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 Yefuta, Kileyadinkoo mu kelejawara baa le ti. Cakamusoo doo le ye a wuluu, Kileyadi le mu a faamaa ti. 2 Kileyadi niŋ a la musoo fanaa ye dinkewolu soto le. Kabiriŋ a ñiŋ dinkewolu menta, ì ye Yefuta bayi. Ì ko a ye ko, “Ite maŋ ñaŋ na feŋ-wo-feŋ ne soto la m̀ faamaa la keetaafeŋo kono. Kaatu ite mu musu doo le diŋo ti.” 3 Bituŋ Yefuta borita a faadiŋolu koto, a taata sabati Tobu bankoo kaŋ. Moo kenseŋolu kafuta Yefuta ma, ì niŋ a ka taa ñoo la.
4 Wo koolaa, Ammoninkoolu ye keloo wulindi Banisirayilankoolu kamma. 5 Kabiriŋ Ammoninkoolu ye keloo wulindi Banisirayilankoolu kamma, Kileyadi alifaalu naata taa ka Yefuta murundi naŋ ka bo Tobu bankoo kaŋ. 6 Ì ko Yefuta ye ko, “Naa, i ye naa ke ǹ na kelekuntiyo ti, ŋà Ammoninkoolu kele.” 7 Bari Yefuta ko Kileyadi alifaalu ye le ko, “Fo alitolu faŋolu le maŋ ke moolu ti baŋ, mennu ye nte koŋ, ali ye m bayi m faamaa la buŋo kono? Saayiŋ, muŋ ne ye a tinna ali muruta n kaŋ naŋ, kabiriŋ ali ye bataa kuwo soto?”
8 Kileyadi alifaalu ko Yefuta ye ko, “Wo kuwo tambita le. Ntolu muruta i kaŋ naŋ ne saayiŋ, fo i niŋ ǹ si taa noo ñoo la ka Ammoninkoolu kele. I si ke Kileyadi diŋolu bee la kuntiyo ti.” 9 Yefuta ko Kileyadi alifaalu ye ko, “Niŋ ali ye m murundi naŋ suwo kono ka Ammoninkoolu kele, aduŋ Yaawe* naata ì duŋ m bulu, fo nte le be ke la ali la ñaatonkoo ti baŋ?” 10 Bituŋ Kileyadi alifaalu ko Yefuta ye ko, “Yaawe le be ke la ǹ teema seedoo ti. I ye a fo ñaameŋ, m̀ be a ke la wo le ñaama.”
11 Wo le to Yefuta niŋ Kileyadi alifaalu taata. Bituŋ ì ye a ke ì la maralilaa ti, aniŋ kelekuntiyo. Yefuta ye a la kumoolu bee fo Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la Misipa ka ì bambandi.
Yefuta lafita keloo ñaato kuntu la
12 Bituŋ Yefuta ye kiilaalu kii Ammoninkoolu la mansa kaŋ ka a fo a ye ko, “Muŋ ne dunta nte niŋ ite teema, fo i be naa n kaŋ ka n na bankoo kele?” 13 Ammoninkoolu la mansa ye Yefuta la kiilaalu jaabi ko, “Ñiŋ ne ye a saabu: Kabiriŋ Banisirayilankoolu bota Misira, ì ye n na bankoo taa le ka bo Arinoni Wulumbaŋo to ka taa fo Yaboki Boloŋo to, aniŋ ka taa fo Yoridani Boloŋo to. Saayiŋ, a seyindi kayiroo kono.”
14 Yefuta ye kiilaalu kii Ammoninkoolu la mansa kaŋ kotenke. 15 Ì ko a ye ko, “Yefuta ko, Banisirayilankoolu maŋ Mowabi la bankoo waraŋ Ammoninkoolu la bankoo taa. 16 Kabiriŋ Banisirayilankoolu bota Misira, ì taata niŋ keñewuloo* kono le la, ka taa Kulunjumbe Baa to la ka naa Kadesi saatewo to. 17 Banisirayilankoolu naata kiilaalu kii Edomu mansa ye, ka a fo a ye ko, ‘Yamfa ǹ ye, ŋà tambi niŋ i la bankoo kaŋ na.’ Bari Edomu mansa maŋ soŋ. Ì ye kiilaa kii Mowabi mansa fanaa ye, bari wo fanaa maŋ soŋ. Bituŋ ì tuta Kadesi. 18 Ì taamata ka taa niŋ keñewuloo kono la, ka muruŋ-muruŋ wo la fo ì kana duŋ niŋ Edomu bankoo kaŋ na, aniŋ Mowabi. Ì tuta Mowabi bankoo ye tilibo kara maafaŋo le la, fo biriŋ ì naata daakaa loo Arinoni Wulumbaŋo kara doo la. Ì maŋ duŋ Mowabi bankoo kaŋ hani siiñaa kiliŋ na, kaatu bankoo ñiŋ danta Arinoni Wulumbaŋo le to. 19 Banisirayilankoolu naata kiilaalu kii Amorinkoolu la mansa ye, Mansa Sihoni, meŋ be sabatiriŋ Hesiboni. Ì ko a ye ko, ‘Yamfa ǹ ye, ŋà tambi niŋ i la bankoo kaŋ na, ka taa ǹ na bankoo kaŋ.’ 20 Bari Sihoni maŋ laa Banisirayilankoolu la ka tambi niŋ a la bankoo la. Bituŋ a ye a la kelediŋolu bee bendi ñoo kaŋ, ì ye daakaa loo Yahasi. Ì niŋ Banisirayilankoolu keleta. 21 Yaawe, Banisirayila la Alla ye Sihoni niŋ a la moolu bee duŋ Banisirayilankoolu bulu le, ì ye ì noo. Bituŋ Banisirayilankoolu ye Amorinkoolu la bankoo bee muta ì bulu, ì be sabatiriŋ meŋ kaŋ. 22 Ì ye Amorinkoolu la bankoo bee muta ì bulu, ka bo Arinoni Wulumbaŋo to ka taa fo Yaboki Boloŋo, aniŋ ka bo keñewuloo kono ka taa fo Yoridani Boloŋo to. 23 Yaawe, Banisirayila la Alla faŋo le ye Amorinkoolu fintindi banta a la moolu ye, mennu mu Banisirayilankoolu ti. Saayiŋ, fo i lafita n na bankoo le kaniŋ na baŋ? 24 Niŋ Kemosi, meŋ mu i la alla ti ye bankoo moo doolu bayi i ye, fo i te wo bankoo taa la baŋ? Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, ntolu ye wo moolu la bankoo fanaa taa le, Yaawe ǹ na Alla ye mennu bayi ǹ ye. 25 Saayiŋ, i miira Mowabi mansa la, Balaki, Sipori dinkewo. Fo a nene niŋ Banisirayilankoolu sonkata le baŋ, waraŋ ka kele? Fo ite le fisiyaata a ti baŋ? 26 Biriŋ sanji keme saba koomanto, Banisirayilankoolu be sabatiriŋ Hesiboni saatewo le to, a niŋ a dandanna saateeriŋolu. Ì be sabatiriŋ Aroweri le fanaa, a niŋ a dandanna saateeriŋolu, aniŋ saatewolu mennu bee be Arinoni Wulumbaŋo maafaŋo la. Muŋ ne ye a tinna ali maŋ ñiŋ saatewolu buusi m̀ bulu kabiriŋ waati jaŋ? 27 M maŋ kuu kuruŋ ke i la, bari ite ye kuu kuruŋo le ke nte la, kaatu i ye keloo le wulindi n kamma. Yaawe faŋo le mu kiitindirilaa ti. Allamaa a ye kiitiyo kuntu Banisirayilankoolu niŋ Ammoninkoolu teema.” 28 Bari Ammoninkoolu la mansa maŋ i lamoyi kumoo la, Yefuta ye meŋ kii a kaŋ.
Yefuta la laahidoo
29 Yaawe la Nooroo jiita Yefuta kaŋ. Bituŋ a tambita niŋ Kileyadi tundoo la, aniŋ Manase, a tambita wo la ka taa Misipa. Kabiriŋ a bota Misipa, meŋ be Kileyadi tundoo kaŋ, a taata Ammoninkoolu kaŋ ka ì kele. 30 Yefuta ye ñiŋ laahidoo le dii Yaawe la, a ko a ye ko, “Niŋ i ye Ammoninkoolu duŋ m bulu ka ì noo, 31 aduŋ m muruta naŋ suwo kono kayira kono, moo foloo meŋ ye m benduŋ ka bo n na buŋo kono, wo be ke la ite Yaawe taa le ti. M be a ke la i ye jani sadaa* le ti.” 32 Bituŋ Yefuta taata Ammoninkoolu kaŋ ka ì kele. Aduŋ Yaawe ye ì duŋ a bulu le. 33 A ye tundoo ñiŋ bee taa ka bo Aroweri ka taa fo Minniti, aniŋ Abeli-Keramimu, a bee kafuriŋo ñoo ma, saatee muwaŋ. Ñiŋ keloo keta kele kandiriŋ baa le ti Ammoninkoolu ye, fo ì si ì faŋ seyi Banisirayilankoolu ma doroŋ ka ì mara.
Yefuta dimmusoo
34 Bituŋ Yefuta muruta naŋ a la suwo kono Misipa, aduŋ a dimmusoo le fintita naŋ ka a benduŋ. Tambuuroo be a buloo kono, a be a kosi kaŋ, aniŋ a be i doŋ kaŋ. Ñiŋ sunkutoo dammaa le mu a bulu diŋo ti. A maŋ diŋ koteŋ soto, fo ñiŋ dimmusu kiliŋo. 35 Kabiriŋ a ye wo je, a ye a buloo duŋ a la waramboo la ka a fara niikuyaa kamma la. A kumata ko, “Woyi, n diŋ, i ye n tiñaa. I ye niitoora kuu baa le samba n kaŋ naŋ. Kaatu ŋa laahidoo le dii Yaawe la, aduŋ n te wo baayi noo la.”
36 Bituŋ a dimmusoo ko a ye ko, “M faa, i ye laahidoo meŋ dii Yaawe la, a ke n na, ko i ye a laahidi ñaameŋ. Kaatu Yaawe le ye semboo dii i la ka i la juloo joo i jawoolu to, mennu mu Ammoninkoolu ti.” 37 A tententa ka a fo a faamaa ye ko, “Yamfa n ye, ñiŋ kuu kiliŋo doroŋ na. N lafita taa la konkoolu le kaŋ fo kari fula. N niŋ n teeroolu ye ñiŋ woosii jee ko, m be faa la le, a ye a tara m maŋ futuu.” 38 A ye a jaabi, a ko a ye ko, “Taa!” A ye a bula fo kari fula. A niŋ a teeroolu taata konkoolu kaŋ ka woosii jee ko, a be faa la le, a ye a tara a maŋ diŋ soto. 39 Wo kari fuloo koolaa, a muruta a faamaa kaŋ. Bituŋ a faamaa ye a ke a la, ko a ye Yaawe laahidi ñaameŋ. A niŋ kewo nene maŋ kafu. Bituŋ ñiŋ naata ke aadoo ti Banisirayila kono:
40 Banisirayila dimmusoolu ka taa Yefuta, Kileyadinkoo dimmusoo la kuwo woosii le fo tili naani, saŋ-wo-saŋ.
