rd

Judges 6

1 Iſraél is oppreſſed of the Midianites for their wickednes. 14 Gideon is ſent to be their deliuerer. 37 He aſketh a ſigne.
1.AFterward the children of Iſraél committed wickednes in the ſight of the Lord, and the Lord gaue thẽ into the handes of Midián ſeuen yeres.
2.And the hand of Midián preuailed againſt Iſraél, a & becauſe of the Midianites the children of Iſraél made them dẽnes
3.When Iſraél had ſowen, then came vp the Midianites, the Amalekites, and they of the Eaſt, " and came vpon them,
4.And camped by them, and deſtroyed the frute of the earth, euen til thou come vnto b Azzáh, & left no foode for Iſraél, nether ſhepe, nor oxe, nor aſſe.
5.For they wēt vp, and their cattel, and came with their tentes as greſhoppers in multitude: ſo that they and their camels were without number: and they came in-to the land to deſtroye it.
6.So was Iſraél excedingly impoueriſhed by the Midianites: therefore the children of Iſraél c cryed vnto the Lord.
7.¶ And when the children of Iſraél cryed vnto the Lord becauſe of the Midianites,
8.The Lord ſent vnto the children of Iſraél a Prophet, who ſaid vnto them, Thus ſayeth the Lord God of Iſraél, I haue broght you vp frō Egypt & haue broght you out of the houſe of bondage,
9.And I haue deliuered you out of the hãd of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppreſſed you, and haue caſt them out before you, and giuen you their land.
10.And I ſaid vnto you, I am the Lord your God: * feare not the gods of the Amori-tes in whoſe land you dwel: but you haue not obeyed my voyce.
11.¶ And the Angel of the Lord came, and ſate vnder the oke which was in Ophráh, that perteined vnto Ioáſh the father of the Ezrites, and his ſonne Gideón threa-ſhed wheat by the winepreſſe, " to hide it from the Midianites.
12.Then the Angel of the Lord appeared vnto him, and ſaid vnto him, The Lord is with thee, thou valiant man.
13.To whome Gideón anſwered, d Ah my Lord, if the Lord be with vs, why then is all this come vpon vs? and where be all his miracles which our fathers tolde vs of, and ſaid, Did not the Lord bring vs out of Egypt? but now the Lord hathe forſaken vs, and deliuered vs in-to the hand of the Midianites.
14.And the e Lord loked vpon him, and ſaid, Go in this thy f might, & thou ſhalt ſaue Iſraél out of the hands of the Midia-nites: haue not I ſent thee?
15.And he anſwered him, Ah my Lord, whereby ſhal I ſaue Iſraél? beholde, my " father is poore in Manaſſéh, and I am the leaſt in my fathers houſe.
16.Then the Lord ſaid vnto him, I wil the-refore be with thee, and thou ſhalt ſmite the Midianites, as one man.
17.And he anſwered him, I pray thee, if I haue foūde fauour in thy ſight, then ſhewe me a g ſigne, that thou talkeſt with me.
18.Departe not hence, I pray thee, vntil I come vnto thee, and bring mine offring, & lay it before thee. And he ſaid, I wil tary vntil thou come againe.
19.¶ Then Gideón went in, & made ready a kid, & vnleauened bread of an h Epháh of floure, and put the fleſh in a baſket, and put the broth in a pot, and broght it out vnto him vnder the oke, and preſented it.
20.And the Angel of God ſaid vnto him, Take the fleſh and the vnleauened bread, and lay them vpon this ſtone, and powre out the broth: and he did ſo.
21.¶ Thé the Angel of the Lord put forthe the end of the ſtaffe that he held in his hand, and touched the fleſh & the vnlea-uened bread: and there aroſe vp fire i out of the ſtone, and conſumed the fleſh & the vnleauened bread: ſo the Angel of the Lord departed out of his ſight.
22.And when Gideón perceiued that it was an Angel of the Lord, Gideón then ſaid, Alas, my Lord God: * for becauſe I haue ſene an Angel of the Lord face to face.
23.And the Lord ſaid vnto him, Peace be vnto thee: feare not, thou ſhalt not dye.
24.Then Gideón made an altar there vnto the Lord, and called it, " Iehouáh ſhalóm: vnto this day it is in Ophráh, of the father of the Ezrites.
25.¶ And the ſame night the Lord ſaid vnto him, Take thy fathers yong bullocke, & another bullocke k of ſeuen yeres olde, and deſtroy the altar of Baal that thy father hathe, and cut downe the groue that is by it,
26.And buylde an altar vnto the Lord thy God vpō the top of this rocke, in a plaine place: and take the ſeconde bullocke, and offer a burnt offring with the wood of the l groue, which thou ſhalt cut downe.
27.Then Gideón toke ten men of his ſeruants, and did as the Lord bade him: but becauſe he feared to do it by day for his fathers houſholde and the men of the citie, he did it by night.
28.¶ And when the men of the citie aroſe early in the morning, beholde, the altar of Báal was broken, and the groue cut downe that was by it, and the m ſeconde bullocke offred vpon the altar that was made.
29.Therefore they ſaid one to another, Who hathe done this thing? & when they inquired and aſked, they ſaid, Gideón the ſonne of Ioáſh hathe done this thing.
30.Then the men of the citie ſaid vnto Ioáſh, Bring out thy ſonne, that he may dye: for he hathe deſtroyed the altar of Báal, & hathe alſo cut down the groue that was by it.
31.And Ioáſh ſaid vnto all that ſtode by him, Wil ye pleade Baals cauſe? or wil ye ſaue him? nhe that wil contend for hĩ, let him dye or the morning. If he be God, let him pleade for him ſelfe againſt him that hathe caſt downe his altar.
32.And in that day was Gideón called Ierubbaál, that is, Let Baal plead for him ſelfe becauſe he hathe broken downe his altar.
33.Then all the Midianites & the Amalekites and they of the Eaſt, were gathered together, and went & pitched in the valley of Izreél.
34.But the Spirit of the Lord " came vpon Gideón, * & he blewe a trumpet, & Abiézer was ioyned with him.
35.And he ſent meſſengers through out all o Manaſſéh, which alſo was ioyned with hĩ, and he ſent meſſengers vnto Aſhér, and to Zebulún and to Naphtali, and they came vp to mete them.
36.Then Gideón ſaid vnto God, p If thou wilt ſaue Iſraél by mine hád, as thou haſt ſaid,
37.Beholde, I wil put a fleece of wolle in ye threſhing place: if the dewe come on the fleece onely, and it be drye vpon all the earth, then ſhal I be ſure, that yu wilt ſaue Iſraél by mine hand, as thou haſt ſaid.
38.And ſo it was: for he roſe vp early on ye morowe, & thruſt the fleece together, and wringed the dewe out of the fleece, and filled a bowle of water.
39.Againe Gideón ſaid vnto God, Be not angry with me, that * I may ſpeake once more: let me proue once againe, I pray thee, with the fleece: let it now be drye onely vpon the fleece, and let dewe be vpó all the grounde.
40.And God did ſo that ſame night: for it was q drye vpon the fleece onely and there was dewe on all the grounde.

