Judges 11
1 [There was a man] from [the] Gilead [region] named Jephthah. He was a great warrior. His father was also named Gilead. But his mother was a prostitute.
Giladi Jephthah khaw tatthai hlangrhalh la om tih anih te pumyoi nu kah a ca ni. Jephthah he Gilead loh a sak.
2 Gilead’s wife gave birth to several sons. When they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home, saying to him, “You are the son of a prostitute, [not the son of our mother]. So [when] our father [dies], you will not receive any of his property.”
Gilead te a yuu loh a ca tongpa rhoek a sak pah dae a yuu kah a ca la rhoeng uh hang. Te dongah Jephthah te a haek uh tih, “Nang he manu a tloe ca la na om dongah a pa im khuikah he na pang mahpawh,” a ti nauh.
3 So Jephthah ran away from his brothers, and he went to the Tob region. While he was there, some worthless men started to spend a lot of time with him.
Te dongah Jephthah loh a manuca rhoek kah mikhmuh lamloh yong tih Tob khohmuen ah kho a sak. Te vaengah hlang hoeng rhoek loh Jephthah taengah poep uh tih anih taengah pongpa uh.
4 Some time later, the Ammon people-group started to fight against the Israelis.
Te dongah khohnin a pha lamkah long tah Ammon ca rhoek loh Israel te a vathoh thil uh.
5 When that happened [DOU], the leaders of [the] Gilead [region] went to Jephthah to bring him back from the Tob region [to their area].
Ammon ca rhoek loh Israel a vathoh thil vaengah tah Gilead kah a hamca rhoek te Tob kho lamkah Jephthah te loh hamla cet uh.
6 They said to him, “Come [with us] and lead our army, and [help us to] fight against the men from the Ammon people-group!”
Te vaengah Jephthah te, “Halo lamtah kaimih taengah rhalboei la om laeh, te daengah ni Ammon ca rhoek te m'vathoh thil thai pueng eh,” a ti uh.
7 But Jephthah replied, “You hated me [RHQ] previously! You forced me to leave my father’s house! So why are you coming to me now, [asking me to help you] when you are experiencing trouble?”
Tedae Gilead kah a hamca rhoek te Jephthah loh, “Nangmih moenih a? Kai nan hmuhuet uh tih a pa im lamkah kai na haek uh te. Tahae ah nang taengkah puen na cak vaengah tah kai taengla balae nan loh uh,” a ti nah.
8 The leaders from Gilead replied, “[Yes, we are having trouble, and] that is the reason that we have come to you now. If you come with us and [help us to] fight against the Ammon people-group, [after we defeat them, we will appoint] you to be the leader of all us people in [the] Gilead [region].”
Tedae Gilead kah a hamca rhoek loh Jephthah te, “Te cakhaw nang taengla ka mael uh coeng dongah kaimih taengah pongpa lamtah Ammon ca rhoek vathoh thil laeh. Te phoeiah Gilead khosa boeih soah kaimih kah a lu la na om mako,” a ti nauh.
9 Jephthah replied, “If I go back to Gilead with you to fight against the Ammon people-group, and if Yahweh helps us to defeat them, will you truly appoint me to be your leader?”
Te dongah Gilead kah a hamca rhoek te Jephthah loh, “Ammon ca rhoek vathoh thil ham kai taengla na mael uh coeng tih amih te ni BOEIPA loh kai mikhmuh ah m'paek mak atah kai khaw nangmih taengah a lu la ka om bitni,” a ti nah.
10 They replied, “Yahweh is listening to everything that we say. [So he will punish us] if we do not do everything that you tell us to do.”
Tedae Jephthah taengah Gilead kah a hamca rhoek loh, “Na ol bangla ka saii uh pawt atah ol aka ya la mamih laklo ah BOEIPA om ta,” a ti uh.
