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.”
5. Wayesebehlisela abantu ngasemanzini; uJehova wathi kuGideyoni: “Bonke abaxhapha amanzi ngolimi lwabo njengokuxhapha kwenja babeke bodwa, kanjalo nabo bonke abaguqa ngamadolo ukuba baphuze.”
6. Umumo wabaxhaphayo bebeka isandla emlonyeni wawungamadoda angamakhulu amathathu, kepha bonke abanye abantu baguqa ngamadolo ukuba baphuze amanzi.
7. Wayesethi uJehova kuGideyoni: “Ngalawo madoda amakhulu amathathu axhaphayo ngizakunisindisa, ngibanikele abakwaMidiyani esandleni sakho; bonke abanye abantu mabahambe, yilowo nalowo aye endaweni yakhe.”
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.
9. Kwathi ngalobo busuku uJehova wathi kuye: “Vuka wehlele ekamu, ngokuba sengilinikele esandleni sakho.
10. Kepha uma wesaba ukwehla, yehla noPhura udibi lwakho, niye ekamu;
11. uzakuzwa ukuthi bathini, andukuba kuqiniswe izandla zakho ukuba wehlele ekamu.” Khona wehla noPhura udibi lwakhe emaphethelweni abahlomileyo abasekamu.
12. AbakwaMidiyani nama-Amaleki nabo bonke abasempumalanga bahlala esigodini njengesikhonyane ngobuningi; amakamela abo ayengenakubalwa, engangesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle ngobuningi.
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.”
14. Umngane wakhe waphendula wathi: “Lokhu akulutho ngaphandle kwenkemba kaGideyoni indodana kaJowashi, umuntu wakwa-Israyeli; uNkulunkulu unikele esandleni sakhe uMidiyani nempi yonke.”
15. Kwathi uGideyoni ekuzwa ukulandwa kwephupho nokuchazwa kwalo, wakhuleka; wabuyela ekamu lakwa-Israyeli, wathi: “Vukani, ngokuba uJehova unikele esandleni senu impi yakwaMidiyani.”
16. Wahlukanisela amadoda angamakhulu amathathu izigaba ezintathu, wawanika, kwaba yileyo naleyo amacilongo ezandleni zawo, nezitsha ezingenalutho, nezimbaqa zisezitsheni.