Shuphatym (Judges) — 6

Gydaun Becomes Yashar'AL’s Judge

1 The Yasharalym did evil in the sight of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. 

2 The Midianites were so cruel that the Yasharalym made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. 

3 Whenever the Yasharalym planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalak, and the people of the east would attack Yashar'AL, 

4 camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Yasharalym with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. 

5 These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare. 

6 So Yashar'AL was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Yasharalym cried out to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH for help.

7 When they cried out to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  because of Midian, 

8 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent a Nabym to the Yasharalym, he said, “this is what  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL says: I brought you up out of slavery in Mitzraym. 

9 I rescued you from the Mitzraym and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land. 

10 I told you, ‘I am 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. You must not worship the image idols of the Amurites, in whose land you now live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

11 Then the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH came and sat beneath the great tree at Uphrah, which belonged to Yuash of the clan of Abiazer. Gydaun son of Yuash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. 

12 The Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is with you!”

13 “Gydaun replied, Sir if 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Did they not say, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  brought us up out of Mitzraym’? But now  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”

14 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH turned to him and Dabar, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Yashar'AL from the Midianites. I am sending you!”

15 “Gydaun replied, “how can I rescue Yashar'AL? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manassah, and I am the least in my entire family!”

16 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Gydaun, I will be with you, and you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”

17 Gydaun replied, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH speaking to me. 

18 Do not go away until I come back and bring my offering to you.” and He answered, “I will stay here until you return.”

19 Gydaun hurried home, he cooked a young goat, and with a basket of flour he baked some bread without yeast. Then, carrying the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out and presented them to the Malak, who was under the great tree.

20 The Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Gydaun, “Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour the broth over it.” And Gydaun did as he was told. 

21 Then the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought, and the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH disappeared.

22 When Gydaun realized that it was the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, he cried out, “Oh, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Tsaba'ut, I’m doomed! I have seen the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH face to face!”

23 “It is all right,” 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.” 

24 And Gydaun built an altar to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH there and named it 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH-Shalum (which means “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is peace”). The altar remains in Uphrah in the land of the clan of Abiazar to this day.

25 That night 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Gydaun, Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asharah pole standing beside it. 

26 Then build an altar to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asharah pole you cut down.”

27 So Gydaun took ten of his servants and did as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father’s household and the people of the town.

28 Early the next morning, as the people of the town began to stir, someone discovered that the altar of Baal had been broken down and that the Asharah pole beside it had been cut down. In their place a new altar had been built, and on it were the remains of the bull that had been sacrificed. 

29 The people said to each other, “Who did this?” And after asking around and making a careful search, they learned that it was Gydaun, the son of Yuash.

30 “Bring out your son,” the men of the town demanded of Yuash. “He must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asharah pole.”

31 But Yuash shouted to the mob that confronted him, “Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is mighty, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!” 

32 From then on Gydaun was called Yarub-baal, which means “Let Baal defend himself,” because he broke down Baal’s altar.

Gydaun Asks for a Sign

33 Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalak, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Yashar'AL and crossed the Yurdan, camping in the valley of Yazraal. 

34 Then the Ruach of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH clothed Gydaun with power. Gydaun blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiazar came to him. 

35 He also sent messengers throughout Manassah, Ashar, Zabulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors, and all of them responded.

36 Then Gydaun said to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Yashar'AL as you promised, 

37 prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Yashar'AL as you promised.” 

38 And that is just what happened. When Gydaun got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.

39 Then Gydaun said to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.” 

40 So that night 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH did as Gydaun asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.