ing, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his Altar.

33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites, and the Children of the Eaft were gathered together, and went over and pitched in the Valley of Jezreel.

34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a Trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered after him.

35 And he fent Meflengers throughout all Manaffch, who alfo was gathered after him, and he fent Meflengers unto Afher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

36 And Gideon faid unto GoD, If thou wilt fave Ifrael by mine Hand, as thou haft faid,

37 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 befide, then fhall I know that thou wilt fave Ifrael by mine Hand, as thou haft faid.

38 And it was fo: for he rofe up early on the Morrow, and thruft the Fleece together, and wringed the Dew out of the Fleece, a bowl-full of Water.

39 And Gideon faid unto GoD, Let not thine Anger be hot against me, and I will fpeak 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 And GoD did fo that Night: for it was dry upon the Flecce only, and there was Dew on all the Ground.

1 Gideon's Army of thirty-two thoufand is reduced to three hundred: 9 He is encouraged by the Dream, and the Interpretation of the Barly-cake. 24 Oreb and Zeeb taken.

Ver. 1 TH
ΤΗ

HEN Jerubbaal (who is Gideon) and all the People that were with him, rofe up early, and pitched befide the Well of Harod: fo that the Hoft of the Midianites were on the North-fide of them by the Hill of Moreh, in the Valley.

2 And the LORD faid unto Gideon, The People that are with thee, are too many for me to give the Midianites into their Hands, left Ifrael VAUNT themfelves against me, faying, Mine owN HAND hath SAVED me.

3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the Ears of the People, faying, Whofoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead and there returned of the People twenty and two thoufand, and there remained ten thousand.

4 And the LORD faid unto Gideon, The People are yet too many bring them down unto the Water, and I will try them for thee there and it fhall be, that of whom I fay unto thee, This fhall go with thee, the fame fhall go with thee; and of whomfoever I fay unto thee, This fhall not go with thee, the fame fhall not go.

5 So he brought down the People unto the Water and the LORD faid unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the Water with his Tongue as a Dog lappeth, him fhalt thou fet by himfelf; likewife every one that boweth down upon his Knees to drink.

6 And the Number of them that lapped, putting their Hand to their Mouth, were three hundred Men: but all the rest of the People bowed down upon their Knees to drink Water,

7 And the LORD faid unto Gideon, By the three hundred Men that lapped, will I fave you, and deliver the Midianites into thine Hand: and let all the other People go every Man unto his Place.

8 So the People took Victuals in their Hand, and their Trumpets and he fent all the reft of Ifrael, every Man unto his Tent, and retained thofe three hundred Men: and the Hoft of Midian was beneath him in the Valley.

9 And it came to pafs the fame Night, that the LORD faid unto him, Arife, get thee down unto the Hoft, for I have delivered it into thine Hand.

10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy Servant down to the Hoft.

And thou fhalt hear what they fay, and afterward fhall thine Hands be strengthned to go down unto the Hoft. Then went he down with Phurah his Servant, unto the out-fide of the armed Men that were in the Hoft.

12 And the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and all the Children of the Eaft, lay along in the Valley like Grafhoppers for multitude; and their Camels were without number, as the Sand by the Sea-fide for multitude,

13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a Man that told a Dream unto his Fellow, and faid, Behold, I dreamed

U u

dreamed a Dream, and lo, a Cake of Barley-bread tumbled into the Hoft of Midian, and came unto a Tent, and smote it, that it fell, and overturned it, that the Tent lay along.

14 And his Fellow anfwered and faid, This is nothing elfe fave the Sword of Gideon the Son of Joafh, a Man of Ifrael for into his Hand hath GOD delivered Midian and all the Hoft.

15 And it was fo, when Gideon heard the telling of the Dream, and the Interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the Host of Ifrael, and faid, Arife, for the LORD hath delivered into your Hand the Hoft of Midian.

16 And he divided the three hundred Men into three Companies, and he put a Trumpet in every Man's Hand, with empty Pitchers, and Lamps within the Pitchers.

17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewife and behold, when I come to the out-fide of the Camp, it shall be that as I do, fo fhall ye do.

18 When I blow with a Trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the Trumpets alfo on every fide of all the Camp, and fay, The Sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

19 So Gideon and the hundred Men that were with him, came unto the out-fide of the Camp, in the beginning of the middle Watch; and they had but newly fet the Watch, and they blew the Trumpets, and brake the Pitchers that were in their Hands.

