Judges 6:25-40

25Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull 1and a second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the 23Asherah that is beside it; 26and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly way, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” 27Then Gideon took ten men from his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

28When the people of the city got up early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal had been torn down, and the Asherah which had been beside it had been cut down, and the second bull had been offered on the altar which had been built. 29So they said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” 30Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” 31But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you save him? Whoever will contend for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, since someone has torn down his altar!” 32Therefore on that day he named 4Gideon 5Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.

33Then all the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the 6people of the east assembled together; and they crossed over and camped in 7the Valley of Jezreel. 34So 8the Spirit of the Lord 9covered Gideon like clothing; and he 10blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. 35And he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, 11Zebulun, and Naphtali, and 12they came up to meet them.

36Then Gideon said to God, “13If You are going to save Israel 14through me, as You have spoken, 37behold, I am putting a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will save Israel 15through me, as You have spoken.” 38And it was so. When he got up early the next morning and wrung out the fleece, he wrung the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39Then Gideon said to God, “16Do not let Your anger burn against me, so that I may speak only one more time; please let me put You to the test only one more time with the fleece: let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” 40And God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.