“Bring trouble ¹  to the Midianites, and destroy them,

“Exact vengeance ¹  for the Israelites on the Midianites ²  – after that you will be gathered to your people.” ³ 

All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east ¹  assembled. They crossed the Jordan River ²  and camped in the Jezreel Valley.

Now ¹  in Egypt the Midianites ²  sold Joseph ³  to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ⁴ 

Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, ¹  the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them. ² 

The Lord said to him, “Ah, but ¹  I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” ² 

When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian,

Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh answered the call and chased the Midianites. ¹ 

The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will deliver the whole army ¹  and I will hand Midian over to you. ²  The rest of the men should go home.” ³ 

Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east covered the valley like a swarm of locusts. ¹  Their camels could not be counted; they were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore.

Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

Do to them as you did to Midian ¹  – as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River! ² 

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 

The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. ¹  Israel might brag, ²  ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’ ³ 

They fought against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male. ¹ 

They burned ¹  all their towns ²  where they lived and all their encampments.

So Moses spoke to the people: “Arm ¹  men from among you for the war, to attack the Midianites and to execute ²  the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.

Then the Lord himself ¹  turned to him and said, “You have the strength. ²  Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! ³  Have I not sent you?”

Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites. ¹  Take control of the fords of the streams ²  all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.” ³  When all the Ephraimites had assembled, ⁴  they took control of the fords ⁵  all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.

The Midianites ¹  overwhelmed Israel. ²  Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters ³  for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds.