Gideon
1 Once again the people of Israel sinned against the Lord, so he let the people of Midian rule them for seven years. 2 The Midianites were stronger than Israel, and the people of Israel hid from them in caves and other safe places in the hills. 3 Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites would come with the Amalekites and the desert tribes and attack them. 4 They would camp on the land and destroy the crops as far south as the area around Gaza. They would take all the sheep, cattle, and donkeys, and leave nothing for the Israelites to live on. 5 They would come with their livestock and tents, as thick as locusts. They and their camels were too many to count. They came and devastated the land, 6 and Israel was helpless against them.
7 Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help against the Midianites, 8 and he sent them a prophet who brought them this message from the Lord, the God of Israel: “I brought you out of slavery in Egypt. 9 I rescued you from the Egyptians and from the people who fought you here in this land. I drove them out as you advanced, and I gave you their land. 10 I told you that I am the Lord your God and that you should not worship the gods of the Amorites, whose land you are now living in. But you have not listened to me.”
11 Then the Lord's angel came to the village of Ophrah and sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was threshing some wheat secretly in a wine press, so that the Midianites would not see him. 12 The Lord's angel appeared to him there and said, “The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man!”
13 Gideon said to him, “If I may ask, sir, why has all this happened to us if the Lord is with us? What happened to all the wonderful things that our fathers told us the Lord used to do—how he brought them out of Egypt? The Lord has abandoned us and left us to the mercy of the Midianites.”
14 Then the Lord ordered him, “Go with all your great strength and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I myself am sending you.”
15 Gideon replied, “But Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family.”
16 The Lord answered, “You can do it because I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man.”
17 Gideon replied, “If you are pleased with me, give me some proof that you are really the Lord. 18 Please do not leave until I bring you an offering of food.”
He said, “I will stay until you come back.”
19 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 the Lord's angel under the oak tree, and gave them to him. 20 The angel told him, “Put the meat and the bread on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” Gideon did so. 21 Then the Lord'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.
22 Gideon then realized that it was the Lord's angel he had seen, and he said in terror, “Sovereign Lord! I have seen your angel face-to-face!”
23 But the Lord told him, “Peace. Don't be afraid. You will not die.” 24 Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it “The Lord is Peace.” (It is still standing at Ophrah, which belongs to the clan of Abiezer.)
25 That night the Lord told Gideon, “Take your father's bull and another bull seven years old, tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, which is beside it. 26 Build a well-constructed altar to the Lord your God on top of this mound. Then take the second bull and burn it whole as an offering, using for firewood the symbol of Asherah you have cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his family and the people in town to do it by day, so he did it at night.
28 When 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, and that the second bull had been burned on the altar that had been built there. 29 They asked each other, “Who did this?” They investigated and found out that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 30 Then they said to Joash, “Bring your son out here, so that we can kill him! He tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the symbol of Asherah beside it.”
31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him, “Are you arguing for Baal? Are you defending him? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If Baal is a god, let him defend himself. It is his altar that was torn down.” 32 From then on Gideon was known as Jerubbaal, because Joash said, “Let Baal defend himself; it is his altar that was torn down.”
33 Then all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the desert tribes assembled, crossed the Jordan River, and camped in Jezreel Valley. 34 The spirit of the Lord took control of Gideon, and he blew a trumpet to call the men of the clan of Abiezer to follow him. 35 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.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “You say that you have decided to use me to rescue Israel. 37 Well, I am putting some wool on the ground where we thresh the wheat. If in the morning there is dew only on the wool but not on the ground, then I will know that you are going to use me to rescue Israel.” 38 That is exactly 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. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Don't be angry with me; let me speak just once more. Please let me make one more test with the wool. This time let the wool be dry, and the ground be wet.” 40 That night God did that very thing. The next morning the wool was dry, but the ground was wet with dew.
