1UJerubhali, okutjho uGidiyoni, nabo boke abantu ebegade banaye bavuka ekuseni bahloma amatendabo eqadi komthombo iRharodi. Ikampa yabakwaMidiyani yaba ngehlangothini labo langetlhagwini, ngembundwini weMore emrhobeni.
2USomnini wathi kuGidiyoni: “Abantu onabo lapho banengi khulu kobana ngingabasebenzisa ukunikela amaMidiyani esandleni sakho. Nakungasinjalo ama-Israyeli azangigabisela adlumbane bonyana ahlule ngamandlawo. 3Ngalokho memezela ebantwini uthi, ‘Omunye nomunye onevalo nothuthumelako, akabuyele ekhaya. Akakhukhuthe ngeentaba zakwaGiliyadi.’ ”
Kwakhamba iinkulungwana ezimatjhumi amabili nambili zajika, kwasala ezilitjhumi.
4USomnini wathi kuGidiyoni: “Abantwaba basesebanengi, bathathe ubase emanzini, ngizakuhlungela bona. Nanyana ngubani engizakuthi kuwe ngaye, ‘Lo, uzakhamba nawe’, akhambe nawe bese engithi kuwe ngaye, ‘Lo akasale’, asale.”
5Yeke waletha abantu emanzini, uSomnini wathi kuye: “Boke abaqabha amanzi ngelimu njengenja ubabuthelele ndawonye, nalabo abaguqako nabaselako ubabeke ndawonye.” 6Isibalo salabo abaqabha amanzi, saba makhulu amathathu. Kodwana inengi kwaba ngilelo eliguqako nalisela amanzi ngokubeka izandla zabo emilonyeni. 7USomnini wathi kuGidiyoni: “Ngizakusebenzisa amadoda amakhulu amathathu la ukukutjhaphulula bese nginikela amaMidiyani esandleni sakho. Loke inengi lamadoda ungalitjhaphulula kube ngileyo naleyo ndoda ibuyele emzinayo.”
8Emva kokuthathwa kwemiphako neempalapala ebekuphethwe madoda, inengi lawo labuyiselwa emuva kwaba ngileyo naleyo indoda yabuyela etendeni layo. UGidiyoni wasala namakhulu amathathu wamadoda kwaphela.
Ikampa yabakwaMidiyani gade ingenzasi kwakaGidiyoni ngemrhobeni. 9Khona ngobusukobo uSomnini wathi kuGidiyoni: “Sikima, wehlele ngekampeni ngombana ngiyinikele esandleni sakho. 10Kodwana nakube uyesaba ukwehla, yehla noPura incekwakho. 11Uzafese uzwe abakukhulumako, ngemva kwalapho uzokuqina idolo ulungele ukusahlela ikampa.”
Yeke wehla noPura incekwakhe baya emaphethelweni wekampa lapha kunamadoda ahlomileko. 12AmaMidiyani nama-Amalekhi nabo boke abantu bepumalanga bebabanengi njengentethe nayembethe umrhula. Amakamelabo gade kungakghoneki ukuwabala amanengi njengequlwani eseligwini lelwandle. 13UGidiyoni nafikako, qala, bekunendoda egade ihlathululela umnganayo ibhudango isithi: “Uyazi, ngibhudange isikokoro sesikwa sebhali sigedekela ngekampeni yakwaMidiyani, safika satjhayisa itende yawa, yasala iketukile.”
14Umnganayo wathi: “Akunangenye indlela, leyo yisabula kaGidiyoni umsa kaJowatjhi umuntu wakwa-Israyeli. UZimu unikele amaMidiyani nawo woke amabuthwawo esandleni sakhe.”
15Lokha uGidiyoni nezwa kucocwa ngebhudangweli nokuhlathululwa kwalo, wakhothama ngokuthokoza. Wabuyela ekampeni yakwa-Israyeli wathi: “Sikimani ngombana uSomnini unikele ibutho lamaMidiyani ezandleni zenu.”
16Wahlukanisa amadoda amakhulu amathathu ngeenqhema ezintathu, wawanikela iimpalapala woke kanye nemijeka enganalitho. Ngaphakathi kwemijekapho kwakuneenhlothi ezivuthako. 17Wathi kiwo: “Qalani mina bese nenza engikwenzako. Nangifika emaphethelweni wekampa, nenze lokho engikwenzako. 18Nangivuthela ipalapala, mina nesiqhema esinami, nani vuthelani zenu ngemahlangothini wayo yoke ikampa bese nirhuwelela nithi, ‘Silwela uSomnini noGidiyoni!’ ”
19Yeke uGidiyoni namadoda alikhulu agade akhamba naye bafika emaphethelweni wekampa ngesikhathi sabogadi baphakathi kobusuku, emva nje kokobana amaMidiyani abeke abogadi abanye. Bavuthela iimpalapala baphadlha imijeka esezandleni zabo. 20Ngaleyondlela iinqhema zontathu zavuthela iimpalapala bezaphadlha nemijeka esezandleni, zabamba iinhlothi ngesincele kwathi ngesandleni sokugoma zaphatha iimpalapala kobana zivuthele, zarhuwelela zathi: “Asihlabanele uSomnini noGidiyoni!”
21Bajama kwaba ngileyo naleyo indoda endawenayo magegana nekampa, boke abantu ngekampeni bagijima, barhuwelela babaleka. 22Kwathi lokha nabavuthela iimpalapala ezimakhulu amathathu, uSomnini wenza boke abantu ngekampeni bajikelane, basikane ngeensabula. Babaleka bekwaba seBhethe-Tjhitha ukuyela eTserera ukuyokufika esebeni lomlambo we-Abela-Merhola eThabathi.
23Ama-Israyeli abizwa aseNafitali ne-Atjheri nakilo loke lakwaManase, agijimisa amaMidiyani. 24UGidiyoni wathumela iinthunywa kiyo yoke inarha yeentatjana zakwa-Efrayimu wathi: “Yenehle nisahlele amaMidiyani niwalalele ngemlanjeni iJordani ukuyokufika eBhethe-Bhara.” Yeke boke abantu bakwa-Efrayimu babizwa bavimba umlambo iJoridani ukuyokufika eBhethe-Bhara. 25Babamba iinduna ezimbili zakwaMidiyani, u-Orebi noZebi. Nabalokhu bagijimisa amaMidiyani njalo, babulala u-Orebi edwaleni laka-Orebi noZebi ebutlhodlhelweni bakaZebi. Banikela uGidiyoni ihloko ka-Orebi neyakaZebi ngaphetjheya kweJordani.
