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THE FOURTH MONTH IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, On this day died Gideon, one of the judges of Israel.
This just man Gideon was of the tribe of Menasseh and his
father’s name was Joas; and the angel of the Lord appeared and helped
him, and strengthened him, and made him judge over the children of Israel.
And he commanded him to destroy the altar of idols, and to build an
altar to God, and to offer up burnt offerings upon it; and Gideon burnt
with fire the wooden idols, which were broken in pieces, and he did as the
Lord commanded. And God also commanded him to make war upon the men of Midian,
and he asked God to show him a sign, so that his heart might be
strengthened thereby. And
this was the sign: [He said]
“Let me lay the carded woolly fleece of a sheep among the grass of the
field; if the fleece be wetted by the dew and the grass of the field is
not wetted, then shall I know that Thou art with me.”
And he laid the fleece among the grass, and it was wetted, but the
grass was not wetted. And on
the following day he said, “O my Lord, behold I will lay the fleece
among the grass again; if the grass be wetted and the ground, and the
fleece is not wetted, then I shall know that Thou art with me and that
Thou wilt fight for me.” And he did this on the following day, and it happened even as
he wished. Then his heart
waxed strong, and the spirit of power descended upon him from God, and he
blew a horn and all the children of Israel gathered together to him. And God said unto him, “The people are too many, for when
they conquer their enemies they will say that they themselves have
conquered them by their own power. But
let a herald go round about among them and say, ‘If there be anyone here
who is timid or afraid, let him depart’”; and when the herald had been
among these there turned back twenty-two thousand of the children of
Israel. And then God said unto Gideon, “Even now those who are left
are too many. Send them to
the water and command them to drink water, and he who drinks water with
his tongue like a dog, take all these, and set them apart from those who
remain.” And straightway
Gideon took them to the river, and they drank water as God commanded, and
the number of those who drank water with their tongues like dogs were
three hundred men. And God
said unto him, “With these I will deliver thee, and I will give the men
of Midian into thy hand.” And
that night they blew trumpets among them, and they said, “The army of
God and of Gideon.” And when the men of Midian heard the sound of the trumpets,
God set fear in their hearts, and they were terrified and took to flight.
And each man killed his neighbor next to him, and they slew their
princes Oreb and Zeeb, and they slew two of their kings Zebhel and
Zalmunna, and they slew of the men of Midian one hundred thousand, and
twenty thousand horsemen; and the children of Israel rejoiced that day.
And they said unto Gideon, “Be thou king over us, and thy
children after thee.” And he answered and said unto them with lowliness of heart,
“Neither am I worthy to be king nor are my children worthy to be kings
over you, but it is God Who shall rule over you [as] king. But let each one of you give me the torque of gold which is
on the head of every camel which ye have carried off as spoil”; and they
brought them to him. And the
amount of gold and silver which they gave him was one hundred thousand
seven hundred dinars, besides the ornaments of the women, and the rich
trappings which were on the camels. And
Gideon, the just, continued to rule the children of Israel for forty
years, and God was with him in all his work; and then he died in peace and
was buried in the grave of his father. Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen. |
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