The sign of the fleece JUDGES, VII. 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 this thing. Gideon's army reduced. 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. 40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. CHAPTER VII. 30 Then 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 Gideon's army of two and thirty thousand is reduced to three hunwas by it. 31 And 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. 32 Therefore on that day he called him 12k Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. 33 Then 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. m dred. 9 He is encouraged by the dream and interpretation of the barley cake. 16 His stratagem of trumpets and lamps in pitchers. 24 The Ephraimites take Oreb and Zeeb. [B. C. 1249.] THEN *Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. c 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 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 thee, the same shall not go. 5 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 upon his knees to drink. 6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the p See Ex. 4. 3, 4, 6, 7. q Gen. 18. 32. CHAP. VII.a ch. 6, 32. 2 Cor. 4. 7. e Deut. 20. 8. b Deut. 8. 17. Is. 10. 13. 1 Cor. 1. 29 He is encouraged by a dream. JUDGES, VII. The Midianites d people bowed down upon their knees to pretation thereof, that he worshipped drink water. d 7 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 other people go every man unto his place. 8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. 9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 11 And thou shalt 'hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. g 1 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. 13 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 host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else, save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. 15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the inter d 1 Sam. 14. 6. 1 Sam. 14. 9, 10. 2 e Gen. 46, 2, 3. f ver. 13, 14, 15. See Gen. 24. 14. Or, ranks by five. Ex. 13. 18. g ch. 6. 5. 33. & S. 10. Heb. the breaking thereof. Heb. trumpets in the hand of all of them. Or, firebrands, or, torches. h Ex. 14. 13, 14. 2 Chr. 20. 17. i2 Kings returned into the host of Israel, and Arise; for the LORD hath delivered your hand the host of Midian. 16 And he divided the three hu men into three companies, and he p trumpet in every man's hand, with pitchers, and lamps within the pitch 17 And he said unto them, Look and do likewise: and, behold, when I to the outside of the camp, it shall b as I do, so shall ye do. 18 When I blow with a trumpet, all that are with me, then blow ye the pets also on every side of all the cam say, The sword of the LORD and of Gi 19 So Gideon, and the hundre that were with him, came unto the of the camp in the beginning of the watch; and they had but newly s watch: and they blew the trumpet brake the pitchers that were in their 20 And the three companies ble trumpets, and brake the pitchers, an the lamps in their left hands, and the pets in their right hands to blow witha they cried, The sword of the LORD, Gideon. 21 And they stood every man place round about the camp: 'and host ran, and cried, and fled. k : 22 And the three hundred ble trumpets, and 'the LORD set "every sword against his fellow, even thro all the host: and the host fled to shittah 'in Zererath, and to the bor Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel gathered selves together out of Naphtali, andl Asher, and out of all Manasseh, an sued after the Midianites. །། 24 ¶ And Gideon sent messengers th out all "mount Ephraim, saying, Con against the Midianites, and take befor the waters unto Beth-barah and Then all the men of Ephraim ga Gideon pacifieth the Ephraimites. 4 Succoth and Penuel refuse to relire Gideon's army. 10 Zebah and Zalmunna are taken. 13 Succoth and Penuel are destroyed. 18 Gideon revengeth his brother's death on Zebah and Zalmunna. 22 He refuseth the office of ruler. 24 He maketh an ephod which becometh the cause of idolatry. 29 Gideon's children, and death. 33 The Israelites idolatry and ingratitude. [B. c. 1249.] 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 the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. 2 Succoth and Penuel destroyed. 4 into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. i 9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. k 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 5 11 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 "secure. m 12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host. 6 13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, 14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he 'described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men. 15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did Pupbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? 16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness, and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 8 17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city. 18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they 20. 11. f See 1 Sam. 25. 11. g ver. 16. 1 Kings 12. 25. i1 Kings 22. 27. twenty thousand, every one drawing a sword, ch. 20. 2, 15, 17, 25. 2 Kings 3. 26. 1.ch. 7. 12. n ch. 18. 27. 1 Thess. 5. 3. • Heb. terrified. o Ps. 83. 11. Heb. writ. p ver. 6. q ver. 7. Heb. made to know. 81 Kings 12. 25. m Num. 32. 35, 42. r ver. 9. Gideon refuseth to be ruler. t whom ye slew at Tabor? And they an- | the children of Israel, so that they swered, As thou art, so were they; each one up their heads no more. And the c resembled the children of a king. was in quietness forty years in the d Gideon. 19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 21 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 away the 10 ornaments 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 sons' son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. 24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites. 25 And they answered, We will willingly 29 And Jerubbaal the son of went and dwelt in his own house. e 30 And Gideon had threescore a sons 12 of his body begotten: for 1 many wives. 31 And his concubine that was chem, she also bare him a son, whose he 13 called Abimelech. g 32 And Gideon the son of Joa in a good old age, and was buried sepulchre of Joash his father, in of the Abi-ezrites. h 33 And it came to pass, as s Gideon was dead, that the children o turned again, and went a whorin Baalim, 'and made Baal-berith their 34 And the children of Israel m bered not the LORD their God, w delivered them out of the hands of a enemies on every side: give them. And they spread a garment, and Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and m did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; besides orna brethren, is made king. 7 Jotham by a parable rel and foretelleth their ruin. 22 Gaal conspireth with t ites against Abimelech. 30 Zebul revealeth it. 3overcometh them, and soweth the city with salt. 46 the hold of the god Berith. 50 At Thebez he is slai of a millstone. 56 Jotham's curse is fulfilled. [. ments, and "collars, and purple raiment AND Abimelech the son of J that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks. went to Shechem unto his brethren, and communed with the with all the family of the house mother's father, saying, 2 Speak, I pray you, in the ear the men of Shechem, 'Whether for you, either that all the sons baal, which are threescore and ten reign over you, or that one reign o going out of his thigh. b f ch. 9. 1. i ch. 2. 19. h ver. 27. ch. 6. 24. 13 Heb. set. n ch. 9. 16, 17, 18. Eec. 9. 14, 15, remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 3 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 Abinielech; for they said, He is our brother. 4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. 5 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: notwithstanding, yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the plain 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, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 8 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 go to be promoted over the trees? 10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?? " The parable of Jotham. 14 Then said all the trees unto the 'bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my "shadow; and if not, Plet fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. 16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands: r 17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian : 18 And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother :) 19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20 But if not, "let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech, X 21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. 22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem 'dealt treacherously with Abimelech : |