25. That same night the Lord said to him: Take your father’s bull, the bull fattened for seven years, and pull down your father’s altar to Baal. As for the asherah beside it, cut it down
26. and build an altar to the Lord, your God, on top of this stronghold with the pile of wood. Then take the fattened bull and offer it as a whole-burnt sacrifice on the wood from the asherah you have cut down.
27. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded him. But he was too afraid of his family and of the townspeople to do it by day; he did it at night.
28. Early the next morning the townspeople found that the altar of Baal had been dismantled, the asherah beside it cut down, and the fattened bull offered on the altar that was built.
29. They asked one another, “Who did this?” They inquired and searched until they were told, “Gideon, son of Joash, did it.”
30. So the townspeople said to Joash, “Bring out your son that he may die, for he has dismantled the altar of Baal and cut down the asherah that was beside it.”
31. But Joash replied to all who were standing around him, “Is it for you to take action for Baal, or be his savior? Anyone who takes action for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him act for himself, since his altar has been dismantled!”
32. So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, because of the words, “Let Baal take action against him, since he dismantled his altar.”
33. Then all Midian and Amalek and the Kedemites mustered and crossed over into the valley of Jezreel, where they encamped.
34. And Gideon was clothed with the spirit of the Lord, and he blew the horn summoning Abiezer to follow him.
35. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they, too, were summoned to follow him; he also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they advanced to meet the others.