A reading from the book of judges. The angel of the Lord came and sat under the

terabint in Offra that belonged to Josh, the Abiesright. While his son Gideon was

beating out wheat in the wine press to save it from the Midianites, the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said,

The Lord is with you, O champion.

Gideon said to him, My lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?

Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said, did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?

For now, the Lord has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian. The Lord turned to him and said,

Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian.

It is I who send you. But Gideon answered him, please, my Lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the

lowliest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father's house.

I shall be with you, the Lord said to him, and you will cut down Midian to the last man.

Gideon answered him, if I find favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me. Do not depart from here.

I pray you until I come back to you and bring out my offering and set it before you.

He answered, I will await your return. So Gideon went off and prepared a kid and a measure of flour in the form of unlovened

cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out to him under the

tarbent and presented them. The angel of God said to him, take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock, then pour out the broth.

When he had done so, the angel of the Lord stretched out the tip of the staff he held

and touched the meat and unleavened cakes.

Thereupon a fire came up from the rock that consumed the meat and unleavened cakes. Thereupon a fire came up from the rock that consumed the meat and unleavened cakes,

and the angel of the Lord disappeared from sight.

Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the Lord, said,

Alas, Lord God, that I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.

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