Judges 6-7
(Selected Verses)
The
people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave
them into the hand of Midian seven years. 6 And Israel was brought very low
because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said
to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And
Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has
all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers
recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the
Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And
the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel
from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”
2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are
too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over
me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore
proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling,
let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the
people returned, and 10,000 remained.
4 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are
still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you
there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go
with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’
shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And
the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a
dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to
drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands
to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to
drink water. 7 And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who
lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the
others go every man to his home.” 8 So the people took provisions
in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every
man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him
in the valley.
16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and
put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside
the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise.
When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I blow the
trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side
of all the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him
came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when
they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars
that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the
trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in
their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the
Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the
camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 When they
blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and
against all the army. And the army fled...
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers.
Illustration from a woodcut by Baron Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, Das Buch der Bücher in Bilden (The Book of Books in Pictures). © WELS used by permission for personal and congregational use.
No comments:
Post a Comment