Study Desk

Kings came and fought.Then the kings of Canaan foughtat Taanach by the Waters of Megiddo,but they did not plunder the silver.

I said to you: I am the Lord your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites whose land you live in. But you did not obey me.’”

Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? And where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about? They said, ‘Hasn’t the Lord brought us out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.”

“But I will be with you,” the Lord said to him. “You will strike Midian down as if it were one man.”

But the Lord said to him, “Peace to you. Don’t be afraid, for you will not die.”

So Gideon took ten of his male servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s family and the men of the city to do it in the daytime, he did it at night.

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead Baal’s case for him? Would you save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead his own case because someone tore down his altar.”

Now announce to the troops: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of the troops turned back, but ten thousand remained.

Then the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many troops. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one can go with you,’ he can go. But if I say about anyone, ‘This one cannot go with you,’ he cannot go.”

The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the three hundred men who lapped and hand the Midianites over to you. But everyone else is to go home.”

So Gideon sent all the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred troops, who took the provisions and their trumpets. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

But if you are afraid to attack the camp, go down with Purah your servant.

Gideon and the three hundred men came to the Jordan and crossed it. They were exhausted but still in pursuit.

But the princes of Succoth asked, “Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hands that we should give bread to your army?”

But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.”

He went to his father’s house in Ophrah and killed his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on top of a large stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid.

But the olive tree said to them,“Should I stop giving my oilthat people use to honor both God and men,and rule over the trees?”

But the fig tree said to them,“Should I stop givingmy sweetness and my good fruit,and rule over trees?”

But the grapevine said to them,“Should I stop giving my winethat cheers both God and man,and rule over trees?”

But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.”