1
Basi huyo Yeftha, Mgileadi, alikuwa mtu shujaa sana, naye alikuwa ni mwana wa mwanamke kahaba; Gileadi akamzaa Yeftha.
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.
2
Mkewe huyo Gileadi akamzalia wana; na hao wana wa mkewe hapo walipokuwa wamekua wakubwa wakamtoa Yeftha, na kumwambia, Wewe hutarithi katika nyumba ya babaetu; kwa sababu wewe u mwana wa mwanamke mwingine.
And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”
3
Ndipo Yeftha akawakimbia hao nduguze, akakaa katika nchi ya Tobu; na watu mabaradhuli walikwenda na kutangamana na Yeftha, wakatoka kwenda pamoja naye.
So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.
4
Ikawa baadaye, wana wa Amoni wakapigana na Israeli.
Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel
5
Ikatukia, hapo wana wa Amoni walipopigana na Israeli, wazee wa Gileadi wakaenda kumtwaa huyo Yeftha katika ile nchi ya Tobu;
and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6
wakamwambia Yeftha, Njoo wewe uwe kichwa chetu, ili tupate kupigana na wana wa Amoni.
“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”
7
Yeftha akawaambia wazee wa Gileadi, Je! Ninyi hamkunichukia mimi na kunifukuza nitoke katika nyumba ya baba yangu? Basi kwani kunijilia hivi sasa wakati mlio katika taabu?
Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?”
8
Wazee wa Gileadi wakamwambia Yeftha, Kwa ajili ya hayo sasa tumegeuka kukuelekea wewe tena, ili uende pamoja nasi na kupigana na wana wa Amoni, nawe utakuwa kichwa chetu juu ya wenyeji wote wa Gileadi.
They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.”
9
Basi Yeftha akawaambia wazee wa Gileadi Kwamba mwanirejeza kwetu tena ili kupigana na wana wa Amoni, naye Bwana akiwatoa mbele yangu, je! Mimi nitakuwa kichwa chenu?
But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?”
10
Wazee wa Gileadi wakamwambia Yeftha, Yeye Bwana atakuwa shahidi kati yetu; hakika yetu tutafanya sawasawa na neno lako.
And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.”
11
Ndipo Yeftha akaenda pamoja na wazee wa Gileadi, na hao watu wakamfanya awe kichwa, tena mkuu, juu yao; naye Yeftha akanena maneno yake yote mbele ya Bwana huko Mispa.
So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.
12
Basi Yeftha akatuma wajumbe waende kwa mfalme wa wana wa Amoni akasema, Je! Wewe una nini nami, hata umenijilia kupigana juu ya nchi yangu?
Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against my land?”
13
Mfalme wa wana wa Amoni akawajibu hao wajumbe wa Yeftha Kwa sababu Israeli waliitwaa nchi yangu, hapo walipokwea kutoka katika nchi ya Misri, tokea Arnoni mpaka Yaboki, na hata Yordani; basi sasa rudisha hizo nchi tena pasipo matata.
The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and all the way to the Jordan. Now, therefore, restore it peaceably.”
14
Yeftha akatuma wajumbe mara ya pili waende kwa huyo mfalme wa wana wa Amoni;
Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites
15
akamwambia, Yeftha akuambia hivi; Israeli hakuitwaa nchi ya Moabu, wala nchi ya wana wa Amoni;
to tell him, “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or of the Ammonites.
16
lakini hapo walipokwea kutoka Misri, na Israeli walienenda katika bara hata kuifikilia Bahari ya Shamu, na kufikilia Kadeshi;
But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.
17
ndipo Israeli wakatuma wajumbe waende kwa mfalme wa Edomu, wakisema, Nakuomba sana unipe ruhusa nipite katika nchi yako; lakini mfalme wa Edomu hakusikia. Ni vivyo wakampelekea wajumbe mfalme wa Moabu; wala yeye hakukubali; basi Israeli wakakaa katika Kadeshi.
Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.
18
Kisha akaenda nyikani na kuizunguka hiyo nchi ya Edomu, na nchi ya Moabu, nao wakapita upande wa mashariki wa nchi ya Moabu, wakapanga marago upande wa pili wa Arnoni; wala hawakuingia ndani ya mpaka wa Moabu, kwa maana Arnoni ilikuwa ni mpaka wa Moabu.
Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.
19
Kisha Israeli wakatuma wajumbe waende kwa Sihoni mfalme wa Waamori, mfalme wa Heshboni: Israeli wakamwambia, Twakuomba utupe ruhusa tupite katika nchi yako, mpaka mahali pangu.
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’
20
Lakini huyo Sihoni hakuwaamini Israeli ili wapite ndani ya mpaka wake; bali Sihoni akawakutanisha watu wake wote, nao wakapanga kambi katika Yahasa, wakapigana na Israeli.