20 And the three Companies blew the Trumpets, and brake the Pitchers, and held the Lamps in their Left Hands, and the Trumpets in their Right Hands to blow withal cried, The Sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

and

21 And they flood every Man in his Place, round about the Camp and all the Hoft ran, and cried, and filed.

22 And the three hundred blew the Trumpets, and the LORD fet every Man's Sword against his Fellow, even throughout all the Hoft: and the Hoft fled.

23 And the Men of Ifrael gathered themfelves together out of Naphtali, and out of Afher, and out of all Manaffeh, and purfued after the Midianites.

24 And Gideon fent Meffengers throughout all Mount Ephraim, faying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the Waters unio Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the Men of Ephraim gathered themfelves together, and took the Waters unto Beth-barch and Jordan.

25 And they took two Princes of the Midianites, OREB and ZEEB; and they flew OREB upon the Rock Oreb, and ZEEB they flew at the Wine-prefs of Zeeb, and purfued Midian, and brought the Heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other fide Jordan.

Pfal. lxxxiii. 2 Thine Enemies make a Tumult and they that hate

:

thee, lift up the Head.

3 They have taken crafty Counsel against thy People, and confulted a gaint thy hidden ones.

4 They have faid, Come, and let us cut them off from being a Nation: that the Name of Ifrael may be no

more in Remembrance.

s For they have confulted together with one Confent: they are confederate against thee.

6 The Tabernacles of Edom, and

the Ishmaelites of Moab, and the Hagarenes.

7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philiftines, with the Inhabi tants of Tyre.

9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites, as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the Brook of Kifon.

10 Which perished at En dor: they became as Dung for the Earth.

11 Make their Nobles like OREB, and like ZEEB: yea, all their Princes as Zebah. and as Zalmunna:

12 Who faid, Let us take to ourselves the Houses of God in poffeffion. 13 O my GOD, make them like a Wheel: as the Stubble before the Wind.

CHAP. VIII.

1 Gideon pacifieth the Ephraimites. 4 Succoth and Penuel refufe to relieve Gideon's Army. 10 Zeba and Zalmunna are taken. 13 Succoth and Penuel are deftroyed. 17 Gideon revengeth his Brethrens Death on Zeba and Zalmunna : 22 He refufeth Government: 24 His Ephod Caufe of Idolatry. 28 Midian fubdued. 32 Gideon's Children and Death. 33 The Ifraelites Idolatry and Ingratitude.

Ver.32 A

ND Gideon died in a good old Age.

33 And it came to pafs affoon as Gideon was dead, that the Children of Ifrael turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their God.

34 And the Children of Ifrael remembred not the LORD their GoD, who had delivered them out of the Hands of all their Enemies on every fide.

35 Neither fhewed they Kindness to the Houfe of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the Goodness which he had fhewed unto Ifrael.

CHA P. IX.

1 Abimelech by Confpiracy with the Shechemites, and Murder of his Brethren, is made King: 7 Jotham by a Parable rebuketh them, and foretelleth their Ruin. 22 Gaal confpireth with the Shechemites against him: 30 Zebul revealeth it. 34 Abimelech overcometh them, and foweth the City with Salt: 46 He burneth the Hold of the God Berith: 50 At Thebaz he is flain by a piece of a Milftone. 57 for tham's Curfe is fulfilled.

СНАР. Х.

1 Tola judgeth Ifrael. 3 Fair fucceedeth him, whofe thirty Sons had thirty Cities. 7 The Philistines and Ammonites oppreffing Ifrael, 15 upon their Repentance, GOD pitieth

them.

Ver. 10

ND the Children of Ifrael cried unto the LORD, faying, We have SINNED against thee, both becaufe we have FORSAKEN our GOD, and alfo SERVED BA

ALIM.

II And the LORD faid unto the Children of Ifrael, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the Children of Ammon, and from the Philiftines.

12 The Zidonians alfo, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites did opprefs you, and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their Hand.

13 Yet ye have forfaken me, and ferved other Gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.

14 Go and cry unto the Gods which ye have chofen; let them deliver you in the time of your Tribulation.

ter God.

15 And the Children of Pfal. 1xxviii. 34 When he flew Ifrael faid unto the LORD, them, then they SOUGHT him and We have finned, do thou they returned and enquired early afunto us what foever feemeth good unto thee, deliver us only, we pray thee, this Day.

16 And they put away the ftrange Gods from among them, and ferved the LORD:

35 And they remembred that GOD was their ROCK, and the HIGH GOD their REDEEMER.

36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their Mouth, and they lied unto him with their Tongues.

37 For their HEART was not right and