Judges 6 – Studienbibel

1 And the children1121 of Israel3478 did6213 evil7451 in the sight5869 of the LORD3068: and the LORD3068 delivered5414 them into the hand3027 of Midian4080 seven7651 years8141. 2 And the hand3027 of Midian4080 prevailed5810 against Israel3478: and because6440 of the Midianites4080 the children1121 of Israel3478 made6213 them the dens4492 which are in the mountains2022, and caves4631, and strong holds4679.¹ 3 And so it was, when Israel3478 had sown2232, that the Midianites4080 came up5927, and the Amalekites6002, and the children1121 of the east6924, even they came up5927 against them; 4 And they encamped2583 against them, and destroyed7843 the increase2981 of the earth776, till thou come935 unto Gaza5804, and left7604 no sustenance4241 for Israel3478, neither sheep7716, nor ox7794, nor ass2543.² 5 For they came up5927 with their cattle4735 and their tents168, and they came935 935 as1767 grasshoppers697 for multitude7230; for both they and their camels1581 were without number4557: and they entered935 into the land776 to destroy7843 it. 6 And Israel3478 was greatly3966 impoverished1809 because6440 of the Midianites4080; and the children1121 of Israel3478 cried2199 unto the LORD3068.

7 And it came to pass, when the children1121 of Israel3478 cried2199 unto the LORD3068 because182 of the Midianites4080, 8 That the LORD3068 sent7971 a prophet376 5030 unto the children1121 of Israel3478, which said559 unto them, Thus saith559 the LORD3068 God430 of Israel3478, I brought you up5927 from Egypt4714, and brought you forth3318 out of the house1004 of bondage5650;³ 9 And I delivered5337 you out of the hand3027 of the Egyptians4714, and out of the hand3027 of all that oppressed3905 you, and drave them out1644 from before6440 you, and gave5414 you their land776; 10 And I said559 unto you, I am the LORD3068 your God430; fear3372 not the gods430 of the Amorites567, in whose land776 ye dwell3427: but ye have not obeyed8085 my voice6963.

11 And there came935 an angel4397 of the LORD3068, and sat3427 under an oak424 which was in Ophrah6084, that pertained unto Joash3101 the Abiezrite33: and his son1121 Gideon1439 threshed2251 wheat2406 by the winepress1660, to hide5127 it from6440 the Midianites4080.⁴⁵ 12 And the angel4397 of the LORD3068 appeared7200 unto him, and said559 unto him, The LORD3068 is with thee, thou mighty1368 man of valour2428. 13 And Gideon1439 said559 unto him, Oh994 my Lord113, if3426 the LORD3068 be with us, why then is all this befallen4672 us? and where be all his miracles6381 which our fathers1 told5608 us of, saying559, Did not the LORD3068 bring us up5927 from Egypt4714? but now the LORD3068 hath forsaken5203 us, and delivered5414 us into the hands3709 of the Midianites4080. 14 And the LORD3068 looked6437 upon him, and said559, Go3212 in this thy might3581, and thou shalt save3467 Israel3478 from the hand3709 of the Midianites4080: have not I sent7971 thee? 15 And he said559 unto him, Oh994 my Lord136, wherewith4100 shall I save3467 Israel3478? behold, my family504 505 is poor1800 in Manasseh4519, and I am the least6810 in my father's1 house1004.⁶ 16 And the LORD3068 said559 unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite5221 the Midianites4080 as one259 man376. 17 And he said559 unto him, If now I have found4672 grace2580 in thy sight5869, then shew6213 me a sign226 that thou talkest1696 with me. 18 Depart4185 not hence, I pray thee, until I come935 unto thee, and bring forth3318 my present4503, and set3240 it before6440 thee. And he said559, I will tarry3427 until thou come again7725.⁷ 19 And Gideon1439 went in935, and made ready6213 a kid5795 1423, and unleavened cakes4682 of an ephah374 of flour7058: the flesh1320 he put7760 in a basket5536, and he put7760 the broth4839 in a pot6517, and brought it out3318 unto him under the oak424, and presented5066 it.⁸ 20 And the angel4397 of God430 said559 unto him, Take3947 the flesh1320 and the unleavened cakes4682, and lay3240 them upon this1975 rock5553, and pour out8210 the broth4839. And he did6213 so. 21 Then the angel4397 of the LORD3068 put forth7971 the end7097 of the staff4938 that was in his hand3027, and touched5060 the flesh1320 and the unleavened cakes4682; and there rose up5927 fire784 out of the rock6697, and consumed398 the flesh1320 and the unleavened cakes4682. Then the angel4397 of the LORD3068 departed1980 out of his sight5869. 22 And when Gideon1439 perceived7200 that he was an angel4397 of the LORD3068, Gideon1439 said559, Alas162, O Lord136 GOD3069! for because3651 I have seen7200 an angel4397 of the LORD3068 face6440 to face6440. 23 And the LORD3068 said559 unto him, Peace7965 be unto thee; fear3372 not: thou shalt not die4191. 24 Then Gideon1439 built1129 an altar4196 there unto the LORD3068, and called7121 it Jehovahshalom3073: unto this day3117 it is yet in Ophrah6084 of the Abiezrites33.⁹