But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
21
Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, akamtia Sihoni na watu wake wote mikononi mwa Israeli, nao wakawapiga; basi Israeli wakaimiliki hiyo nchi ya Waamori, wenye kukaa nchi hiyo.
Then the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, who defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who inhabited that country,
22
Nao wakaumiliki mpaka wote wa Waamori, tokea Arnoni hata Yaboki, tokea hiyo bara hata Yordani.
seizing all the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23
Basi sasa yeye Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, amewapokonya Waamori watoke mbele ya watu wake Israeli, na wewe wataka kuwatamalaki?
Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, should you now possess it?
24
Je! Wewe hutakitamalaki hicho ambacho huyo Kemoshi mungu wako akupa kukitamalaki? Kadhalika, awaye yote ambaye Bwana, Mungu wetu, amemfukuza atoke mbele yetu hao ndio tutakaowatamalaki.
Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us.
25
Na wewe sasa, je! U mwema kuliko Balaki mwana wa Sipori, huyo mfalme wa Moabu, kwa lo lote? Je! Yeye alishindana na Israeli, au kupigana nao?
Are you now so much better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them?
26
Wakati Israeli waliokuwa wakikaa Heshboni na miji yake, na katika Aroeri na miji yake, na katika miji hiyo yote iliyo huko kando ya Arnoni, muda wa miaka mia tatu; mbona ninyi hamkuipata tena katika majira hayo?
For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, as well as all the cities along the banks of the Arnon. Why did you not take them back during that time?
27
Basi mimi sikukufanyia wewe dhambi, lakini wewe unanitenda uovu kwa kupigana nami; yeye Bwana, yeye Mwamuzi, na awe mwamuzi hivi leo kati ya wana wa Israeli na wana wa Amoni.
I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
28
Lakini mfalme wa wana wa Amoni hakuyasikiza hayo maneno ya Yeftha aliompelekea.
But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him.
29
Ndipo roho ya Bwana ikamjilia juu yake Yeftha, naye akapita katika Gileadi na Manase, akapita na katika Mispa ya Gileadi, na kutoka hapo Mispa ya Gileadi akapita kuwaendea wana wa Amoni.
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
30
Naye Yeftha akamwekea Bwana nadhiri, akasema, Kwamba wewe utawatia wana wa Amoni mkononi mwangu kweli,
Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,
31
ndipo itakuwa ya kwamba, kile kitakachotoka katika milango ya nyumba yangu kunilaki, hapo nitakaporudi na amani kutoka kwa hao wana wa Amoni, kitu hicho kitakuwa ni cha Bwana, nami nitakisongeza kiwe sadaka ya kuteketezwa.
then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
32
Basi Yeftha akavuka kuwaendea wana wa Amoni ili kupigana nao; naye Bwana akawaua mkononi mwake.
So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand.
33
Akawapiga kutoka Aroeri hata kufikilia Minithi, miji ishirini, na mpaka Abel-keramimu, akawapiga kwa machinjo makuu mno. Basi hivyo wana wa Amoni walishindwa mbele ya wana wa Israeli.
With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.
34
Kisha Yeftha akafika Mispa nyumbani kwake, na tazama, binti yake akamtokea kumlaki, na matari na machezo; naye alikuwa ni mwanawe pekee; hakuwa na mwingine, mwana wala binti, ila yeye.
And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
35
Ikawa alipomwona akayararua mavazi yake, akasema, Ole wangu! Mwanangu, umenitweza sana, nawe u mmoja miongoni mwa hao wanisumbuao; kwa kuwa mimi nimemfunulia Bwana kinywa changu, nami siwezi kurejea nyuma.
As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”
36
Binti yake akamwambia, Baba yangu, wewe umemfunulia Bwana kinywa chako; basi unifanyie sawasawa na hayo yaliyotoka kinywani mwako; kwa kuwa yeye Bwana amekulipia kisasi juu ya adui zako, hao wana wa Amoni.
“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.”
37
Kisha akamwambia baba yake, Basi na nifanyiwe neno hili; niache peke yangu muda wa miezi miwili, ili nipate kwenenda milimani, na kuombolea uanawali wangu, mimi na wenzangu.
She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander for two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.”
38
Akamwambia, Haya, enda. Akampeleka mbali muda wa miezi miwili; naye akaenda zake, yeye na wenziwe, akauombolea uanawali wake huko milimani.
“Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains.
39
Basi ikawa mwisho wa hiyo miezi miwili, akarudi kwa babaye, aliyemtenda sawasawa na ile nadhiri yake aliyokuwa ameiweka; naye alikuwa hajamjua mtu mume. Kisha ikawa desturi katika Israeli,
After two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she had never had relations with a man. So it has become a custom in Israel
40
kwamba binti za Israeli waende mwaka baada ya mwaka ili kumkumbuka huyo mwana wa Yeftha, Mgileadi, siku nne katika mwaka.
that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.