: Take your father's bull and another seven year old bull, tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, that is beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to Jehovah your God on top of this mound. Take the second bull and burn it as a whole offering. Cut down the symbol of Asherah and use it for firewood. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night.

He also said: Let me ask one thing of you. Every one of you must give me the earrings you took. (The Midianites wore gold earrings.) They answered: We will gladly give them to you. They spread out a cloth, and everyone put the earrings that he had taken on it. The gold earrings that Gideon got weighed over forty pounds. This did not include the ornaments, necklaces, and purple clothes that the kings of Midian wore. It also did not include the collars that were around the necks of their camels. read more.
Gideon made an idol from the gold and placed it in his hometown, Ophrah. The Israelites abandoned God and went there to worship the idol. It was a trap for Gideon and his family.

The Israelites said to Gideon: Be our ruler, you and your descendants after you. You saved us from the Midianites. Gideon answered: I will not be your ruler, nor will my son. Jehovah will be your ruler!

He captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him. He described the princes of Succoth, and the elders and even seventy-seven men. Then Gideon went to the men of Sukkoth and said: Remember when you refused to help me? You said that you could not give any food to my exhausted army because I had not captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet. Well, here they are! Then he took the elders of the town and had them crushed on a bed of thorns and sharp stems. read more.
He tore down the tower at Penuel. He also killed the men of that city.

Jehovah's angel reached out and touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick he was holding. Fire came out of the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel disappeared. With that Gideon realized that it was Jehovah's angel he saw. He said in terror: Sovereign Lord Jehovah! I have seen your angel face-to-face! Jehovah told him: Peace. Do not be afraid. You will not die. read more.
Gideon built an altar to Jehovah there and named it: Jehovah is Peace. (Jehovah-shalom) It is still standing at Ophrah and belongs to the clan of Abiezer.

The angel of Jehovah came to the village of Ophrah. He sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him.

Jehovah answered him: Go in the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you.

Gideon said to God: You have said you will rescue Israel using me. Look I will place wool on the threshing floor where we thresh the wheat. If in the morning there is dew only on the wool but not on the ground, I will know that you are going to use me to rescue Israel. That is what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the wool and wrung enough dew out of it to fill a bowl with water. read more.
Then Gideon said to God: Do not be angry with me. Allow me to speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground wet. That night God did it. The next morning the wool was dry, but the ground was wet with dew.

What more shall I say? For the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

Then the people of Ephraim said to Gideon: Why did you not call us when you went to fight the Midianites? Why did you treat us like this? They complained bitterly about it. He said: What have I accomplished compared to you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, to you. What was I able to do in comparison to you? Then their anger toward him subsided at what he said.

Jehovah answered: You can do it. I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man.

He had many wives and seventy sons.

Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family.

Gideon son of Joash died at an old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, at Ophrah. Ophrah was the town of the clan of Abiezer.

Jehovah answered him: Go in the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you.

That night Jehovah told Gideon: Take your father's bull and another seven year old bull, tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, that is beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to Jehovah your God on top of this mound. Take the second bull and burn it as a whole offering. Cut down the symbol of Asherah and use it for firewood. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night. read more.
The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there.

The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there.

The Spirit of Jehovah took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him.

The Spirit of Jehovah took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him.

The Spirit of Jehovah took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him.

Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family.

Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family.

The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there. They asked each other: Who did this? They investigated and found out that Gideon, son of Joash, did it. They said to Joash: Bring your son here. We will kill him! He tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the symbol of Asherah! read more.
Joash replied: Are you arguing for Baal? Are you defending him? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If Baal really is a god he can defend himself. It is his altar that was torn down. From then on Gideon was known as Jerubbaal, because Joash said: Let Baal defend himself for his altar was torn down.

He said to them: Look at me, and do as I do. When I come to the outside of the camp do the same as I do.

Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor. Their armies were with them, about fifteen thousand men all that were left of all the armies of the children of the east. They had already lost a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen. Gideon went up by the way of the nomads who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah. They attacked the army while the camp felt secure. When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured them and routed the entire army. read more.
Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun came up (at Heres Pass). He captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him. He described the princes of Succoth, and the elders and even seventy-seven men. Then Gideon went to the men of Sukkoth and said: Remember when you refused to help me? You said that you could not give any food to my exhausted army because I had not captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet. Well, here they are! Then he took the elders of the town and had them crushed on a bed of thorns and sharp stems. He tore down the tower at Penuel. He also killed the men of that city. Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna: What kind of men were the men you killed at Tabor? They answered: They looked like you, every one of them like the son of a king. He said: They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Jehovah lives, if you had saved them alive, I will not kill you. He said to Jether his firstborn: Rise up and kill them. But the youth would not draw his sword. He was afraid because he was still a youth. Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon: Kill us yourself. It takes a man to do this job. Gideon killed them and took the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. The Israelites said to Gideon: Be our ruler, you and your descendants after you. You saved us from the Midianites. Gideon answered: I will not be your ruler, nor will my son. Jehovah will be your ruler! He also said: Let me ask one thing of you. Every one of you must give me the earrings you took. (The Midianites wore gold earrings.)

Then the people of Ephraim said to Gideon: Why did you not call us when you went to fight the Midianites? Why did you treat us like this? They complained bitterly about it. He said: What have I accomplished compared to you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, to you. What was I able to do in comparison to you? Then their anger toward him subsided at what he said. read more.
Gideon and his three hundred men passed over the Jordan. Their pursuit continued. He said to the men of Succoth: Give my troops some bread. They are tired. I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. The princes of Succoth said: Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army? Gideon said: When Jehovah delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. He went up to Penuel and made the same request of them. The men of Penuel gave the same answer as the men of Succoth. He spoke to the men of Penuel: When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor. Their armies were with them, about fifteen thousand men all that were left of all the armies of the children of the east. They had already lost a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen. Gideon went up by the way of the nomads who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah. They attacked the army while the camp felt secure. When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured them and routed the entire army. Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun came up (at Heres Pass). He captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him. He described the princes of Succoth, and the elders and even seventy-seven men. Then Gideon went to the men of Sukkoth and said: Remember when you refused to help me? You said that you could not give any food to my exhausted army because I had not captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet. Well, here they are! Then he took the elders of the town and had them crushed on a bed of thorns and sharp stems. He tore down the tower at Penuel. He also killed the men of that city. Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna: What kind of men were the men you killed at Tabor? They answered: They looked like you, every one of them like the son of a king. He said: They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Jehovah lives, if you had saved them alive, I will not kill you. He said to Jether his firstborn: Rise up and kill them. But the youth would not draw his sword. He was afraid because he was still a youth. Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon: Kill us yourself. It takes a man to do this job. Gideon killed them and took the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. The Israelites said to Gideon: Be our ruler, you and your descendants after you. You saved us from the Midianites. Gideon answered: I will not be your ruler, nor will my son. Jehovah will be your ruler! He also said: Let me ask one thing of you. Every one of you must give me the earrings you took. (The Midianites wore gold earrings.) They answered: We will gladly give them to you. They spread out a cloth, and everyone put the earrings that he had taken on it. The gold earrings that Gideon got weighed over forty pounds. This did not include the ornaments, necklaces, and purple clothes that the kings of Midian wore. It also did not include the collars that were around the necks of their camels. Gideon made an idol from the gold and placed it in his hometown, Ophrah. The Israelites abandoned God and went there to worship the idol. It was a trap for Gideon and his family. Midian was defeated by the Israelites and was no longer a threat. The land was at peace for forty years, until Gideon died.

