The Midianites Oppresses Israel

6 The Israelites[fn] did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Yahweh gave them into the hand of the Midianites[fn] for seven years. 2 The hand of the Midianites[fn] prevailed over Israel; because of the presence of the Midianites,[fn] theIsraelites[fn] made for themselves hiding places thatwere in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. 3 And whenever Israel sowed seed, the Midianites,[fn] Amalekites,[fn] and the people ofthe east would come up against them. 4 They would camp against them and destroy the produce of the land as far as[fn] Gaza; they left no produce in Israel, or sheep, ox, or donkey. 5 For they, their livestock, and their tents would come up like a great number of locusts; they and their camels could not be counted; they came into the land and devoured it. 6 Israel was very poor because of the presence of the Midianites,[fn] and theIsraelites[fn] cried out to Yahweh.

7 When the Israelites[fn] cried out to Yahweh on account of the Midianites,[fn] 8 Yahweh sent a prophet to the Israelites,[fn] and he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt; I brought you from the house of slavery.[fn] 9 I delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors, and drove them out from before you;[fn] and I gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am Yahweh your God; do not fear[fn] the gods of the Amorites,[fn] in whose land youare living.’ But you have not listened to my voice.”