« | Judges 6 | » |
1 And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.
3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the sons of the east, they came up against them.
4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come to Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number, and they came into the land to destroy it.
6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to LORD.
7 And it came to pass, when the sons of Israel cried to LORD because of Midian,
8 that LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel. And he said to them, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage.
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.
10 And I said to you, I am LORD your God. Ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell, but ye have not hearkened to my voice.
11 And the agent of LORD came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah that pertained to Joash the Abiezrite. And his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the agent of LORD appeared to him, and said to him, LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
13 And Gideon said to him, Oh, my lord, if LORD is with us, then why has all this befallen us? And where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not LORD bring us up from Egypt? But now LORD has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.
14 And LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent thee?
15 And he said to him, Oh, LORD, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 And LORD said to him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shall smite the Midianites as one man.
17 And he said to him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou who talk with me.
18 Depart not from here, I pray thee, until I come to thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the flesh in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.
20 And the agent of God said to him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
21 Then the agent of LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the agent of LORD departed out of his sight.
22 And Gideon saw that he was the agent of LORD. And Gideon said, Alas, O lord LORD! Inasmuch as I have seen the agent of LORD face to face.
23 And LORD said to him, Peace be to thee. Fear not; thou shall not die.
24 Then Gideon built an altar there to LORD, and called it LORD-shalom. To this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 And it came to pass the same night, that LORD said to him, Take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.
26 And build an altar to LORD thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shall cut down.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as LORD had spoken to him. And it came to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29 And they said one to another, Who has done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.
30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.
31 And Joash said to all who stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or will ye save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death while it is morning. If he be a god, let him contend for himself because he has broken down his altar.
32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him because he has broken down his altar.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves together. And they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
34 But the Spirit of LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered together after him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together after him. And he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.
36 And Gideon said to God, If thou will save Israel by my hand, as thou have spoken,
37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor. If there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then I shall know that thou will save Israel by my hand as thou have spoken.
38 And it was so, for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.
39 And Gideon said to God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me make trial, 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 And God did so that night, for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
A Conservative Version (ACV)
A Conservative Version (ACV) of the Bible is a translation that aims to provide a conservative and literal interpretation of the biblical texts. Developed with a focus on maintaining fidelity to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts, the ACV emphasizes a word-for-word translation methodology. The goal is to preserve the subtleties and nuances of the original languages as accurately as possible. This approach results in a version of the Bible that seeks to remain true to the text's original meaning and context, appealing to readers who prioritize precision and doctrinal integrity.
The text of the Old Testament for A Conservative Version (ACV) came from the American Standard Version published in 1901. The main changes done for the ACV were the replacement of archaic words with more modern ones, except for the old English pronouns, which were kept because they are more communicative. The New Testament was translated from, The New Testament in the Original Greek According to the Byzantine-Majority Text form. That edition was compiled by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, and is of the Textus Receptus tradition from which came the King James Version.
The ACV was created in response to what its translators saw as a trend toward more liberal or dynamic-equivalence translations that prioritize readability over literal accuracy. The translators aimed to produce a text that adheres closely to the original languages, even if this makes the translation more challenging for contemporary readers. This reflects their belief in the importance of preserving the exact words and phrases used in the original scriptures. The ACV also employs traditional theological terminology and phrasing, avoiding modern slang and colloquial expressions in favor of language that conveys the gravity and solemnity of the biblical message.
While the ACV has found appreciation among conservative circles, it has faced criticism for its perceived rigidity and difficulty. Critics argue that its strict adherence to a word-for-word translation can make the text less readable and accessible, potentially alienating readers unfamiliar with the original languages or who prefer a more fluid translation. Despite these criticisms, the ACV remains a valued translation for those who prioritize a conservative and literal approach to Bible interpretation, supporting their doctrinal views with a text they believe closely reflects the original scriptures.