The angel of Jehovah came to the village of Ophrah. He sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him. Jehovah's angel appeared to him there and said: Jehovah is with you, mighty man of valor! Gideon said to him: May I ask, sir, why has all this happened to us if Jehovah is with us? What happened to all the wonderful things that our fathers told us Jehovah used to do, how he brought them out of Egypt? Jehovah has abandoned us. He left us to the mercy of the Midianites. read more.
Jehovah answered him: Go in the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you. Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family. Jehovah answered: You can do it. I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man. Gideon replied: If you are pleased with me, give me proof that you are really Jehovah. Please do not leave until I return and bring you an offering. Jehovah said: I will stay until you come back. So Gideon went into his house and cooked a young goat and used a bushel of flour to make bread without any yeast. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, brought them to Jehovah's angel under the oak tree, and gave them to him. The angel told him: Put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them. Gideon did so. Jehovah's angel reached out and touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick he was holding. Fire came out of the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel disappeared. With that Gideon realized that it was Jehovah's angel he saw. He said in terror: Sovereign Lord Jehovah! I have seen your angel face-to-face! Jehovah told him: Peace. Do not be afraid. You will not die. Gideon built an altar to Jehovah there and named it: Jehovah is Peace. (Jehovah-shalom) It is still standing at Ophrah and belongs to the clan of Abiezer. That night Jehovah told Gideon: Take your father's bull and another seven year old bull, tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, that is beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to Jehovah your God on top of this mound. Take the second bull and burn it as a whole offering. Cut down the symbol of Asherah and use it for firewood. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night. The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there. They asked each other: Who did this? They investigated and found out that Gideon, son of Joash, did it. They said to Joash: Bring your son here. We will kill him! He tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the symbol of Asherah! Joash replied: Are you arguing for Baal? Are you defending him? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If Baal really is a god he can defend himself. It is his altar that was torn down. From then on Gideon was known as Jerubbaal, because Joash said: Let Baal defend himself for his altar was torn down. The Midianites, Amalekites, and the desert tribes assembled, crossed the Jordan River, and camped in Jezreel Valley. The Spirit of Jehovah took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him. He sent messengers throughout the territory of both parts of Manasseh to call them to follow him. He sent messengers to the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they also came to join him. Gideon said to God: You have said you will rescue Israel using me. Look I will place wool on the threshing floor where we thresh the wheat. If in the morning there is dew only on the wool but not on the ground, I will know that you are going to use me to rescue Israel. That is what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the wool and wrung enough dew out of it to fill a bowl with water. Then Gideon said to God: Do not be angry with me. Allow me to speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground wet. That night God did it. The next morning the wool was dry, but the ground was wet with dew.

The angel of Jehovah came to the village of Ophrah. He sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him.

Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family.

They did not show kindness to the family of Gideon for all the good that he had done for Israel.

Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family.

He said: What have I accomplished compared to you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, to you. What was I able to do in comparison to you? Then their anger toward him subsided at what he said.

He divided the three hundred men into three companies. He put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty jars, and lamps within the jars. He said to them: Look at me, and do as I do. When I come to the outside of the camp do the same as I do. When I blow the trumpet, all who are with me should blow the trumpets. Blow the trumpets on every side of the camp and say: 'The sword of Jehovah, and of Gideon!' read more.
Gideon and the hundred men, who were with him, came to the outside of the camp. It was the beginning of the middle watch and they had just posted the new watch. They blew the trumpets, and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the jars, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands. Then they cried: The sword of Jehovah, and of Gideon! Every man stood in his place around the camp. The army ran, and cried, and fled. The three hundred blew the trumpets. Jehovah set every man's sword against his companions. They turned on each other throughout all the army. The army fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, to Tabbath.

That night Jehovah told Gideon: Take your father's bull and another seven year old bull, tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, that is beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to Jehovah your God on top of this mound. Take the second bull and burn it as a whole offering. Cut down the symbol of Asherah and use it for firewood. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night. read more.
The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there.

Gideon made an idol from the gold and placed it in his hometown, Ophrah. The Israelites abandoned God and went there to worship the idol. It was a trap for Gideon and his family.

Gideon made an idol from the gold and placed it in his hometown, Ophrah. The Israelites abandoned God and went there to worship the idol. It was a trap for Gideon and his family.

The angel of Jehovah came to the village of Ophrah. He sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him.

He went to his father's house at Ophrah. There on top of a single stone he killed his seventy brothers, Gideon's sons. Gideon's youngest son Jotham hid and therefore was not killed.

Gideon son of Joash died at an old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, at Ophrah. Ophrah was the town of the clan of Abiezer.

Gideon built an altar to Jehovah there and named it: Jehovah is Peace. (Jehovah-shalom) It is still standing at Ophrah and belongs to the clan of Abiezer.

He had many wives and seventy sons.

Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family.

Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family.

The Spirit of Jehovah took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him.

Then Gideon said to God: Do not be angry with me. Allow me to speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground wet. That night God did it. The next morning the wool was dry, but the ground was wet with dew.

God did what Manoah asked. His angel came back to the woman while she was in the field. Her husband Manoah was not with her,

Gideon said to God: You have said you will rescue Israel using me.

With that Gideon realized that it was Jehovah's angel he saw. He said in terror: Sovereign Lord Jehovah! I have seen your angel face-to-face!

Then Gideon said to God: Do not be angry with me. Allow me to speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground wet.

Gideon said to God: You have said you will rescue Israel using me.

With that Gideon realized that it was Jehovah's angel he saw. He said in terror: Sovereign Lord Jehovah! I have seen your angel face-to-face!

Then Gideon said to God: Do not be angry with me. Allow me to speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground wet.

Then the people of Ephraim said to Gideon: Why did you not call us when you went to fight the Midianites? Why did you treat us like this? They complained bitterly about it. He said: What have I accomplished compared to you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? God delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, to you. What was I able to do in comparison to you? Then their anger toward him subsided at what he said.

The angel of Jehovah came to the village of Ophrah. He sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him. Jehovah's angel appeared to him there and said: Jehovah is with you, mighty man of valor! Gideon said to him: May I ask, sir, why has all this happened to us if Jehovah is with us? What happened to all the wonderful things that our fathers told us Jehovah used to do, how he brought them out of Egypt? Jehovah has abandoned us. He left us to the mercy of the Midianites. read more.
Jehovah answered him: Go in the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you. Gideon replied: But Jehovah, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. I am the least important member of my family. Jehovah answered: You can do it. I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man. Gideon replied: If you are pleased with me, give me proof that you are really Jehovah. Please do not leave until I return and bring you an offering. Jehovah said: I will stay until you come back. So Gideon went into his house and cooked a young goat and used a bushel of flour to make bread without any yeast. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, brought them to Jehovah's angel under the oak tree, and gave them to him. The angel told him: Put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them. Gideon did so. Jehovah's angel reached out and touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick he was holding. Fire came out of the rock and burned up the meat and the bread. Then the angel disappeared. With that Gideon realized that it was Jehovah's angel he saw. He said in terror: Sovereign Lord Jehovah! I have seen your angel face-to-face! Jehovah told him: Peace. Do not be afraid. You will not die. Gideon built an altar to Jehovah there and named it: Jehovah is Peace. (Jehovah-shalom) It is still standing at Ophrah and belongs to the clan of Abiezer. That night Jehovah told Gideon: Take your father's bull and another seven year old bull, tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, that is beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to Jehovah your God on top of this mound. Take the second bull and burn it as a whole offering. Cut down the symbol of Asherah and use it for firewood. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night. The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there. They asked each other: Who did this? They investigated and found out that Gideon, son of Joash, did it. They said to Joash: Bring your son here. We will kill him! He tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the symbol of Asherah! Joash replied: Are you arguing for Baal? Are you defending him? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If Baal really is a god he can defend himself. It is his altar that was torn down. From then on Gideon was known as Jerubbaal, because Joash said: Let Baal defend himself for his altar was torn down.

That is what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the wool and wrung enough dew out of it to fill a bowl with water.

Gideon said to God: You have said you will rescue Israel using me. Look I will place wool on the threshing floor where we thresh the wheat. If in the morning there is dew only on the wool but not on the ground, I will know that you are going to use me to rescue Israel. That is what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the wool and wrung enough dew out of it to fill a bowl with water. read more.
Then Gideon said to God: Do not be angry with me. Allow me to speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground wet. That night God did it. The next morning the wool was dry, but the ground was wet with dew.

Gideon replied: If you are pleased with me, give me proof that you are really Jehovah.

The Spirit of Jehovah took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him.

The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the jars, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands. Then they cried: The sword of Jehovah, and of Gideon!

The Israelites said to Gideon: Be our ruler, you and your descendants after you. You saved us from the Midianites. Gideon answered: I will not be your ruler, nor will my son. Jehovah will be your ruler!