11 So Jephthah went with them back to [the] Gilead [region], and the people appointed him to be their leader and the commander of their army. And Jephthah solemnly promised to Yahweh there at Mizpah [to serve him well].
Te daengah Jephthah loh Gilead kah a hamca rhoek neh cet hmaih tih anih te amamih sokah a lu lam khaw, rhalboei lam khaw pilnam loh a khueh. Te dongah Mizpah kah BOEIPA mikhmuh ah Jephthah loh a ol te boeih a thui.
12 Jephthah sent some messengers to the king of the Ammon people-group. They asked the king, “What have we [done to make you angry, with the result] that your army is coming to fight [against the people] in our land?”
Jephthah loh Ammon ca rhoek kah manghai taengah puencawn a tueih tih, “Kai neh nangmih balae benbo benpang tih ka khohmuen vathoh thil ham kai taengla na pawk uh,” a ti nah.
13 The king replied, “[We have come to fight against you Israelis because] you took our land when you came here from Egypt. You took all our land east of the Jordan [River], from the Arnon [River in the south] to the Jabbok [River in the north]. So if you now give it back to us, there (will be peace between us/we will not fight against you).”
Jephthah kah puencawn rhoek taengah Ammon ca rhoek kah manghai loh, “Egypt lamkah, Arnon lamkah halo vaengah ka khohmuen he Israel loh Jabbok neh Jordan duela a loh. Te dongah te te rhoepnah neh ham bal laeh saeh,” a ti nah.
14 [The messengers returned to Jephthah and told him what the king had said]. So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
Tedae Jephthah loh koep a khoep tih Ammon ca rhoek kah manghai taengah puencawn a tueih.
15 They said to him, “This is what Jephthah says: ‘It is not [true] that we Israelis took the land from the Moab people-group and the Ammon people-group.
Te vaengah anih te Jephthah loh a uen tih, “Moab khohmuen neh Ammon ca rhoek kah khohmuen te Israel loh a loh moenih.
16 When the Israeli people came out of Egypt, they walked through the desert to the Red Sea, and then [walked across it and traveled to Kadesh town at the border of the Edom region].
Egypt lamkah halo vaengah Israel he khosoek longah carhaek li la cet tih Kadesh la pawk.
17 They sent messengers to the king of the Edom people-group, to say to him, “Please allow us Israelis to walk across your land.” But the king of the Edom people-group refused. Later we sent the same message to the king of the Moab people-group, but he also refused to allow the Israelis to go through his land. So the Israelis stayed at Kadesh [for a long time].
Te dongah Israel loh Edom manghai taengah puencawn a tueih tih, 'Na khohmuen ah ng'kat sak mai,’ a ti nah. Tedae Edom manghai loh a hnatun pawt dongah Moab manghai taengah khaw a tueih dae a huem pah pawt dongah Israel tah Kadesh ah kho a sak.
18 Then the Israelis went into the desert and walked outside the borders of the Edom and Moab regions. They walked east of the Moab region, east of the Arnon [River, which is the eastern border of the Moab region]. They did not cross that river to enter [the] Moab [region].
Te dongah khosoek long cet tih Edom kho neh Moab kho te a hil daengah Moab kho kah khocuk la pawk. Arnon rhalvang ah rhaeh uh coeng dae Moab khorhi te Arnon la a om coeng dongah Moab khorhi ah kun uh voelpawh.
19 ‘Then the Israelis sent a message to Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city]. They asked him, “Will you please allow us Israeli people to cross through your land to arrive at the land to which we [are going].”
Te phoeiah Israel loh Amori manghai neh Heshbon manghai Sihon taengah khaw puencawn rhoek te a tueih tih anih te Israel loh, “Nang khohmuen longah kamah hmuen te ka paan mai eh?,” a ti nah.
20 But Sihon did not trust the Israelis; [he thought that they would steal some of the things in his land]. So he gathered all his troops and they set up their tents at Jahaz [village] and then they attacked the Israelis.
