Gideon Wins the Battle Over the Midianites
1Early in the morning Jerub-Baal and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. Jerub-Baal was another name for Gideon. The camp of Midian was north of Gideon’s camp. It was in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2The Lord said to Gideon, “I want to hand Midian over to you. But you have too many men for me to do that. Then Israel might brag, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3So here is what I want you to announce to the army. Tell them, ‘Those who tremble with fear can turn back. They can leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So 22,000 men left. But 10,000 remained.
4The Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. So take them down to the water. There I will reduce the number of them for you. If I say, ‘This one will go with you,’ he will go. But if I say, ‘That one will not go with you,’ he will not go.”
5So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord said to him, “Some men will drink the way dogs do. They will lap up the water with their tongues. Separate them from those who get down on their knees to drink.” 6Three hundred men brought up the water to their mouths with their hands. And they lapped it up the way dogs do. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7The Lord spoke to Gideon. He said, “With the help of the 300 men who lapped up the water I will save you. I will hand the Midianites over to you. Let all the other men go home.” 8So Gideon sent those Israelites home. But he kept the 300 men. They took over the supplies and trumpets the others had left.
The Midianites had set up their camp in the valley below where Gideon was. 9During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up. Go down against the camp. I am going to hand it over to you. 10But what if you are afraid to attack? Then go down to the camp with your servant Purah. 11Listen to what they are saying. After that, you will not be afraid to attack the camp.” So Gideon and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the camp. 12The Midianites had set up their camp in the valley. So had the Amalekites and all the other tribes from the east. There were so many of them that they looked like huge numbers of locusts. Like the grains of sand on the seashore, their camels couldn’t be counted.
13Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend about his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came rolling into the camp of Midian. It hit a tent with great force. The tent turned over and fell down flat.”
14His friend replied, “That can only be the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash. Gideon is from Israel. God has handed the Midianites over to him. He has given him the whole camp.”
15Gideon heard the man explain what the dream meant. Then Gideon bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel. He called out, “Get up! The Lord has handed the Midianites over to you.” 16Gideon separated the 300 men into three fighting groups. He put a trumpet and an empty jar into the hands of each man. And he put a torch inside each jar.
17“Watch me,” he told them. “Do what I do. I’ll go to the edge of the enemy camp. Then do exactly as I do. 18I and everyone with me will blow our trumpets. Then blow your trumpets from your positions all around the camp. And shout the battle cry, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’ ”
19Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the enemy camp. It was about ten o’clock at night. It was just after the guard had been changed. Gideon and his men blew their trumpets. They broke the jars that were in their hands. 20The three fighting groups blew their trumpets. They smashed their jars. They held their torches in their left hands. They held in their right hands the trumpets they were going to blow. Then they shouted the battle cry, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21Each man stayed in his position around the camp. But all the Midianites ran away in fear. They were crying out as they ran.
22When the 300 trumpets were blown, the Lord caused all the men in the enemy camp to start fighting one another. They attacked one another with their swords. The army ran away to Beth Shittah toward Zererah. They ran all the way to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23Israelites from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher and all of Manasseh were called out. They chased the Midianites. 24Gideon sent messengers through the entire hill country of Ephraim. They said, “Come on down against the Midianites. Take control of the waters of the Jordan River before they get there. Do it all the way to Beth Barah.”
So all the men of Ephraim were called out. They took control of the waters of the Jordan all the way to Beth Barah. 25They also captured Oreb and Zeeb. Those men were two of the Midianite leaders. The men of Ephraim killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb. They killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They chased the Midianites. And they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon. He was by the Jordan River.
Gideoni Gũtooria Andũ a Midiani
17:1 Atiir 6:32; 2Sam 23:25Rũciinĩ tene, Jerubu-Baali (nĩwe Gideoni) na andũ ake othe nĩmambire hema gĩthima-inĩ kĩa Harodi. Kambĩ ya Amidiani yarĩ mwena wao wa gathigathini kũu gĩtuamba-inĩ, hakuhĩ na karĩma ka More. 27:2 Gũcook 8:17; 2Akor 4:7Jehova akĩĩra Gideoni atĩrĩ, “Ũrĩ na andũ aingĩ mũno gũkĩra arĩa ngwenda nĩgeetha neane Amidiani moko-inĩ mao. Nĩgeetha Isiraeli matikanjĩtĩĩre atĩ nĩ hinya wao wamahonokia, 37:3 Gũcook 20:8; Josh 12:2Na rĩrĩ, anĩrĩra kũrĩ andũ, ũmeere atĩrĩ, ‘Mũndũ o wothe ũrainaina nĩ guoya no ahũndũke, ehere Kĩrĩma-inĩ kĩa Gileadi.’ ” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ 22,000 na igĩrĩ makĩehera, magĩtigara 10,000.
47:4 1Sam 14:6No Jehova akĩĩra Gideoni atĩrĩ, “O na rĩu andũ no aingĩ mũno. Maikũrũkie maaĩ-inĩ, na nĩngũgũthuuranĩria andũ acio ho. Ingiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Ũyũ nĩegũthiĩ hamwe nawe,’ ũcio nĩwe ũrĩthiĩ nawe; no ingiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Ũyũ ndegũthiĩ hamwe nawe,’ ũcio ndegũthiĩ nawe.”
5Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Gideoni agĩikũrũkia andũ acio maaĩ-inĩ. Marĩ hau Jehova akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Amũrania arĩa mekũnyua maaĩ na rũrĩmĩ ta ũrĩa ngui ĩnyuuaga na arĩa mekũnyua maaĩ na hĩ ciao maturĩtie ndu.” 6Andũ magana matatũ makĩnyua maaĩ na hĩ ciao. Acio angĩ othe magĩturia ndu makĩnyua maaĩ.
77:7 Josh 8:7; 1Sam 14:6Jehova akĩĩra Gideoni atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũmũhonokia na ũndũ wa andũ magana matatũ arĩa manyuire maaĩ na hĩ, neane Amidiani moko-inĩ manyu. Reke andũ acio angĩ othe mathiĩ, o mũndũ ainũke gwake.” 8Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Gideoni akĩĩra andũ acio angĩ a Isiraeli macooke hema-inĩ ciao, no agĩtigwo na andũ magana matatũ, arĩa mooire rĩĩgu na tũrumbeta twa acio mainũkire.
Na rĩrĩ, kambĩ ya Amidiani yarĩ mũhuro wake o kũu kĩanda-inĩ. 97:9 Josh 2:24Ũtukũ ũcio Jehova akĩĩra Gideoni atĩrĩ, “Ũkĩra, ũikũrũke ũtharĩkĩre kambĩ ĩyo ya Amidiani, tondũ nĩndĩmĩneanĩte moko-inĩ maku. 10No angĩkorwo nĩũgwĩtigĩra gũtharĩkĩra-rĩ, gĩikũrũke kambĩ-inĩ mũrĩ na Pura ndungata yaku, 11na ũthikĩrĩrie ũrĩa maroiga. Thuutha ũcio nĩũkũgĩa na hinya wa gũtharĩkĩra kambĩ ĩyo.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Gideoni na Pura ndungata yake magĩikũrũka nginya tũnyũmba-inĩ twa arangĩri a kambĩ ĩyo. 127:12 Josh 11:4; Ndar 13:29; Jer 49:29Nao Amidiani, na Aamaleki na andũ othe a mwena wa irathĩro maikarĩte kĩanda kĩu maingĩhĩte ta ngigĩ. Ngamĩĩra ciao itingĩatarĩkire nĩ ũndũ ciarĩ nyingĩ ta mũthanga wa hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia iria ũrĩa ũtangĩtarĩka.
13Gideoni aakinyire ho o hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ ũmwe eeraga mũratawe ũhoro wa kĩroto gĩake. Nake oigaga atĩrĩ, “Ndootete kĩroto ngoona mũgate wa cairi wa gĩthiũrũrĩ ũũkĩte ũkagwĩra kambĩ ya Amidiani. Ũragũthire hema na hinya mũnene mũno, nginya hema ĩrangʼaũka, ĩragũa.”
147:14 1Sam 15:31Mũrata wake akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ũyũ ti ũndũ ũngĩ tiga rũhiũ rwa Gideoni mũrũ wa Joashu, ũrĩa Mũisiraeli. Ngai nĩaneanĩte Amidiani na kambĩ yao yothe moko-inĩ make.”
