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.
Gidyoni ayungula abalwanyi ebikumi bisatu
17:1 a Bal 6:32 b Lub 12:6Awo Gidyoni gwe baakazaako erya Yerubbaali, ne be yali nabo bonna, ne bakeera mu makya, ne basiisira ku luzzi Kalodi; Olusiisira lwa Bamidiyaani lwali mu bukiika obwa kkono mu kiwonvu, kumpi n’olusozi Mole. 27:2 Ma 8:17; 2Ko 4:7Mukama Katonda n’agamba Gidyoni nti, “Abalwanyi bo basusse obungi; nze sibaganye kuwangula Abamidiyaani, Abayisirayiri baleme okwennyumiriza nti amaanyi gaabwe ge gabawanguzza. 37:3 Ma 20:8Noolwekyo kaakano genda olangirire eri abalwanyi bo nti, ‘Buli mutiitiizi yenna n’oyo akankana, ave ku lusozi luno Gireyaadi addeyo ewuwe.’ ” Abalwanyi emitwalo ebiri mu enkumi bbiri ne baddayo ewaabwe, ne wasigalawo omutwalo gumu.
47:4 1Sa 14:6Mukama Katonda n’agamba Gidyoni nti, “Era abalwanyi bo bakyasusse obungi, baserengese ku mugga, eyo gye naabayunguliramu abasaanidde okugenda naawe n’abatasaanidde.”
5Awo Gidyoni n’aserengesa abalwanyi ku mugga, Mukama Katonda n’amugamba nti, “Buli mulwanyi anaasena amazzi n’engalo ze era n’aganywa ng’embwa mwawule okuva mu abo abanaafukamira ku mugga ne bakubamu emimwa ne banywa. 6Abo bonna abaasena amazzi n’engalo zaabwe ne baganywa ng’embwa baali ebikumi bisatu, naye abalala bonna baafukamira ku mugga ne bakubamu emimwa okunywa.”
77:7 1Sa 14:6Mukama Katonda n’agamba Gidyoni nti, “Nzija kubanunula era mbawe n’obuwanguzi ku ba Midiyaani nga nkozesa abalwanyi ebikumi ebisatu abaanywedde amazzi ng’embwa, naye abo bonna abasigaddewo bagambe beddireyo ewaabwe.” 8Awo Gidyoni n’asigaza abalwanyi be ebikumi ebisatu, bali abalala n’abakuŋŋaanyaako emmere n’amakondeere gaabwe, n’abalagira ne beddirayo ewaabwe.
Olusiisira lw’Abamidiyaani lwamuli kyemmanga mu kiwonvu. 97:9 Yos 2:24; 10:8; 11:6Ekiro ekyo Mukama Katonda n’amulagira nti, “Situkiramu olumbe eggye ly’Abamidiyaani mu lusiisira kubanga mbawaddeyo mu mikono gyo. 10Naye obanga otya okubalumba genda ne Pula omuweerezaawo: 11era bw’onoowulira bye boogera onoofuna obuvumu okubalumba. Gidyoni n’omuweereza we Pula ne basemberera olusiisira lw’Abamidiyaani.” 127:12 a Bal 8:10 b Bal 6:5 c Yer 49:29 d Yos 11:4Abamidiyaani, Abamaleki n’Abamawanga amalala ag’ebuvanjuba abaali mu kiwonvu, mu bungi baali ng’enzige; era n’eŋŋamira zaabwe mu bungi, nga ziri ng’empeke z’omusenyu oguli ku lubalama lw’ennyanja.
13Gidyoni aba atuuka bw’ati ku lusiisira n’awulira omukuumi ng’ategeeza munne ekirooto nti, “Naloota nga omugaati gwa sayiri guyiringise, gutomedde eweema ne yevuunika.” 14Munne n’amuddamu nti, “Ekyo si kirala wabula kitala ky’omusajja Omuyisirayiri Gidyoni mutabani wa Yowaasi. Era oyo Katonda amuwadde obuwanguzi ku ba Midiyaani n’eggye lyaffe lyonna.”
