Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to settle in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion. And they came to Moab and remained there.

Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband died, and she was left, with her two sons. They took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they lived there about ten years. Then Mahlon and Chilion died also…and Naomi was bereaved of her two sons and her husband. Therefore she went…out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each to your mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me." And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clung unto her.

And Naomi said, "look, your sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return…after your sister-in-law."

And Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you: for wherever you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge: your people shall be my people, and your God my God: Where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death part you and me." So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her…out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

And Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. And Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. And they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

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. And the Midianites prevailed against Israel: and because of them the children of Israel made them the dens that are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, that the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, "This says the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 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; And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live: but you have not obeyed my voice."

And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak that was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto Gideon, and said unto him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor."

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 has forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."

And the LORD looked upon him, and said, "Go in this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent you?"

And Gideon said unto the LORD, "Oh my Lord, how shall I save Israel? Look, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."

And the LORD said unto him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man."

And Gideon said unto him, "If now I have found grace in your sight, then show me a sign that you are talking with me. Depart not now, I pray you, until I come unto you, and bring out my present, and set it before you."

And the Angel said, "I will stay until you come again."

And Gideon went in, and made ready a young goat, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour...and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

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 Gideon did so. Then the angel of the LORD put out 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 Gideon’s sight.
And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! …I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face…."

And the LORD said unto him, "Peace be unto you; fear not: you shall not die. Take your father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the grove that is by it: And build an altar unto the LORD your 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 you shall cut down." Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him….
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. But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. 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.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, "The people that are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel flaunt themselves against me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead.’ And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, "The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will test them for you there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto you, ‘This shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you.

So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, "Everyone that laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shall you set by himself." And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, "By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place."

And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto Gideon, "Arise, get…down unto the army; for I have delivered it into your hand." And Gideon divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand.

And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the army of Midian: and the army fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

And Israel took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they killed Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan. Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was at peace forty years in the days of Gideon.

And Gideon…died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baal, and made Baal their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: Neither showed they kindness to the house of…Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.

Abimelech the son of Gideon went to Shechem unto his mother's relatives, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, "Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, whether it is better for you, either that all the sons of Gideon…reign over you, or that one reign over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Gideon…. However, …Jotham the youngest son of Gideon was left, for he hid himself.

REFERENCES

Ruth 1:1-5,7-8,14-17,22; Ruth2:1; Ruth 4:13,17b; Judges 6:1-2, 6-19a, 20-23,25-31, 33-35; Judges 7:2-4a, 5a, 6a, 7, 9, 16, 22, 25; Judges 8:28, 32-35; Judges 9:1-2, 4-5.

CHAPTER 19