^6:1The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight,¹ so the Lord turned them over to² Midian for seven years. ^6:2The Midianites³ overwhelmed Israel.⁴ Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters⁵ for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds. ^6:3Whenever the Israelites planted their crops,⁶ the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them.⁷

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Footnotes

1 Heb “in the eyes of.”
2 Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
3 Heb “the hand of Midian.”
4 Heb “The hand of Midian was strong against Israel.”
5 Or possibly “secret storage places.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible.
6 Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”
7 Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east would go up, they would go up against him.” The translation assumes that וְעָלוּ (vé’alu) is dittographic (note the following עָלָיו, ’alayv).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to Midian seven years, and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east came and attacked them.

NLTNew Living Translation

The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel,

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Yahweh gave them into the hand of the Midianites for seven years. The hand of the Midianites prevailed over Israel; because of the presence of the Midianites, the Israelites made for themselves hiding places that were in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. And whenever Israel sowed seed, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people of the east would come up against them.

KJV 1900King James Version

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

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