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.
Yefta nye aʋawɔla sesẽ aɖe tso Gileadnyigba dzi. Dadaa nye gbolo eye fofoa ŋkɔe nye Gilead.
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.”
Vi bubuwo nɔ Gilead si siwo srɔ̃a ŋutɔ dzi nɛ. Esi Gilead ƒe vi bubu siawo tsi la, wonya Yefta le anyigba la dzi, gblɔ nɛ be, “Nyɔnu bubu ƒe vi nènye! Màkpɔ domenyinu aɖeke tso mía fofo gbɔ o.”
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.
Ale Yefta si tso fofoa ƒe aƒe me yi Tobnyigba dzi. Eƒo gbevu aɖewo nu ƒu ɖe eɖokui ŋu eye wokplɔnɛ ɖo ɣe sia ɣi.
4 Some time later, the Ammon people-group started to fight against the Israelis.
Ɣeyiɣi sia mee Amonitɔwo ho aʋa ɖe Israelviwo ŋu.
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].
Gilead ƒe kplɔlawo ɖo du ɖe Yefta
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!”
kple kukuɖeɖe be wòava kplɔ yewoƒe aʋakɔ la le aʋawɔwɔ kple Amonitɔwo me.
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?”
Yefta bia wo be, “Nu ka ta mieva yɔm le esime mielé fum eye mienyam le fofonye ƒe aƒe me? Nu ka tae mieɖo du ɖem azɔ esi miele xaxa me?”
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].”
Woɖo eŋu be, “Míeɖo du ɖe wò elabena míehiã wò kpekpeɖeŋu. Ne ànye míaƒe aʋafia le míaƒe aʋawɔwɔ me kple Amonitɔwo la, ekema miatsɔ wò aɖo fiae le Gilead.”
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?”
Yefta do ɣli be, “Nyateƒea? Ɖe miebu be maxɔ nya sia sea?”
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.”
Woɖo eŋu be, “Míedo ŋugbe na wò eye míeka atam ɖe ŋugbedodo dzi.”
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].
Ale Yefta lɔ̃ eye wòzu aʋafia kple Gilead fia. Woɖo kpe nya sia dzi le Yehowa kple ameawo katã ŋkume le Mizpa.
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?”
Yefta ɖo du ɖe Amon fia be yedi be yeanya nu si ta wòle aʋa hom ɖe Israelviwo ŋu.
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).”
Amon fia ɖo eŋu be anyigba la nye Amɔnitɔwo tɔ eye Israelviwo va fii esime wotso Egipte va ɖo. Eyi edzi be anyigba blibo la tso Arnon tɔsisi la ŋu yi Yabok tɔsisi la ŋu heyi Yɔdan tɔsisi la ŋu, eye wònye ye tɔ, eya ta Israelviwo naɖe asi le yeƒe anyigba ŋuti na ye tomefafatɔe.
14 [The messengers returned to Jephthah and told him what the king had said]. So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
Yefta gaɖo amewo ɖe Amonitɔwo ƒe fia
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.
be, “Nya si Yefta gblɔ lae nye esi, ‘Israel mexɔ Moabtɔwo alo Amonitɔwo ƒe anyigba o. Nyateƒe lae nye be,
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].
esi Israelviwo tso Egipte, tso Ƒu Dzĩe la eye wova ɖo Kades la,
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].
woɖo du ɖe Edom fia nɔ mɔ biam be, yewoato eƒe anyigba dzi gake Edom fia meɖe mɔ na wo o. Wobia mɔ ma ke Moab fia hã eye eya hã gbe eya ta Israelviwo nɔ Kades.
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].
“‘Mlɔeba la, woƒo xlã Edom kple Moab to gbedadaƒo, woto woƒe ɣedzeƒeliƒowo dzi va se ɖe esime woɖo Moab ƒe liƒo la godo le Arnon tɔsisi la ŋu.
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].”
Israel ɖo du ɖe Fia Sixɔn, Amoritɔwo ƒe fia, le Hesbon eye wòbia be wòaɖe mɔ yewoato eƒe anyigba dzi ayi afi si yewoyina.
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.
Fia Sixɔn mexɔ Israelviwo dzi se o eya ta wòna eƒe aʋakɔ wɔ aʋa kple Israelviwo le Yaza.
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.
Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la kpe ɖe Israelviwo ŋu woɖu Fia Sixɔn dzi. Ale Israelviwo xɔ anyigba si dzi Amoritɔwo nɔ la katã.
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].
Israelviwo nɔ anyigba la katã dzi tso Arnon tɔsisi la ŋu le anyigbeme yi Yabok tɔsisi la ŋu le dzigbeme kple tso gbegbe la ŋu le ɣedzeƒe yi Yɔdan tɔsisi la ŋu le ɣetoɖoƒe.