15Rĩrĩa Gideoni aiguire ũhoro wa kĩroto kĩu na ũtaũri wakĩo, akĩhooya Ngai. Agĩcooka nginya kambĩ-inĩ ya Isiraeli akĩmeeta akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Ũkĩrai! Jehova nĩaneanĩte kambĩ ya Amidiani moko-inĩ manyu.” 167:16 Kĩam 14:15; 1Sam 11:11; Alaw 25:9Akĩgayania andũ acio magana matatũ ikundi ithatũ, akĩmanengera othe o mũndũ karumbeta na nyũngũ theri, ĩrĩ na kĩmũrĩ thĩinĩ.
17Nake akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Ndoraai. Mwĩke o ũrĩa ngwĩka. Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndĩrĩkinya mũthia-inĩ wa kambĩ, mwĩke o ũrĩa ndĩrĩka. 187:18 Atiir 3:27Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa niĩ na arĩa othe ndĩ nao tũrĩhuha tũrumbeta twitũ, hĩndĩ ĩyo inyuothe mũthiũrũrũkĩirie kambĩ mũhuhe twanyu na mwanĩrĩre atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ ũndũ wa Jehova o na wa Gideoni.’ ”
197:19 Atiir 7:16Gideoni na andũ acio igana rĩmwe arĩa maarĩ nake magĩkinya mũthia wa kambĩ o kĩambĩrĩria-inĩ kĩa ũtukũ gatagatĩ, thuutha hanini wa gũcenjania arangĩri. Makĩhuha tũrumbeta twao na makĩũraga nyũngũ iria ciarĩ moko-inĩ mao. 207:20 Kĩam 15:7; Gũcook 32:41Ikundi icio ithatũ ikĩhuha tũrumbeta, na ikĩũraga nyũngũ. Maanyiitĩte imũrĩ na moko mao ma ũmotho, na makanyiita tũrumbeta twao twa kũhuha na moko mao ma ũrĩo, nao makĩanĩrĩra atĩrĩ, “Rũhiũ rwa njora rwa Jehova na rwa Gideoni!” 217:21 2Ath 7:7Na rĩrĩa o mũndũ aarũgamire handũ hake gũthiũrũrũkĩria kambĩ-rĩ, Amidiani othe magĩtengʼera, magĩkayaga morĩte.
227:22 Josh 6:20; 1Sam 14:20; Hag 2:22Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa tũrumbeta tũu magana matatũ twahuhirwo, Jehova agĩtũma andũ arĩa maarĩ kambĩ-inĩ yothe mahũũrane na hiũ ciao cia njora mũndũ na mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ. Nayo mbũtũ ĩyo yothe ĩkĩũrĩra Bethi-Shita ĩrorete Zerera o nginya mũhaka-inĩ wa Abeli-Mehola gũkuhĩ na Tabathu. 237:23 Atiir 6:35; Thab 83:9Andũ a Isiraeli kuuma Nafitali, na Asheri na Manase guothe nĩmetirwo nao magĩtengʼeria Amidiani. 247:24 Josh 2:7Nake Gideoni agĩtũmana bũrũri wothe ũrĩa wa irĩma wa Efiraimu, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ikũrũkai mũhũũrane na Amidiani na mwĩnyiitĩre maaĩ ma Jorodani mbere yao o nginya Bethi-Bara.”
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ othe a Efiraimu nĩmetirwo, na makĩĩnyiitĩra maaĩ ma Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani o nginya Bethi-Bara. 257:25 Atiir 8:3; Isa 10:26O na ningĩ nĩmanyiitire atongoria eerĩ a Midiani, nĩo Orebu na Zeebu. Nao makĩũragĩra Orebu ihiga-inĩ rĩa Orebu, nake Zeebu makĩmũũragĩra kĩhihĩro-inĩ kĩa ndibei kĩa Zeebu. Nao magĩthingatana na Amidiani, na magĩtwara mĩtwe ya Orebu na Zeebu kũrĩ Gideoni, ũrĩa warĩ mũrĩmo ũrĩa ũngĩ wa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani.
