Jephthah
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
Basi huyo Yeftha, Mgileadi, alikuwa mtu shujaa sana, naye alikuwa ni mwana wa mwanamke kahaba; Gileadi akamzaa Yeftha.
2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
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.
3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
Ndipo Yeftha akawakimbia hao nduguze, akakaa katika nchi ya Tobu; na watu mabaradhuli walikwenda na kutangamana na Yeftha, wakatoka kwenda pamoja naye.
4 And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
Ikawa baadaye, wana wa Amoni wakapigana na Israeli.
5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
Ikatukia, hapo wana wa Amoni walipopigana na Israeli, wazee wa Gileadi wakaenda kumtwaa huyo Yeftha katika ile nchi ya Tobu;
6 and they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
wakamwambia Yeftha, Njoo wewe uwe kichwa chetu, ili tupate kupigana na wana wa Amoni.
7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
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?
8 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
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.
9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
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?
10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
Wazee wa Gileadi wakamwambia Yeftha, Yeye Bwana atakuwa shahidi kati yetu; hakika yetu tutafanya sawasawa na neno lako.
11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
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.
12 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
Basi Yeftha akatuma wajumbe waende kwa mfalme wa wana wa Amoni akasema, Je! Wewe una nini nami, hata umenijilia kupigana juu ya nchi yangu?
13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.
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.
14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:
Yeftha akatuma wajumbe mara ya pili waende kwa huyo mfalme wa wana wa Amoni;
15 and said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
akamwambia, Yeftha akuambia hivi; Israeli hakuitwaa nchi ya Moabu, wala nchi ya wana wa Amoni;
16 but when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
lakini hapo walipokwea kutoka Misri, na Israeli walienenda katika bara hata kuifikilia Bahari ya Shamu, na kufikilia Kadeshi;
17 then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto . And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
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.
18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
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.
19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.
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.
20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
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.
21 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
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.
22 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
Nao wakaumiliki mpaka wote wa Waamori, tokea Arnoni hata Yaboki, tokea hiyo bara hata Yordani.
23 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
Basi sasa yeye Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, amewapokonya Waamori watoke mbele ya watu wake Israeli, na wewe wataka kuwatamalaki?
24 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
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.
25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
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?
26 while Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?
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?
27 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
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.
28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
Lakini mfalme wa wana wa Amoni hakuyasikiza hayo maneno ya Yeftha aliompelekea.
His Vow and Victory
29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
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.
30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
Naye Yeftha akamwekea Bwana nadhiri, akasema, Kwamba wewe utawatia wana wa Amoni mkononi mwangu kweli,
31 then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
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.
32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
Basi Yeftha akavuka kuwaendea wana wa Amoni ili kupigana nao; naye Bwana akawaua mkononi mwake.
33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
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.
34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
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.
35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
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.
36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
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.
37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
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.
38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
Akamwambia, Haya, enda. Akampeleka mbali muda wa miezi miwili; naye akaenda zake, yeye na wenziwe, akauombolea uanawali wake huko milimani.
39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
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,
40 that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
kwamba binti za Israeli waende mwaka baada ya mwaka ili kumkumbuka huyo mwana wa Yeftha, Mgileadi, siku nne katika mwaka.
