基甸
以色列人又行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，耶和华就把他们交在米甸手里七年。
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2米甸的手战胜以色列；以色列人躲避米甸人，就在山中挖洞穴，挖洞建营寨。And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3每当以色列人撒种之后，米甸、亚玛力和东边的人都上来攻打他们，And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4对着他们安营，毁坏那地的农作物，直到迦萨，没有给以色列留下食物，牛、羊、驴也没有留下。And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
5因为那些人带着他们的牲畜和帐棚上来，像蝗虫那样多；人和骆驼无数，都进入境内，毁坏全地。For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6以色列因米甸的缘故极其穷乏，以色列人就呼求耶和华。And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
7以色列人因米甸的缘故呼求耶和华的时候，And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
8耶和华就差遣先知到以色列人那里，对他们说：“耶和华－以色列的神如此说：‘我曾领你们从埃及上来，从为奴之家出来，That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
9救你们脱离埃及人的手，脱离一切欺压你们之人的手。我从你们面前赶出他们，把他们的地赐给你们。And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
10我对你们说，我是耶和华－你们的神。你们住在亚摩利人的地，不可敬畏他们的神明，但你们却不听从我的话。’”基甸蒙选召
And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
11耶和华的使者到了俄弗拉，坐在亚比以谢族约阿施的橡树下。约阿施的儿子基甸正在榨酒池那里打麦子，为了躲避米甸人。And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12耶和华的使者向基甸显现，对他说：“大能的勇士啊，耶和华与你同在！”And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13基甸对他说：“主啊，请容许我说，耶和华若与我们同在，我们怎么会遭遇这一切事呢？我们的列祖告诉我们：‘耶和华领我们从埃及上来’，他那奇妙的作为在哪里呢？现在耶和华却丢弃了我们，把我们交在米甸人的手掌中。”And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14耶和华转向基甸，说：“去，靠着你这能力拯救以色列脱离米甸人的手掌。我岂不是已经差遣了你吗？”And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15基甸对他说：“主啊，请容许我说，我怎能拯救以色列呢？看哪，我这一支在玛拿西支派中是最贫寒的，我在我父家又是最微小的。”And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16耶和华对他说：“我与你同在，你就必击败米甸，如击打一个人。”And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
17基甸对他说：“我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你给我一个证据，证明是你在跟我说话。And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
18求你不要离开这里，等我回来，将供物带来，供在你面前。”他说：“我必等你回来。”Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
19基甸去预备一只小山羊，用一伊法细面做了无酵饼，将肉放在篮子里，将汤盛在壶中，带到他那里，在橡树下献上。And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
20神的使者对基甸说：“将肉和无酵饼放在这磐石上，把汤倒出来。”他就照样做了。And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
21耶和华的使者伸出手里的杖，杖头一碰到肉和无酵饼，就有火从磐石中出来，吞灭了肉和无酵饼。耶和华的使者就从他眼前消失了。Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
22基甸见他是耶和华的使者，就说：“哎呀！主耶和华啊！因为我真的面对面看见了耶和华的使者。”And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
23耶和华对他说：“安心吧，不要怕，你不会死。”And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
24于是基甸在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛，起名叫“耶和华沙龙”☛“耶和华沙龙”意思是“耶和华赐平安”。。这坛至今还在亚比以谢族的俄弗拉。Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25那夜，耶和华对基甸说：“你要把你父亲的公牛，就是☛“就是”或译“和”。那七岁的第二头公牛取来，并拆毁你父亲为巴力筑的坛，砍下坛旁的亚舍拉，And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:
26在这堡垒顶上整整齐齐地为耶和华－你的神筑一座坛，将第二头公牛献为燔祭，用你所砍下的亚舍拉当柴。”And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
27基甸就从他仆人中选了十个人，照耶和华吩咐他的做了。他因怕父家和本城的人，不敢在白天做这事，就在夜间做。基甸拆毁巴力的坛
Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
28城里的人清早起来，看哪，巴力的坛被拆毁，坛旁的亚舍拉被砍下，第二头公牛献在筑好的坛上，And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29就彼此问：“这是谁做的事呢？”他们寻找查访之后，就说：“这是约阿施的儿子基甸做的事。”And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.
30城里的人对约阿施说：“把你的儿子交出来，我们要处死他，因为他拆毁了巴力的坛，砍下了坛旁的亚舍拉。”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 was by it.
31约阿施对站着敌对他的众人说：“你们是为巴力辩护吗？你们要救它吗？谁为它辩护，就在早晨把谁处死吧！巴力如果是神，有人拆毁了它的坛，就让它为自己辩护吧！”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所以那日人称基甸为耶路巴力，意思是：“他拆毁了巴力的坛，让巴力与他争辩吧。”Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
33那时，所有的米甸人、亚玛力人和东边的人都聚集在一起，过了河，在耶斯列平原安营。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.
34耶和华的灵降在基甸身上；他吹角，亚比以谢族都聚集跟随他。But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
35他派使者走遍玛拿西，玛拿西人也聚集跟随他。他又派使者到亚设、西布伦、拿弗他利，他们也都上来会合。羊毛的神迹
And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
36基甸对神说：“你如果真的照你所说的，藉我的手拯救以色列，And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
37看哪，我把一团羊毛放在禾场上，若单是羊毛上有露水，遍地都是干的，我就知道你必照你所说的，藉我的手拯救以色列。”Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
38一切果然发生了。次日早晨基甸起来，把羊毛拧一拧，从羊毛中挤出露水来，装满一碗的水。And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39基甸又对神说：“求你不要向我发怒，我再说一次，让我用羊毛再试一次，但愿羊毛是干的，遍地都有露水。”And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray 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这夜，神也照样做，遍地都有露水，只有羊毛是干的。And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.