6The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,^z and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.^a ²Because the power of Midian was so oppressive,^b the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves^c and strongholds.^d ³Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites^e and other eastern peoples^f invaded the country. ⁴They camped on the land and ruined the crops^g all the way to Gaza^h and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. ⁵They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts.ⁱ It was impossible to count them or their camels;^j they invaded the land to ravage it. ⁶Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out^k to the Lord for help.

⁷When the Israelites cried out^l to the Lord because of Midian,

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Cross references

zSee Jdg 2:11
aSee Ge 25:2
b 1 Sa 13:6; Isa 5:30; 8:21; 26:16; 37:3
c Isa 2:19; Jer 48:28; 49:8, 30
d Job 24:8; Jer 41:9; Heb 11:38
e Nu 13:29
fSee Ge 25:6; Isa 11:14; Jer 49:28
g Lev 26:16; Dt 28:30, 51; Isa 10:6; 39:6; 42:22
hSee Ge 10:19
iSee Dt 28:42
j Jdg 8:10; Isa 21:7; 60:6; Jer 49:32
kSee Jdg 3:9
lSee Jdg 3:9

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. They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.

When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites,

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. They encamped against them and destroyed the produce of the land, even as far as Gaza. They left nothing for Israel to eat, as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. For the Midianites came with their cattle and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were without number, and they entered the land to lay waste to it. So Israel became poverty-stricken because of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the Lord.

When the Israelites cried out to him because of Midian,

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, camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare. So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

When they cried out to the Lord because of Midian,

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. They would camp against them and destroy the produce of the land as far as Gaza; they left no produce in Israel, or sheep, ox, or donkey. 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. Israel was very poor because of the presence of the Midianites, and the Israelites cried out to Yahweh.

When the Israelites cried out to Yahweh on account of the Midianites,

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; And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites,

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