Jephthah
1-5 The leaders of the Gilead clan decided to ask a brave warrior named Jephthah son of Gilead to lead the attack against the Ammonites.
Even though Jephthah belonged to the Gilead clan, he had earlier been forced to leave the region where they had lived. Jephthah was the son of a prostitute, but his half brothers were the sons of his father's wife.
One day his half brothers told him, “You don't really belong to our family, so you can't have any of the family property.” Then they forced Jephthah to leave home.
Jephthah went to the country of Tob, where he was joined by a number of men who would do anything for money.
So the leaders of Gilead went to Jephthah and said, 6 “Please come back to Gilead! If you lead our army, we will be able to fight off the Ammonites.”
7 “Didn't you hate me?” Jephthah replied. “Weren't you the ones who forced me to leave my family? You're only coming to me now because you're in trouble.”
8 “But we do want you to come back,” the leaders said. “And if you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you the ruler of Gilead.”
9 “All right,” Jephthah said. “If I go back with you and the Lord lets me defeat the Ammonites, will you really make me your ruler?”
10 “You have our word,” the leaders answered. “And the Lord is a witness to what we have said.”
11 So Jephthah went back to Mizpah with the leaders of Gilead. The people of Gilead gathered at the place of worship and made Jephthah their ruler. Jephthah also made promises to them.
12 After the ceremony, Jephthah sent messengers to say to the king of Ammon, “Are you trying to start a war? You have invaded my country, and I want to know why!”
13 The king of Ammon replied, “Tell Jephthah that the land really belongs to me, all the way from the Arnon River in the south, to the Jabbok River in the north, and west to the Jordan River. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they stole it. Tell Jephthah to return it to me, and there won't be any war.”
14 Jephthah sent the messengers back to the king of Ammon, 15 and they told him that Jephthah had said:
Israel hasn't taken any territory from Moab or Ammon. 16 When the Israelites came from Egypt, they traveled across the desert to the Red Sea and then to Kadesh. 17 They sent messengers to the king of Edom and said, “Please, let us go through your country.” But the king of Edom refused. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he wouldn't let them cross his country either. And so the Israelites stayed at Kadesh.
18 A little later, the Israelites set out into the desert, going east of Edom and Moab, and camping on the eastern side of the Arnon River gorge. The Arnon is the eastern border of Moab, and since the Israelites didn't cross it, they didn't even set foot in Moab.
19 The Israelites sent messengers to the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon. “Please,” they said, “let our people go through your country to get to our own land.”
20 Sihon didn't think the Israelites could be trusted, so he called his army together. They set up camp at Jahaz, then they attacked the Israelite camp. 21 But the Lord God helped Israel defeat Sihon and his army. Israel took over all of the Amorite land where Sihon's people had lived, 22 from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and from the desert in the east to the Jordan River in the west.
23 The messengers also told the king of Ammon that Jephthah had said:
The Lord God of Israel helped his nation get rid of the Amorites and take their land. Now do you think you're going to take over that same territory? 24 If Chemosh your god takes over a country and gives it to you, don't you have a right to it? And if the Lord takes over a country and gives it to us, the land is ours!
25 Are you better than Balak the son of Zippor? He was the king of Moab, but he didn't quarrel with Israel or start a war with us.
26 For 300 years, Israelites have been living in Heshbon and Aroer and the nearby villages, and in the towns along the Arnon River gorge. If the land really belonged to you Ammonites, you wouldn't have waited until now to try to get it back.
27 I haven't done anything to you, but it's certainly wrong of you to start a war. I pray that the Lord will show whether Israel or Ammon is in the right.
28 But the king of Ammon paid no attention to Jephthah's message.
29 Then the Lord's Spirit took control of Jephthah, and Jephthah went through Gilead and Manasseh, raising an army. Finally, he arrived at Mizpah in Gilead, where 30 he promised the Lord, “If you will let me defeat the Ammonites 31 and come home safely, I will sacrifice to you whoever comes out to meet me first.”
32 From Mizpah, Jephthah attacked the Ammonites, and the Lord helped him defeat them.
33 Jephthah and his army destroyed the 20 towns between Aroer and Minnith, and others as far as Abel-Keramim. After that, the Ammonites could not invade Israel any more.
Jephthah's Daughter
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, the first one to meet him was his daughter. She was playing a tambourine and dancing to celebrate his victory, and she was his only child.
35 “Oh no!” Jephthah cried. Then he tore his clothes in sorrow and said to his daughter, “I made a sacred promise to the Lord, and I must keep it. Your coming out to meet me has broken my heart.”
36 “Father,” she said, “you made a sacred promise to the Lord, and he let you defeat the Ammonites. Now, you must do what you promised, even if it means I must die. 37 But first, please let me spend two months, wandering in the hill country with my friends. We will cry together, because I can never get married and have children.”
38 “Yes, you may have two months,” Jephthah said.
