1 UJerubhali, oko kukuthi uGidiyon, nawo onke amadoda akhe bavuka ngentseni, baya kumisa ngakumthombo waseHarodi. Ke yona ikampu yamaMidiyan yayikwintili engentla kwabo ngakwinduli yeMore.
2 *UNdikhoyo wathi kuGidiyon: “La madoda unawo maninzi gqitha; andingekhe ndiwanikele ezandleni zawo amaMidiyan, hleze aqhayise athi: ‘Sizizuzele ngawethu amandla olu loyiso.’
3 Ngoko ke thetha nawo uthi: ‘Nabani na ogubhayo luloyiko makagoduke, anyebeleze emke apha kwiintaba zeGiliyadi.’ ” Akuba etshilo ke kwajika amashumi amabini amawaka, kwaza kwasala ishumi lamawaka kuphela.
4 UNdikhoyo waqhuba wathi kuGidiyon: “Nangoku asemaninzi la madoda unawo. Yihla nawo uye emfuleni; ndiza kuwaphungula. Ke indoda endithe mayihambe nawe, yohamba, kodwa endithe mayisale, mayisale.”
5 UGidiyon ke waya nawo emanzini apho, waza uNdikhoyo wathi kuye: “Wahlula-hlule la madoda; yonke indoda esela amanzi ngokuwakha ngesandla, ngathi yinja ixhaph' amanzi, yahlule kuleyo icambalalayo xa iselayo.”
6 Ke kaloku amadoda awakha ngezandla amanzi xa aselayo aba ngamakhulu amathathu; aza ke amanye lawo acambalala xa aselayo.
7 UNdikhoyo ke wathi kuGidiyon: “Uyabona ke ngoku ndiza kunihlangula ngala makhulu mathathu axhapha amanzi, ndiwanikele ezandleni zakho la maMidiyan. Amanye la amadoda makagoduke.”
8 Ngoko ke uGidiyon wawagodusa amaSirayeli, ngaphandle kwalaa makhulu mathathu awawugcina umphako ngokunjalo nezigodlo ebezize namanye. Ke wona amaMidiyan ayemise kwintili esezantsi kwabo.
9 Ngobo busuku ke uNdikhoyo wathetha noGidiyon wathi: “Yihla uye ekampini yamaMidiyan; ndiwanikela esandleni sakho.
10 Kambe ke, ukuba uyoyika, khawuthathe isicaka sakho uPura, niye kuwakrobela.
11 Uya kuthi wakuziva iincoko zawo utsho ube nesibindi, uwahlasele.”Ngoko ke uGidiyon noPura isicaka sakhe behla baya kutsho emdeni wekampu yotshaba.
12 AmaMidiyan nama-Amaleki nezizwe zasempumalanga babethe saa kuloo ntili, sebengathi libubu leenkumbi; kanti ke neenkamela zabo zaziyinyambalala engenakubalwa enjengentlabathi elunxwemeni lolwandle.
13 Wafika uGidiyon xa kanye indoda ilawulela uwayo iphupha layo, isithi: “Ndiphuphe kuqengqeleka isonka serhasi; senze uqulukubhode sada saza kufika apha kulo mkhosi wethu, sabhodloza enye intente, sayibetha yasisicaba.”
14 Uwayo lowo ke uthe ukuphendula: “Tyhini, mfondini; nanjani na, lowo ngumkhonto kaGidiyon unyana kaJowashe, umfo wakwaSirayeli. Loo nto ke ithetha ukuba lo mkhosi wamaMidiyan uphela uThixo uwunikela kuye.”
15 UGidiyon akuliva eli phupha lalo mfo ngokunjalo nokuchazwa kwalo, wasuka wee guqaqa wanqula uThixo. Emva koko ke wabuyela kwakumaSirayeli, wafika wathi: “Qulani niye; uNdikhoyo uwunikele esandleni senu umkhosi wamaMidiyan.”
16 Loo madoda omkhosi wakhe omakhulu mathathu wawahlula-hlula kathathu, waza indoda nganye wayinika isigodlo nengqayi enesikhuni esivuthayo ngaphakathi.
17 Wawayala wathi: “Ze nindiqwalasele, nithi sakusondela phaya ekampini yotshaba, nenze loo nto ndiyenzayo.
18 Xa mna neqela lam sikhalisa izigodlo nani ze nenjenjalo, nijikeleze loo kampu, ngokunjalo nikhwaze nithi: ‘Iwu-u-u, watsh' umkhonto kaNdikhoyo nokaGidiyon!’ ”
19 UGidiyon nelo khulu lakhe lamadoda waya kufika emdeni wekampu yotshaba, kancinane nje phambi kobhadakazi ebusuku, kanye emva kokutshintshwa kwabalindi. Ke kaloku basuka batsho ngomtyangampo bekhalisa amaxilongo, bazikroboza nezo ngqayi babeziphethe.
20 Omathathu amaqela ke enza kwaloo nto. Ngezandla zawo zokhohlo athi qhiwu ezo zikhuni zivuthayo; zaye izigodlo zikwesokunene, ekhwaza esithi: “Iwu-u-u, watsh' umkhonto kaNdikhoyo nokaGidiyon!”
21 Onke ke loo madoda abamb' uhlelo, ewujikelezile loo mkhosi wotshaba, waza ke wacela kooxhongo, uhamba ubhomboloza.
22 Kwathi ke kuloo ntswahla yayisenziwa ngamadoda kaGidiyon ngezigodlo zawo uNdikhoyo wawubetha wancitheka umkhosi wotshaba, walwa wabulalana wodwa. Wabaleka ke, waya ngaseZerera, waya kufikelela eBhete-shita, ukuya kutsho eAbhele-mehola kufuphi neTabhata.
23 Kwesi sithuba ke nazo izizwe zakwaNafetali, kwa-Ashere, nakwaManase macal' onke, zahlatyelwa umkhosi, zeza nazo zawasukelisa amaMidiyan.
24 UGidiyon wathumela izigidimi kulo lonke eleentaba lakwaEfrayim, esithi: “Yihlani nize kulwa namaMidiyan. Vingcan' amazibuko eJordan nasezintlanjeni nide niye kufika eBhete-bhara, khon' ukuze angaweli amaMidiyan.” AmaEfrayim eza ngendlu yawo, aza ke ayivingca iJordan neentlambo zayo ukuya kuthi xhaxhe ngeBhete-bhara.
25 Azibamba zombini iinkosi zamaMidiyan, uOrebhe noZebhe. UOrebhe ambulalela kwiliwa likaOrebhe, ke yena uZebhe ambulalela kwisixovulelo-diliya sikaZebhe. Awasukela amaMidiyan, aza eza nentloko kaOrebhe nekaZebhe kuGidiyon owayengekayiweli iJordan ngelo xesha.