1. Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So for seven years he handed them over to the people of Midian.
2. The Midianites treated the people of Israel very badly. That's why they made hiding places for themselves. They hid in holes in the mountains. They also hid in caves and in other safe places.
3. Each year the people planted their crops. When they did, the Midianites came into the country and attacked it. So did the Amalekites and other tribes from the east.
4. They camped on the land. They destroyed the crops all the way to Gaza. They didn't spare any living thing for Israel. They didn't spare sheep or cattle or donkeys.
5. The Midianites came up with their livestock and tents. They came like huge numbers of locusts. It was impossible to count all of those men and their camels. They came into the land to destroy it.
6. Midian made the people of Israel very poor. So they cried out to the Lord for help.
7. They cried out to the Lord because of what Midian had done.