Tedae Israel loh a khorhi longah a kat ham te Sihon loh a tangnah pawt dongah Sihon loh a pilnam te boeih a hueh. Te phoeiah Jahaz ah rhaeh uh tih Israel te a vathoh thil.
21 But Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], enabled the Israeli army to defeat [IDM] Sihon and his army. Then they (took possession of/started to live in) all the land where the Amor people-group had lived.
Te vaengah Israel Pathen, BOEIPA loh Sihon neh a pilnam boeih te Israel kut ah a paek. Te dongah amih te Israel loh a tloek tih Amori khohmuen neh khohmuen kah khosa hlang te boeih a pang.
22 The Israelis took all the land that belonged to the Amor people-group, 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].
Te dongah Amori khorhi te Arnon lamloh Jabbok due, khosoek lamloh Jordan duela boeih a pang uh.
23 ‘It was Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], who forced the Amor people-group to leave as the Israelis advanced. So do you now think that you can force the Israelis to leave [RHQ]?
Israel Pathen BOEIPA loh a pilnam Israel mikhmuh ah Amori a haek coeng dongah anih te nang loh na haek aya?
24 You take the land that your god Chemosh has given to you. And we will live in the land that Yahweh our God has given to us!
Na pathen Khemosh loh nang m'pang sak te na pang mahpawt a? BOEIPA ka Pathen loh kaimih mikhmuh ah m'paek boeih te tah ka pang uh van ni ta.
25 (You are no/Are you) better than Zippor’s son Balak, who was the king of the Moab people-group? He never [RHQ] quarreled with the Israeli people, and he never started to fight against us [RHQ]!
Nang tah Moab manghai Zippor capa Balak lakah na hoeikhang khaw na hoeikhang coeng a? Israel te na ho na ho tih vathoh khaw na vathoh thil.
26 For 300 years the Israeli people have lived in Heshbon and Aroer [cities in your region], and in the surrounding towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon [River]. Why have you people of the Ammon people-group not taken back those cities during all those years [RHQ]?
Israel loh Heshbon neh a khobuel ah khaw, Aroer neh a khobuel ah khaw, Arnon tuikaeng kah khopuei boeih ah khaw, kum ya thum kho ana sak uh coeng. Te vaeng tue ah balae tih na lat uh pawh?
27 We have not sinned against you, but you are sinning against me by attacking me [and my army]. I trust that Yahweh, the great judge, will decide whether we Israelis are right, or whether you people of the Ammon people-group are right.’”
Te dongah kai he nang taengah ka tholh moenih. Nang long ni kai vathoh thil ham kai taengah boethae na saii. Laitloek tue vaengah tah Israel ca rhoek laklo neh Ammon ca rhoek laklo ah BOEIPA loh laitloek nawn saeh,” a ti nah.
28 But the king of the Ammon people-group did not pay attention to that message from Jephthah.
Tedae Jephthah loh a taengla a tah olka te Ammon ca rhoek kah manghai loh hnatun pawh.
29 Then the Spirit of Yahweh took control of Jephthah. Jephthah went through [the] Gilead [region] and through the area where the tribe of Manasseh lived, [to enlist/gather men for his army]. [He finally gathered them together] in Mizpah [city] in [the] Gilead [region] to fight against the Ammon people-group.
Te vaengah BOEIPA Mueihla te Jephthah dongah om. Te dongah Gilead neh Manasseh te a poeng tih Gilead Mizpeh a poeng. Gilead Mizpeh lamloh Ammon ca rhoek pataeng a khal bal pueng.
30 There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,
Te dongah Jephthah loh BOEIPA taengah olcaeng neh a caeng tih, “Ammon ca rhoek te ka kut ah nan paek la nan paek atah,
31 when I return from the battle, I will sacrifice to you the first person who comes out of my house [to greet me]. It will be a sacrifice that will be completely burned [on the altar].”