She and some other girls left, and for two months they wandered in the hill country, crying because she could never get married and have children. 39 Then she went back to her father. He did what he had promised, and she never got married.
That's why 40 every year, Israelite girls walk around for four days, weeping for Jephthah's daughter.
1 Yepetaha, orivoya kyila'ba mbaraekye yi ni Gilada yasi, nda orivoya ŋgwa ronyi'ba aza ro. Täpi Yepetaha ro ni Gilada. 2 Ago toko Gilada ro ti ŋgwàagoro amba te Gilada ri; ondro ànya kolombayite oko, ànya njayi Yepetaha teni 'bäru, atayite ndäri ekye: “Miri a'done drimbi be katidri täpi amaro roya i'do; tana mi orivoya ŋgwa toko to ro.” 3 'Dooko Yepetaha mute ni ädrupii ndaro risi, ago rite wari Tobo roya; ago lau nda otokala gbokoi lidri takadoako'bai azaka rote, ago ànya soyite nda vo.
4 Ta ono vosi oko Amona'bai 'be kyila te Yisaraele'bai be. 5 Ondro Amona'bai ko'be kyila te Yisaraele be oko, dri'bai Gilada ro oyiyite Yepetaha logone ni wari Tobo ro yasi. 6 Ànya atayite Yepetaha ri ekye: “Nyikyi nya'do dri'ba amaro, tana màye kyila robe Amona'bai be.”
7 Oko Yepetaha zatadrite ekye: “Ya amiro osote kozipara malomvo ago mìnja ma teni zo täpi maro ro yasi. Ondro yauono ami te rriti ya oko, mìkye ya ikyi mare ya?”
8 Ago dri'bai atayite Yepetaha ri ekye: “Yauono màgo mègote mire, tana màle miri oyine ama yibe kyila oyene Amona'bai yibe, ago a'done dri'ba ro ama lidri cini Gilada ro dri.”
9 Yepetaha atate dri'bai ri ekye: “Ondro ka'do nyòlogo ma te 'bäru kpa to'dina kyila oyene Amona'bai be, ago OPI ko'ba ama te ànya opene ṛe oko, ma'dona ndi dri'ba amiro.”
10 Ago dri'bai Gilada ro logoyitate ekye: “Màle tadrite màyena ndi oso nyatabe ronye. OPI a'dona ndi ni tazevoedre'ba amaro.” 11 'Dooko Yepetaha oyite dri'bai Gilada robe, ago lidri 'ba nda te otaozo'ba ago dri'ba ànyaro. Yepetaha ata ta cini ndaro te OPI kandra Mizepa ya.
12 'Dooko Yepetaha zo lazo'bai te 'bädri'ba Amona'bai ro re atane ekye: “Kalaope amiro ama yibe e'di roya? Nyikyi gwo kyila be 'bädri maro ya etaya?”
13 Ago 'bädri'ba Amona ro zatadri lazo'bai Yepetaha ro rote ekye: “Tana Yisaraele'bai kayibe ikyi ni Ezipeto yasi ànya ruyi wari amaro te, etoni Golo Arenona ya le Golo Jaboka ndi Golo Yaradene robe ya. Yauono beṛo ämiri logone kovole ämäri liyaro.”
14 Ago Yepetaha zo lazo'bai te kpa to'dina 'bädri'ba Amona ro re 15 tadrioza ono be ekye: “Yepetaha ekye: Yisaraele'bai ru wari Moaba ro kote ca wari Amona'bai ro. 16 Oko tuse Yisaraele'bai kefobe ni Ezipeto yasi si; ànya oyiyite vocowa ya le Gyi'desi Okaro ya ago ikyiyite Kadesa ya. 17 'Dooko ànya zo lazo'bai te 'bädri'ba Edoma ro re taejine ekye: ‘Molo'baru miri mi'ba ämäri lävune wari miro yasi.’ Oko 'bädri'ba Edoma ro gazo ànyari lävune nasi. Ago ànya ejiyi 'bädri'ba Moaba ro kpate, caoko nda le kpa ko. Ta'dota Yisaraele'bai riyite Kadesa ya. 18 'Dooko ànya lävuyite vocowa yasi, lepiyite wari Edoma ro ndi Moaba robe lomvosi, madale ànya esayite lama telesi Moaba ro ogone 'buzelesi ya, lama telesi Golo Arenona roya. Ànya otoyi gawa te lau, oko ànya ciyi kote wari Moaba roya tana Arenona ni kishwedri Moaba ro owo. 19 'Dooko Yisaraele'bai zoyi lazo'bai te Siona 'bädri'ba Amora'bai ro, se koribe Esebona ya re, ago ejiyi nda te ekye: ‘Molo'baru miri mi'ba ämäri lävune wari miro yasi le wari amaro ya.’ 20 Oko Siona le kote Yisaraele