1 Wavuka kusasa uYerubhahali (nguGidiyon ke lowo), nabantu bonke naye, bamisa emantloko omthombo weHarodi; ke umkhosi wamaMidiyan wawungakuye, ngasentla kwenduli yakwaMore, entilini.
2 Wathi uYehova kuGidiyon, Baninzi abantu abanawe, kunokuba ndiwanikele amaMidiyan esandleni sabo; hleze amaSirayeli aqhayise, athi, Sisindiswe sisandla sethu.
3 Khawudanduluke ke ngoko ezindlebeni zabantu, uthi, Owoyikayo nogubhayo makabuye, makanyebeleze emke ezintabeni zeGiliyadi. Kwabuya ke kubo abantu abangamawaka angamashumi omabini anamabini; kwasala amawaka alishumi.
4 Wathi uYehova kuGidiyon, Abantu basebaninzi. Yihla nabo, uye emanzini, ndikukhethele bona apho; kothi, endithe kuwe, Lo uya kuhamba nawe, maze ahambe nawe yena; bonke endisukuba ndithi kuwe, Lo akayi kuhamba nawe, ize angabambi nawe yena.
5 Wehla nabantu waya emanzini; wathi uYehova kuGidiyon, Bonke abasukuba bekramncela amanzi ngolwimi lwabo, njengoko ixhaphayo inja, uze ubamise bodwa; bonke abasukuba beguqa ngamadolo abo ukuba basele, uze ubamise bodwa.
6 Inani labaselayo ngesandla salo emlonyeni laba ngamadoda amakhulu mathathu; bonke abanye abantu baguqa ngamadolo abo ukuba basele amanzi.
7 Wathi uYehova kuGidiyon, Ndiya kunisindisa ngala madoda amakhulu mathathu akramnceleyo, ndiwanikele amaMidiyan esandleni sakho. Bonke abanye abantu mabagoduke, elowo aye endaweni yakhe.
8 Bawuphatha abantu abo umphako ngesandla sabo, nezigodlo zabo. Wawandulula onke amadoda akwaSirayeli, ukuba ileyo iye ententeni yayo; wagcina amadoda lawo amakhulu mathathu. Umkhosi wamaMidiyan waba ngezantsi kwakhe entilini.
9 Kwathi ngobo busuku, uYehova wathi kuye, Vuka, uhle uye empini; ngokuba ndiyinikele esandleni sakho.
10 Ukuba uyoyika ukuhla, yihla nomfana wakwakho uFura,
11 uye empini, uve into abayithethayo; emveni koko siya komelela isandla sakho. Yihla ke uye empini. Wehla ke yena noFura, umfana wakwakhe, baya ekupheleni kwabaxhobileyo abasempini.
12 AmaMidiyan nama-Amaleki nabasempumalanga bonke babelele entilini benjengeenkumbi ukuba baninzi; neenkamela zawo zibe zingenakubalwa, njengentlabathi yonxweme lolwandle ukuba zininzi.
13 Wafika uGidiyon; nantso indoda ixelela ummelwane wayo iphupha, isithi, Yabona, ndiphuphe iphupha; ndibone kuqengqeleka isonka serhasi sisiza emkhosini wamaMidiyan, sifike ententeni, sibethe iwe, ithi bhukuqu intente, ithi bhuma.
14 Waphendula ummelwane wayo wathi, Loo nto kunje likrele likaGidiyon, unyana kaYowashe, indoda yakwaSirayeli; uThixo uwanikele amaMidiyan nomkhosi wonke esandleni sakhe.
15 Kwathi, akukuva uGidiyon ukuxelwa kwephupha nokutyhilwa kwalo, wanqula, wabuyela emkhosini wamaSirayeli, wathi, Vukani, ngokuba uYehova uyinikele impi yamaMidiyan esandleni senu.
16 Wawahlula aba ngamaqela omathathu amadoda lawo amakhulu mathathu; wabeka izigodlo esandleni sawo onke, nemiphanda engenanto, nezikhuni ezivuthayo ngaphakathi kwemiphanda leyo.
17 Wathi kuwo, Khangelani kum, nenjenje: yabonani, ndakufika ekupheleni kwempi, nothi njengoko ndenza ngako mna, nenjenjalo nina.
18 Ndovuthela ngezigodlo mna, nabo bonke abanam, nivuthele ke ngezigodlo nani ngeenxa zonke emkhosini, nithi, Ha! Ha! Ikrele likaYehova, likaGidiyon!
19 Wafika ke uGidiyon, nekhulu lamadoda elinaye, ekupheleni kwempi, ekuqalekeni komlindo ophakathi kobusuku, bakuth’ ukuthi ukumiswa abalindi. Lavuthela ngezigodlo, liyiqhekeza imiphanda esezandleni zalo.
20 Avuthela ke ngezigodlo amaqela omathathu, ayiqhekeza imiphanda; aziphatha izibane ezivuthayo ngezandla zawo zokhohlo, awaphatha amaxilongo ngezandla zawo zokunene, ukuba avuthele; adanduluka esithi, Ha! Ha! Ikrele likaYehova, likaGidiyon!
21 Ema onke ezindaweni zawo ngeenxa zonke empini. Yasaba yonke impi, yakhala, yasabisa.
22 Amakhulu omathathu avuthela ngezigodlo. UYehova walibhekisa ikrele lendoda kummelwane wayo, nakwimpi yonke; yasaba impi, yasinga eBhete-shita ngaseTserera, yasinga emdeni weAbhele-mehola ngaphaya kweTabhata.
23 Wahlatyelwa umkhosi, weza umntu wakwaSirayeli ephuma kwaNafetali, nakwa-Ashere, nakuManase wonke, wawasukela amaMidiyan.
24 UGidiyon wathuma abathunywa kweleentaba lonke lakwaEfrayim, esithi, Yihlani niwahlangabeze amaMidiyan, niwaphangele ukuthabatha amanzi, nise eBhete-bhara neYordan. Wahlatywa umkhosi, beza abantu bonke bakwaEfrayim, baphangela ukuwathabatha amanzi lawo, besa eBhete-bhara neYordan.
25 Bababamba abathetheli ababini bamaMidiyan, uOrebhe noZebhe; bambulalela uOrebhe eweni likaOrebhe, uZebhe bambulalela esixovulelweni sikaZebhe, bawasukela amaMidiyan. Beza nentloko kaOrebhe nekaZebhe kuGidiyon phesheya kweYordan.