6:11 The Lord’s angelic messenger 1 came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon 2 was threshing 3 wheat in a winepress 4 so he could hide it from the Midianites. 5 6:12 The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, 6 but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster 7 overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, 8 ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 6:14 Then the Lord himself 9 turned to him and said, “You have the strength. 10 Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! 11 Have I not sent you?” 6:15 Gideon 12 said to him, “But Lord, 13 how 14 can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” 15 6:16 The Lord said to him, “Ah, but 16 I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” 17 6:17 Gideon 18 said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, 19 then give me 20 a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back 21 with a gift 22 and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”