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]?
“‘Ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu lae xɔ anyigba la le Amoritɔwo si na Israelviwo. Ekema nu ka ta míagbugbɔe na wò?
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 nu sia nu si wò mawu Kemos na wò la nanye tɔwò eye nu sia nu si Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la na míawo hã la, nanye mía tɔ!
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]!
Ke wò ɖe, ame ka gɔ̃e nèbu be yenye? Ɖe nènyo wu Fia Balak, Moab fia? Ɖe wòdi be yeagbugbɔ yeƒe anyigba axɔ le Israelviwo si, esime Israel ɖu edzia? Kpao!
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]?
Ke wò ya nèle didim be yeaho nya sia ɖe dzi azɔ le ƒe alafa etɔ̃ megbe! Israel nɔ anyigba sia dzi ɣeyiɣi sia katã tso Hesbon va yi Aroer, yi ɖatɔ keke Arnon tɔsisi la. Nu ka ta mèdze agbagba aɖeke kpɔ do ŋgɔ na fifia be yeagbugbɔ anyigba la axɔ o?
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.’”
Kpɔ ɖa, nyemewɔ nu vɔ̃ aɖeke ɖe ŋuwò o: wò boŋue wɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe ŋunye be nèho aʋa ɖe ŋunye. Ke eteƒe madidi o, Yehowa, Ʋɔnudrɔ̃la la, adrɔ̃ ʋɔnu le mí Israelviwo kple mi Amonitɔwo dome.’”
28 But the king of the Ammon people-group did not pay attention to that message from Jephthah.
Amon fia meɖo to Yefta ƒe nya la o.
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.
Le ɣeyiɣi ma me la, Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ va Yefta dzi eye wòkplɔ eƒe aʋakɔ to Gileadnyigba kple Manase ƒe anyigba dzi, dze le Mizpa le Gilead ŋu eye wòkpe aʋa kple Amonitɔwo ƒe aʋakɔ.
30 There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,
Yefta ɖe adzɔgbe na Yehowa be, “Ne ètsɔ Amonitɔwo de asi nam la,
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].”
nu sia nu si ado to nye aƒe ƒe agbo me ava kpem ne meɖu Amonitɔwo dzi hetrɔ gbɔ la, anye Yehowa tɔ eye matsɔe asa numevɔe nɛ.”
32 Then Jephthah [and his men] went from Mizpah to attack the Ammon people-group, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
Yefta kplɔ eƒe aʋakɔ wowɔ aʋa kple Amonitɔwo. Yehowa na Israel ɖu dzi
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.
eye wowu Amonitɔwo tso keke Aroer va se ɖe Minit. Woxɔ du blaeve va keke Abel Keramin. Ale Israel ɖu Amonitɔwo dzi.
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.
Esi Yefta trɔ va eƒe aƒe me le Mizpa la, ame aɖeke medo va kpee o, negbe via nyɔnu si nɔ ɣe ɖum ɖe asiʋui ŋu! Eya koe nye vi ɖeka si nɔ esi. Viŋutsu loo alo vinyɔnu aɖeke meganɔ esi wu eya o.
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.”
Esi wòkpɔe la, edze eƒe awuwo henɔ ɣli dom be, “O, vinyenyɔnu! Ètsɔm do nublanuitɔ kple ame ɖigbɔ̃e elabena meɖe adzɔgbe na Yehowa esi dzi nyemate ŋu ada le o.”
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.”
Eɖo eŋu nɛ be “Fofonye, èɖe adzɔgbe na Yehowa; wɔm abe ale si nèdo ŋugbee ene elabena Yehowa bia hlɔ̃ wò futɔ siwo nye Amonitɔwo.
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.”
Gake wɔ nye didi sia ko dzi nam. Na ɣleti evem matsa le togbɛawo dzi afa konyi kple xɔ̃nyewo elabena nyemaɖe srɔ̃ akpɔakpɔ o.”
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.
Yefta ɖe mɔ nɛ eye wòyi toawo dzi; eya kple xɔlɔ̃awo nɔ afi ma kple konyifafa ɣleti eve.
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.
Le esia megbe la, etrɔ va aƒe eye Yefta wɔ eƒe adzɔgbeɖeɖe dzi, ale ɖetugbi la meɖe srɔ̃ o. Tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, ezu kɔnu le Israelviwo dome
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.
be ɖetugbiwo nayi aɖanɔ toawo dzi ŋkeke ene ƒe sia ƒe afa konyi le Yefta, Gileadtɔ la ƒe vinyɔnuvi ta.
