2 Midian maintained an upper hand over Israel, and because of Midian Bnei-Yisrael made themselves hideouts in the mountains—caves and strongholds.
3 Whenever Israel had done their sowing, the Midianites, Amalekites and people from the east would come up and raid them.
4 They would set up camp by them, destroy the produce of the land as far as Gaza, and leave nothing in Israel to live on—not a sheep, ox or donkey.
5 For they would come up with their cattle and their tents, invade like a multitude of locusts. Both they and their camels were innumerable, and they would come to the land to ruin it.
6 So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai.
7 Now it came about when Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai because of Midian,
8 that Adonai sent a prophet to Bnei-Yisrael, and he said to them, “Thus says Adonai, God of Israel, ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage.