1 Jephthah, a brave soldier from Gilead, was the son of a prostitute. His father Gilead 2 had other sons by his wife, and when they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home. They told him, “You will not inherit anything from our father; you are the son of another woman.” 3 Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. There he attracted a group of worthless men, and they went around with him.
4 It was some time later that the Ammonites went to war against Israel. 5 When this happened, the leaders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah back from the land of Tob. 6 They told him, “Come and lead us, so that we can fight the Ammonites.”
7 But Jephthah answered, “You hated me so much that you forced me to leave my father's house. Why come to me now that you're in trouble?”
8 They said to Jephthah, “We are turning to you now because we want you to go with us and fight the Ammonites and lead all the people of Gilead.”
9 Jephthah said to them, “If you take me back home to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives me victory, I will be your ruler.”
10 They replied, “We agree. The Lord is our witness.” 11 So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead, and the people made him their ruler and leader. Jephthah stated his terms at Mizpah in the presence of the Lord.
12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon to say, “What is your quarrel with us? Why have you invaded our country?”
13 The king of Ammon answered Jephthah's messengers, “When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River and the Jordan River. Now you must give it back peacefully.”
14 Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon 15 with this answer: “It is not true that Israel took away the land of Moab or the land of Ammon. 16 This is what happened: when the Israelites left Egypt, they went through the desert to the Gulf of Aqaba and came to Kadesh. 17 Then they sent messengers to the king of Edom to ask permission to go through his land. But the king of Edom would not let them. They also asked the king of Moab, but neither would he let them go through his land. So the Israelites stayed at Kadesh. 18 Then they went on through the desert, going around the land of Edom and the land of Moab until they came to the east side of Moab, on the other side of the Arnon River. They camped there, but they did not cross the Arnon because it was the boundary of Moab. 19 Then the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, the Amorite king of Heshbon, and asked him for permission to go through his country to their own land. 20 But Sihon would not let Israel do it. He brought his whole army together, camped at Jahaz, and attacked Israel. 21 But the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the Israelites victory over Sihon and his army. So the Israelites took possession of all the territory of the Amorites who lived in that country. 22 They occupied all the Amorite territory from the Arnon in the south to the Jabbok in the north and from the desert on the east to the Jordan on the west. 23 So it was the Lord, the God of Israel, who drove out the Amorites for his people, the Israelites. 24 Are you going to try to take it back? You can keep whatever your god Chemosh has given you. But we are going to keep everything that the Lord, our God, has taken for us. 25 Do you think you are any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? He never challenged Israel, did he? Did he ever go to war against us? 26 For three hundred years Israel has occupied Heshbon and Aroer, and the towns around them, and all the cities on the banks of the Arnon River. Why haven't you taken them back in all this time? 27 No, I have not done you any wrong. You are doing wrong by making war on me. The Lord is the judge. He will decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.” 28 But the king of Ammon paid no attention to this message from Jephthah.
29 Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He went through Gilead and Manasseh and returned to Mizpah in Gilead and went on to Ammon. 30 Jephthah promised the Lord: “If you will give me victory over the Ammonites, 31 I will burn as an offering the first person that comes out of my house to meet me, when I come back from the victory. I will offer that person to you as a sacrifice.”
32 So Jephthah crossed the river to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave him victory. 33 He struck at them from Aroer to the area around Minnith, twenty cities in all, and as far as Abel Keramim. There was a great slaughter, and the Ammonites were defeated by Israel.
Jephthah's Daughter
34 When Jephthah went back home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him, dancing and playing the tambourine. She was his only child. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes in sorrow and said, “Oh, my daughter! You are breaking my heart! Why must it be you that causes me pain? I have made a solemn promise to the Lord, and I cannot take it back!”
36 She told him, “If you have made a promise to the Lord, do what you said you would do to me, since the Lord has given you revenge on your enemies, the Ammonites.” 37 But she asked her father, “Do this one thing for me. Leave me alone for two months, so that I can go with my friends to wander in the mountains and grieve that I must die a virgin.” 38 He told her to go and sent her away for two months. She and her friends went up into the mountains and grieved because she was going to die unmarried and childless. 39 After two months she came back to her father. He did what he had promised the Lord, and she died still a virgin.
This was the origin of the custom in Israel 40 that the Israelite women would go out for four days every year to grieve for the daughter of Jephthah of Gilead.
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.