ri lävune wari ndaro yasi. Nda otokala kyila'bai cini ndaro rote voaloya, ago otoyi gawa te Jahaza ya, ago yeyi kyila te Yisaraele'bai be. 21 Oko OPI, Lu Yisaraele ro, ozo Siona ndi kyila'bai cini ndaro te drì Yisaraele'bai roya ago Yisaraele'bai pe ànya te ṛe. Ta'dota Yisaraele'bai ruyi wari cini Amora'bai se koriyibe 'bädri ana ya ana rote. 22 Ago ànya ruyi wari cini Amora'bai rote etoni Arenona yasi le Jaboka ya ago ni vocowa yasi le Golo Yaradene ya. 23 Ta'dota OPI, Lu Yisaraele ro nja Amora'bai teni mile lidri ndaro Yisaraele ro yasi. Inye'do mile ogone wari ànyaro urune kovole ya? 24 Mindre vo ŋgase Kemosa lu miro kozobe miri 'do ro ayani. Oko màndrena amaro ŋgase cini OPI Lu amaro kozobe ämäri 'do vona ayani. 25 Inye'do mima miro be mi ni kadopara ndrani Balaka ŋgwa Zipora ro, 'bädri'ba Moaba ro ri ya? Inye'do nda pekala ndi Yisaraele be, kode nda ye kyila ndi ànya be ya? 26 Yisaraele rite ndroa kama nätu (300) Esebona ndi Aroeri be ya ndi 'baŋwai se lomvoigyesi yibe yasi, ndi 'bakicii se cini Golo Arenona kalasi be yasi. Tana e'di mi'de be ṛoko ogone urune tu gi cini kai si niya? 27 Màye ŋga kozi aza kote ämiri. Oko nya ni ama oye koziro ugu kyila o'besi ama be. OPI ni vureope'ba yi, ondro ono nda kope vure lakole lidri Yisaraele ro ndi Amona be roya.” 28 Caoko 'bädri'ba Amona ro ti ta lazo se Yepetaha kozobe ndäri ana ro kote.
29 'Dooko Tori OPI ro ikyite Yepetaha dri. Nda abate Gilada ndi Manase be yasi, ago egote Mizepa se Gilada ya ana ya, ago gwo oyite Amona ya. 30 Ago Yepetaha 'ba tao'ba te OPI ri ekye: “Ondro ka'do mi'ba mape Amona'bai te ṛe, 31 'dooko 'dise aza kabe efo käti käläsi zo maro ro yasi drî maro utune ni egovoya kyila Amona'bai be yasi 'do mazana ndi ŋgapäṛi ro. Ago mozona 'dina 'do ndi miri ŋgapäṛi ozaro.” 32 'Dooko Yepetaha oyite kyila oyene Amona'bai be, ago OPI ozo ànya te drì ndaro ya. 33 Ago nda tufu ànya te eto ni Aroeri yasi le Minita ya, ru 'bakicii 'buteritu te, ago sagwo le Abele Keramima ya. Utufu lidri te amba, ago Yisaraele pe Amona'bai te ṛe.
Ŋguti Yepetaha ro
34 Ondro Yepetaha kogote 'bäru Mizepa ya oko; ndre ŋguti ndaro te itwevoya tesi drî ndaro utune, läri oto be ago araca o'bi be. Anya ni toto ŋgwaŋwa alodi ndaro owo. Nda teinye ŋgwaagoro kode ŋgutiro aza ako. 35 Ondro nda kondre anya te oko, nda wa boŋgo ndaro te tusu amba si ago atate ekye: “Kuwuyi, ŋgutiŋwa maro! Mi'ba ma te a'done tusuro! Mi'ba mate a'done märäyi ro. Tana ma'ba tao'ba lämu'duro te OPI ri, ago märi drî ezane kovole ni kigyesi te i'do!”
36 Ago ŋgutiŋwa ndaro atate ndäri ekye: “Täpi maro, ondro ka'do mi'ba tao'ba te OPI ri, miye tase nyatabe oyene märi 'do ri, tana yauono OPI logo votaro te kyila'baazii miro Amona'bai dri.” 37 Oko anya eji täpi anyaro te ekye: “Miye ta ono märi, nye'be ma a'done dritai ro imba na ritu, tana moyi robe bereazii maro yibe, mùgu liyi robe tase mabe oye odrane teinye ŋguti kodroŋwa ro ono ta.” 38 Yepetaha atate anyari oyine ago zo anya te oyine imba na ritu. Ndi anya oyite bereazii anyaro be 'bereŋwai drisi ago liyiyite tana anya ka oyete odrane ogyeako. 39 Ago imba ritu vosi oko anya egote täpi anyaro Yepetaha re. Yepetaha ye tase nda ko'babe OPI ri ana te, ago anya drate teinye ŋguti kodroŋwa ro. Ono ni etovo la'bi ono ro Yisaraele ya 40 anjioko ndiriŋwa ri oyine lozo u'duna su ndroa cini ya liyine ta ŋgutiŋwa Yepetaha Gilada ro rota.