157:15 1Sa 15:31Gidyoni bwe yamala okuwulira ekirooto ekyo n’amakulu gaakyo, n’avuunama n’asinza Mukama Katonda; era n’addayo mu lusiisira lw’Abayisirayiri n’abalagira nti, “Musitukiremu; kubanga Mukama abawadde obuwanguzi ku ggye ly’Abamidiyaani.” 167:16 a Lub 14:15 b 2Sa 18:2Awo Abasajja bali ebikumi ebisatu n’abawulamu ebibinja bisatu, buli omu ku bo n’amukwasa ekkondeere n’ensuwa ng’erimu ekitawuliro.
17N’abagamba nti, “Munnekalirize, bwe tunaaba tunaatera okutuuka ku lusiisira buli kye nnaakola nammwe nga mukikola. 187:18 Bal 3:27Nze n’abo benaabeera nabo, bwe tunaafuuwa amakondeere gaffe, nammwe ne mufuuwa agammwe, ne muleekaanira waggulu nti, ‘Ku lwa Mukama Katonda ne ku lwa Gidyoni.’ ”
Aba Midiyaani balinnyibwa ku nfeete
19Eyo mu ttumbi nga Abamidiyaani baakajja bakyuse ekibinja ky’abakuumi, Gidyoni n’abalwanyi ekikumi be yali nabo, ne basemberera olusiisira, ne bafuuwa amakondeere, ne baasa n’ensuwa ze baali bakutte. 207:20 nny 14Ebibinja ebirala nabo ne bafuuwa amakondeere, ne baasa ensuwa zaabwe, ne bakwata ebitawuliro mu mikono gyabwe egya kkono, n’amakondeere mu mikono gyabwe egya ddyo, ne bafuuwa nga bwe baleekaanira waggulu nti, “Ekitala kya Mukama Katonda era n’ekya Gidyoni.” 217:21 2Bk 7:7Buli mulwanyi n’ayimirira mu kifo kye okwetooloola olusiisira: eggye lyonna ery’Abamidiyaani ne bafubutuka nga bwe baleekaanira waggulu.
227:22 a Yos 6:20 b 1Sa 14:20; 2By 20:23 c 1Bk 4:12; 19:16Awo amakondeere ebikumi ebisatu bwe gaafuuyibwa, Mukama Katonda n’atabulatabula Abamidiyaani ne battiŋŋana bokka na bokka n’ebitala byabwe era n’eggye lyabwe lyonna ne lifubutulwa okutuukira ddala e Besusitta okwolekera e Zerera, era n’okutuukira ddala Aberumekola okumpi ne Tabbasi. 237:23 Bal 6:35Abalwanyi ba Isirayiri bonna okuva mu kika ekya Nafutaali n’ekya Aseri n’ekya Manase, ne bakoowoolebwa okuwondera Abamidiyaani. 247:24 Bal 3:28Gidyoni n’asindika ababaka okubuna ekitundu kyonna ekya Efulayimu eky’ensozi: babalagire nti, “Muserengete era muwondere Abamidiyaani, mubasooke okwekwata omugga Yoludaani era n’enzizi okutuukira ddala e Besubata.”
Awo abalwanyi bonna ab’omu kika kya Efulayimu ne bakoowoolwa, ne bawamba omugga Yoludaani n’enzizi zonna okutuukira ddala e Besubata. 257:25 a Bal 8:3; Zab 83:11 b Is 10:26 c Bal 8:4Ne bawamba Olebu ne Zeebu bombi abalangira ba Midiyaani; Olebu ne bamuttira ku lwazi olumanyiddwa nga “Olwazi lwa Olebu” ne Zeebu ne bamuttira ku ssogolero erimanyiddwa nga “essogolero lya Zeebu”, ne bongera okuwondera Abamidiyaani. Omutwe gwa Olebu n’ogwa Zeebu, Gidyoni ne bagimusanza emitala wa Yoludaani.