Notes

2:a.
For feare of yͤ Midianites th[ei] fled into yͤ dennes of the mountaines
3:".
Or, of kedẽm
4:b.
Euen almoſt ye whole coūtrey
6:c.
This is the end of Gods puniſhemēts, to call his to repentance yt they may ſeke for helpe of him.
10:*.
2 King.17,38 ier.10,2.
11:".
Or, to prepare his flight
13:d.
This came not of diſtruſt, but of weakenes of faith, wc is in ye moſte perfect: for no man in this life can haue a perfit faith, but the children of God haue a true faith, whereby they be iuſtified
14:e.
That is, Chriſt appearing in viſible forme
14:f.
Which I haue giuen thee.
15:".
Or, familie.
17:g.
So that we ſe how the fleſh is enemie vnto Gods vocatiō, which can not be perſuaded without ſignes
19:h.
Of Epháh read Exod. 16,36.
21:i.
By ye power of God onely, as in ye ſacrifice of Helias, 1 King 18,38.
22:*.
Exod 33.20. chap 13.22. face, I ſhal dye.
24:".
Or, the Lord of peace.
25:k.
That is, as the Chalde text writeth, fed ſeuen yeres.
26:l.
Which growed about Baals altar
28:m.
Meaning ye fat bul, which was kept to be offred vnto Baal.
31:n.
Thus we oght to iuſtifie tuth, that are zelous of Gods cauſe, thogh all the multitude be againſt vs
34:".
Ebr clothed Gideón
34:*.
Nom 10.3. chap 3.27.
35:o.
The familie of Abiezer, whereof he was.
36:p.
This requeſt proceded not of infidelitie, but yt he migt be confirmed in his vocatió
39:*.
Gen. 18.32.
40:q.
Whereby he was aſſured yt it was a miracle of God.