Midjāniešu jūgā
1 Tad Israēla dēli darīja to, kas ļauns Kunga acīs, un Kungs tos uz septiņiem gadiem atdeva Midjānam. 2 Midjāns valdīja pār Israēlu. Midjāniešu dēļ Israēla dēli veidoja sev nocietinājumus kalnos, alas un cietokšņus. 3 Un, kā vien Israēls sēja, tā midjānieši, amālēkieši un austrumnieku dēli nāca augšup un tiem uzbruka. 4 Viņi apsēda tos un izpostīja zemes ražu līdz pat Gazai. Viņi neatstāja Israēlā nekā ēdama – ne avi, ne vērsi, ne ēzeli! 5 Jo viņi kopā ar saviem lopiem un teltīm nāca augšup. Tie nāca kā milzīgi siseņu bari – ne skaita viņiem, ne viņu kamieļiem. Viņi nāca šajā zemē, lai to izpostītu! 6 Israēls bija ļoti pazemots Midjāna priekšā, un Israēla dēli brēca uz Kungu.
7 Kad nu Israēla dēli brēca uz Kungu midjāniešu dēļ, 8 Kungs sūtīja kādu pravieti pie Israēla dēliem, un viņš tiem sacīja: “Tā saka Kungs, Israēla Dievs: es esmu jūs atvedis no Ēģiptes un esmu jūs izvedis no verdzības nama. 9 Es jūs atbrīvoju no ēģiptiešiem un visiem jūsu apspiedējiem. Es tos izdzinu jūsu priekšā un devu jums viņu zemi, 10 un es jums teicu: es esmu Kungs, jūsu Dievs! Jums nav jābīstas no amoriešu dieviem, kuru zemē jūs esat apmetušies. Bet jūs mani neklausījāt!”
Gideona aicināšana
11 Kunga eņģelis nāca un apmetās zem abīezerieša Joāša ozola Ofrā. Viņa dēls Gideons tobrīd vīnspaidā kūla kviešus, tos slēpdams no midjāniešiem. 12 Kunga eņģelis viņu uzlūkoja un sacīja: “Kungs ar tevi, varenais spēkavīrs!” 13 Bet Gideons tam atbildēja: “Piedod, kungs, bet, ja Kungs ir ar mums, kāpēc tad mūs visas šīs nelaimes ir piemeklējušas, un kur gan ir viņa brīnumi, par kuriem mums stāstījuši mūsu tēvi, sacīdami: vai tad Kungs mūs neizveda no Ēģiptes?! – Bet nu Kungs mūs ir pametis un nodevis Midjāna nagos!” 14 Kungs pievērsās viņam un teica: “Ej tad savā spēkā, un tu izglābsi Israēlu no Midjāna nagiem! Vai tad ne es tevi sūtu?!” 15 Bet viņš tam atbildēja: “Piedod, mans kungs, kā gan lai es izglābju Israēlu? Redzi, mana dzimta ir vistrūcīgākā Manasē, un es pats esmu visjaunākais sava tēva namā.” 16 Un Kungs viņam teica: “Es esmu ar tevi, tāpēc tu sakausi Midjānu kā vienu vīru!” 17 Bet viņš tam sacīja: “Ja jau esmu guvis tavu vēlību, rādi man zīmi, ka tu esi tas, kas ar mani runā. 18 Jel neatstāj šo vietu, kamēr es atnākšu pie tevis, atnesīšu savu dāvanu un nolikšu tavā priekšā.” Un viņš atbildēja: “Es palikšu, līdz tu atgriezīsies.”
19 Gideons atnāca un sagatavoja kazlēnu un neraudzētas maizes no ēfas miltu. Gaļu viņš ielika grozā un virumu ielēja podā, atnesa viņam zem ozola un pasniedza. 20 Dieva eņģelis viņam teica: “Ņem gaļu un neraudzētās maizes, noliec uz šī akmens un izlej virumu.” Viņš tā arī izdarīja. 21 Tad Kunga eņģelis izstiepa spieķi, kas viņam bija rokā, un ar tā galu pieskārās gaļai un neraudzētajām maizēm. Uguns izšāvās no klints un aprija gaļu un neraudzētās maizes, un Kunga eņģelis nozuda viņa skatienam. 22 Nu Gideons saprata, ka tas bijis Kunga eņģelis, un iesaucās: “Ak vai, Kungs Dievs! Es taču skatīju Kunga eņģeli vaigu vaigā!” 23 Bet Kungs viņam atbildēja: “Miers ar tevi! Nebīsties, tu nemirsi!” 24 Tad Gideons tur uzcēla Kungam altāri un nosauca to “Kungs ir miers”. Vēl līdz šai dienai tas aizvien stāv abīezerieša Ofrā.
