12. The Lord's angel appeared to him there and said, “The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man!”
13. Gideon said to him, “If I may ask, sir, why has all this happened to us if the Lord is with us? What about all the wonderful things that our fathers told us the Lord used to do — how he brought them out of Egypt? The Lord has abandoned us and left us to the mercy of the Midianites.”
14. Then the Lord ordered him, “Go with all your great strength and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I myself am sending you.”
15. Gideon replied, “But Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family.”
16. The Lord answered, “You can do it because I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man.”
17. Gideon replied, “If you are pleased with me, give me some proof that you are really the Lord.