25 And it came to pass the same night3915, that the LORD3068 said559 unto him, Take3947 thy father's1 young6499 bullock7794, even the second8145 bullock6499 of seven7651 years old8141, and throw down2040 the altar4196 of Baal1168 that thy father1 hath, and cut down3772 the grove842 that is by it:¹⁰ 26 And build1129 an altar4196 unto the LORD3068 thy God430 upon the top7218 of this rock4581, in the ordered place4634, and take3947 the second8145 bullock6499, and offer5927 a burnt sacrifice5930 with the wood6086 of the grove842 which thou shalt cut down3772.¹¹¹² 27 Then Gideon1439 took3947 ten6235 men582 of his servants5650, and did6213 as the LORD3068 had said1696 unto him: and so it was, because he feared3372 his father's1 household1004, and the men582 of the city5892, that he could not do6213 it by day3119, that he did6213 it by night3915. 28 And when the men582 of the city5892 arose early7925 in the morning1242, behold, the altar4196 of Baal1168 was cast down5422, and the grove842 was cut down3772 that was by it, and the second8145 bullock6499 was offered5927 upon the altar4196 that was built1129. 29 And they said559 one376 to another7453, Who hath done6213 this thing1697? And when they enquired1875 and asked1245, they said559, Gideon1439 the son1121 of Joash3101 hath done6213 this thing1697. 30 Then the men582 of the city5892 said559 unto Joash3101, Bring out3318 thy son1121, that he may die4191: because he hath cast down5422 the altar4196 of Baal1168, and because he hath cut down3772 the grove842 that was by it. 31 And Joash3101 said559 unto all that stood5975 against him, Will ye plead7378 for Baal1168? will ye save3467 him? he that will plead7378 for him, let him be put to death4191 whilst it is yet morning1242: if he be a god430, let him plead7378 for himself, because one hath cast down5422 his altar4196. 32 Therefore on that day3117 he called7121 him Jerubbaal3378, saying559, Let Baal1168 plead7378 against him, because he hath thrown down5422 his altar4196.¹³¹⁴

33 Then all the Midianites4080 and the Amalekites6002 and the children1121 of the east6924 were gathered622 together3162, and went over5674, and pitched2583 in the valley6010 of Jezreel3157. 34 But the Spirit7307 of the LORD3068 came3847 upon Gideon1439, and he blew8628 a trumpet7782; and Abiezer44 was gathered2199 after310 him.¹⁵¹⁶ 35 And he sent7971 messengers4397 throughout all Manasseh4519; who also was gathered2199 after310 him: and he sent7971 messengers4397 unto Asher836, and unto Zebulun2074, and unto Naphtali5321; and they came up5927 to meet7125 them.¹⁷ 36 And Gideon1439 said559 unto God430, If thou wilt3426 save3467 Israel3478 by mine hand3027, as thou hast said1696, 37 Behold, I will put3322 a fleece1492 of wool6785 in the floor1637; and if the dew2919 be on the fleece1492 only, and it be dry2721 upon all the earth776 beside, then shall I know3045 that thou wilt save3467 Israel3478 by mine hand3027, as thou hast said1696. 38 And it was so: for he rose up early7925 on the morrow4283, and thrust2115 the fleece1492 together2115, and wringed4680 the dew2919 out of the fleece1492, a bowl5602 full4393 of water4325. 39 And Gideon1439 said559 unto God430, Let not thine anger639 be hot2734 against me, and I will speak1696 but this once6471: let me prove5254, I pray thee, but this once6471 with the fleece1492; let it now be dry2721 only upon the fleece1492, and upon all the ground776 let there be dew2919. 40 And God430 did6213 so that night3915: for it was dry2721 upon the fleece1492 only, and there was dew2919 on all the ground776.