Ammon ca rhoek taeng lamloh sading la ka bal vaengah kai doe ham ka im thohkhaih lamkah ha moe tih aka pawk te BOEIPA ham om saeh lamtah hmueihhlutnah la ka tloeng eh?,” a ti nah.
32 Then Jephthah [and his men] went from Mizpah to attack the Ammon people-group, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
Te dongah Ammon ca rhoek te vathoh thil ham Jephthah a caeh vaengah Ammon te BOEIPA loh Jephthah kut ah a paek.
33 Jephthah and his men killed them, from Aroer [city] all the way to the area around the city of Minnith. They destroyed 20 cities, as far as [the city of] Abel Keramim. So the Israelis [completely] defeated the Ammon people-group.
Te dongah Aroer lamloh Minnith na kun phai kah khopuei pakul neh Abelkeramim duela a tloek. Te dongah Ammon ca rhoek te Israel ca rhoek kah mikhmuh ah hmasoe len neh muep kunyun uh.
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter was the first one to come out of the house to meet him. She was [joyfully] playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only child; he had no sons and no other daughters.
Jephthah te Mizpah kah amah im la a mael vaengah anih doe ham a canu mai loh kamrhing neh lamnah neh tarha ha thoeng pah. Anih bueng oingaih cangloeng tih a ca tongpa huta khaw a taengah om pawh.
35 When Jephthah saw his daughter, he tore his clothes [to show that he was very sad about what he was going to do]. He said to her, “My daughter, you have caused me to become very sad [DOU] because I made a solemn promise to Yahweh [to sacrifice the first one who came out of my house], and I must do what I promised.”
A hmuh vaengah a himbai te a phen tih, “Ya-oe, ka canu, nang loh kai nan det nan det tih nang ngawn tah kai lawn lam ni na om coeng. Tedae kai loh BOEIPA taengah ka ka ka ang coeng dongah hnukpoh ham tah ka coeng voel moenih,” a ti nah.
36 His daughter said, “My father, you made a solemn promise to Yahweh. So you must do to me what you promised, because [you said that you would do that if] Yahweh helped you to defeat our enemies, the Ammon people-group.”
Tedae anih te, “A pa, BOEIPA taengah na ka na ang atah na ka lamkah aka thoeng bangla kai taengah saii mai. Na thunkha so, Ammon ca rhoek soah tawnlohnah khaw BOEIPA loh nang ham a saii coeng,” a ti nah.
37 Then she also said, “But allow me to do one thing. (First/before you do what you promised), allow me to go up into the hilly area and wander around for two months. Since I will never be married [and have children], allow me and my friends to go and cry together.”
Te phoeiah a napa te, “He ol he kai ham hang rhoi mai. Hla nit khuiah a hoenghoep ah ka pongpa dae eh, tlang ah ka dong si lamtah ka cuemnah he kamah neh ka tanu rhoek loh ka rhah uh dae eh,” a ti nah.
38 Jephthah replied, “All right, you may go.” So she left for two months. She and her friends stayed in the hills and they cried for her because she would never be married.
“Cet,” a ti nah tih hla nit khuiah a tueih. Te dongah a canu te a tanu rhoek neh cet uh tih a cuemnah tlang ah a rhah thil.
39 After two months, she returned to her father Jephthah, and he did to her what he had vowed. So his daughter never was married. Because of that, the Israelis now have a custom.
Hla nit a thok vaengah a napa taengla bal tih a olcaeng neh a caeng tangtae te a canu taengah a saii pah. Te dongah anih loh tongpa a ming pawt te Israel khuiah oltlueh pakhat la a om pah.
40 Every year the young Israeli women go [into the hills] for four days to remember [and cry about what happened to] the daughter of Jephthah.
Te khohnin lamlong tah Israel nu rhoek te kum khat ah cet uh tih hnin li khui Giladi Jephthah canu te a thoelh uh.