25 Tajā pašā naktī Kungs viņam sacīja: “Ņem vērsi, sava tēva ganāmpulka vedēju, un otru septiņus gadus vecu vērsi, un tev jānojauc sava tēva altāris Baalam un jānocērt ašēra, kas uz tā. 26 Tev noteiktajā kārtībā jāuzceļ altāris Kungam, savam Dievam, šī nocietinātā paugura galā. Tad tev jāņem otrs vērsis un jāupurē kā sadedzināmais upuris ar malku no ašēras, ko tu nocirtīsi.”
Gideons nojauc Baala altāri
27 Gideons ņēma līdzi desmit vīrus no saviem kalpiem un darīja, kā Kungs viņam bija sacījis. Taču viņš to darīja naktī, jo baidījās darīt dienā sava tēva nama un pilsētas vīru dēļ. 28 Kad pilsētas vīri rīta agrumā cēlās, redzi, Baala altāris bija sagrauts un ašēra, kas uz tā, bija nocirsta, un vērsis bija upurēts uzceltajā altārī. 29 Tad vīri runāja savā starpā: “Kurš gan to ir izdarījis?” Viņi meklēja, noskaidroja un uzzināja: “To ir izdarījis Gideons, Joāša dēls.” 30 Tad pilsētas vīri sacīja Joāšam: “Izdod savu dēlu! Viņam jāmirst, jo viņš ir sagrāvis Baala altāri un nocirtis ašēru, kas bija uz tā!” 31 Bet Joāšs visiem, kas viņam uzstāja, atbildēja: “Vai tad jūs cīnīsieties par Baalu? Vai jūs viņu glābsiet? Kurš par viņu cīnīsies, lai tiek nonāvēts, iekams pienāk rīts. Ja viņš ir Dievs, viņš pats cīnīsies par sevi, jo kāds ir sagrāvis viņa altāri!” 32 Tā Gideons todien tika nosaukts par Jerubaalu , sakot: “Baals pret viņu cīnīsies, jo viņš sagrāvis tā altāri.”
33 Visi midjānieši, amālēkieši un austrumnieku dēli sapulcējās, nāca pāri un apmetās nometnē Jizreēlas ielejā. 34 Bet Kunga Gars pārņēma Gideonu – viņš pūta ragu un sasauca abīezeriešus, lai tie viņam seko. 35 Viņš izsūtīja ziņnešus pa visu Manasi un sasauca arī tos, lai viņam seko; tāpat sūtīja ziņnešus pie Ašēra, Zebulūna un Naftālī, un tie devās augšup, lai viņiem pievienotos.
Pārbaude ar aitas vilnu
36 Tad Gideons sacīja Dievam: “Ja tu glābsi Israēlu ar manu roku, kā tu esi sacījis, 37 redzi, te uz klona es nolieku aitas vilnas cirpumu. Ja rasa būs tikai uz cirpuma, bet visa zeme sausa, es zināšu, ka tu ar manu roku glābsi Israēlu, kā tu esi sacījis!” 38 Un tā arī bija, kad viņš nākamajā rītā agri piecēlās un izgrieza cirpumu. Viņš izspieda rasu no cirpuma – pilnu bļodu ar ūdeni. 39 Un Gideons sacīja Dievam: “Neiekaisti pret mani dusmās, ka runāšu vēlreiz. Ļauj man mēģināt vēl tikai reizi ar šo cirpumu. Lai tad tikai cirpums ir sauss, bet uz visas zemes ir rasa.” 40 Un Dievs tonakt tā darīja. Vienīgi cirpums bija sauss, bet uz visas zemes bija rasa.
