Verse 1: UJerubali onguGideyoni nabantu bonke ababenaye bavuka ekuseni, bamisa ngasemthonjeni waseHarodi; ikamu lakwaMidiyani lalingasenyakatho kwabo ngasegqumeni laseMore esigodini.
Verse 2: UJehova wathi kuGideyoni: “Abantu abanawe baningi kakhulu ukuba nginikele abakwaMidiyani esandleni sabo, funa u-Israyeli aziqhenye ngakimi ngokuthi: ‘Isandla sami singisindisile.’
Verse 3: Ngalokho memeza ezindlebeni zabantu, uthi: ‘Owesabayo ethuthumela makabuye, amuke entabeni yakwaGileyadi!’ ” Kwabuya abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nambili, kwasala abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi.
Verse 4: UJehova wathi kuGideyoni: “Abantu base baningi; behlisele ngasemanzini, ngikulingele bona khona; kuyakuthi lowo engizakusho ngaye kuwe ukuthi: ‘Lo uzakuhamba nawe,’ yena ahambe nawe; nalowo engizakusho ngaye kuwe ukuthi: ‘Lo akayikuhamba nawe,’ yena akayikuhamba.”
Verse 5: Wayesebehlisela abantu ngasemanzini; uJehova wathi kuGideyoni: “Bonke abaxhapha amanzi ngolimi lwabo njengokuxhapha kwenja babeke bodwa, kanjalo nabo bonke abaguqa ngamadolo ukuba baphuze.”
Verse 6: Umumo wabaxhaphayo bebeka isandla emlonyeni wawungamadoda angamakhulu amathathu, kepha bonke abanye abantu baguqa ngamadolo ukuba baphuze amanzi.
Verse 7: Wayesethi uJehova kuGideyoni: “Ngalawo madoda amakhulu amathathu axhaphayo ngizakunisindisa, ngibanikele abakwaMidiyani esandleni sakho; bonke abanye abantu mabahambe, yilowo nalowo aye endaweni yakhe.”
Verse 8: Abantu base bethatha umphako ngesandla sabo namacilongo abo; bonke abanye abakwa-Israyeli wabathuma, kwabayilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe, wagcina lawo madoda amakhulu amathathu; ikamu lakwaMidiyani laliphansi kwakhe esigodini.
Verse 9: Kwathi ngalobo busuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Vuka wehlele ekamu, ngokuba sengilinikele esandleni sakho.
Verse 10: Kepha uma wesaba ukwehla, yehla noPhura udibi lwakho, niye ekamu;
Verse 11: uzakuzwa ukuthi bathini, andukuba kuqiniswe izandla zakho ukuba wehlele ekamu.” Khona wehla noPhura udibi lwakhe emaphethelweni abahlomileyo abasekamu.
Verse 12: AbakwaMidiyani nama-Amaleki nabo bonke abasempumalanga bahlala esigodini njengesikhonyane ngobuningi; amakamela abo ayengenakubalwa, engangesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle ngobuningi.
Verse 13: Lapho efika uGideyoni, bheka, umuntu wayelandisa umngane wakhe iphupho, wathi: “Ngaphupha iphupho; bheka, iqebelengwane lesinkwa sebhali lagingqikela ekamu lakwaMidiyani, lafika etendeni, lalishaya laze lawa, laligumbuqela, labhadalala.”
Verse 14: Umngane wakhe waphendula wathi: “Lokhu akulutho ngaphandle kwenkemba kaGideyoni indodana kaJowashi, umuntu wakwa-Israyeli; uNkulunkulu unikele esandleni sakhe uMidiyani nempi yonke.”
Verse 15: Kwathi uGideyoni ekuzwa ukulandwa kwephupho nokuchazwa kwalo, wakhuleka; wabuyela ekamu lakwa-Israyeli, wathi: “Vukani, ngokuba uJehova unikele esandleni senu impi yakwaMidiyani.”
Verse 16: Wahlukanisela amadoda angamakhulu amathathu izigaba ezintathu, wawanika, kwaba yileyo naleyo amacilongo ezandleni zawo, nezitsha ezingenalutho, nezimbaqa zisezitsheni.
Verse 17: Wathi kuwo: “Ngibukeni, nenze kanjalo; bhekani, nxa nifika emaphethelweni ekamu, kuyakuthi njengalokho kwenza mina, nenze nani.
Verse 18: Nxa ngibetha icilongo, mina nabo bonke abanami, bethani nani amacilongo nxazonke zekamu, nithi: ‘EkaJehova nekaGideyoni!’ ”
Verse 19: UGideyoni namadoda ayikhulu ayenaye base befika emaphethelweni ekamu ngasekuqaleni komlindo ophakathi, besand' ukubeka abalindi; babetha amacilongo, baphohloza izitsha abaziphetheyo ngezandla.
Verse 20: Izigaba zontathu zabetha amacilongo, zaphohloza izitsha, zaphatha izimbaqa ngezandla zokhohlo namacilongo ngezandla zokunene ukuba ziwabethe; zamemeza zathi: “Inkemba kaJehova nekaGideyoni!”
Verse 21: Onke amadoda ayemi, kwaba yileyo naleyo, ahaqa ikamu; bonke abasekamu bagijima bamemeza.
Verse 22: Abetha amacilongo angamakhulu amathathu, uJehova wabhekisa inkemba yalowo nalowo ngakumngane wakhe nakulo ikamu lonke; ikamu labaleka kwaze kwaba seBeti Shitha ngaseSerera, laze lafika emkhawulweni we-Abela Mehola ngaseThabati.
Verse 23: Amadoda akwa-Israyeli ayebuthene evela kwaNafetali, nakwa-Asheri, nakulo lonke lakwaManase, abaxosha abakwaMidiyani.
Verse 24: UGideyoni wayesethuma izithunywa ezintabeni zonke zakwa-Efrayimi, wathi: “Yehlani, nihlangabezane nabakwaMidiyani, nibavimbe emanzini kuze kube seBetha Bara naseJordani.” Onke amadoda akwa-Efrayimi ayesebuthana, abavimbela emanzini kwaze kwaba seBetha Bara naseJordani.
Verse 25: Abamba izikhulu ezimbili zakwaMidiyani, o-Orebi noZebi, ambulala u-Orebi ngasedwaleni lika-Orebi, noZebi bambulala ngasesikhamweni sewayini sikaZebi, abaxosha abakwaMidiyani; aletha ikhanda lika-Orebi nelikaZebi kuGideyoni phesheya kweJordani.