1Yefita wa ku Giliyadi anali wankhondo wa mphamvu. Iyeyu amayi ake anali mkazi wachiwerewere, ndipo abambo ake anali Giliyadi. 2Mkazi wake wa Giliyadi anabereka naye ana aamuna. Tsono ana amenewa atakula anapirikitsa Yefita ndi kumuwuza kuti, “Sudzalandirako cholowa mʼnyumba ya abambo athu chifukwa ndiwe mwana wa mkazi wina.” 3Choncho Yefita anathawa kuchoka kwa abale ake ndi kukakhala mʼdziko la Tobu. Kumeneko anakakopa ndi kusonkhanitsa anthu achabechabe ndipo anatuluka pamodzi kukasakaza zinthu.
4Patapita nthawi Aamoni anadzachita nkhondo ndi Israeli. 5Tsono pamene Aamoni ankathira nkhondo Aisraeli, akuluakulu a ku Giliyadi anapita kukamutenga Yefita ku dziko la Tobu. 6Iwo anati kwa iye, “Bwera ukhale mkulu wathu wankhondo kuti timenyane ndi Amoni.”
7Yefita anawawuza Agiliyadi kuti, “Kodi inu suja munkadana nane ndi kundithamangitsa ku nyumba ya abambo anga? Nʼchifukwa chiyani lero mwabwera kwa ine pamene muli pa mavuto?”
8Akuluakulu a ku Giliyadi aja anamuyankha kuti, “Chimene tabwerera kwa iwe ndi chakuti upite nafe kukamenyana ndi Aamoni, ndipo udzakhala wolamulira wa onse okhala mu Giliyadi.”
9Yefita anawayankha akuluakulu a ku Giliyadi kuti, “Ngati mundibwezeranso kwathu kuti ndikachite nkhondo ndi Aamoni ndipo Yehova nʼkukandithandiza kuwagonjetsa, ndidzakhaladi wokulamulirani?”
10Akuluakulu a ku Giliyadi anamuyankha kuti, “Yehova akhale mboni pakati pa inu ndi ife, ngati sitidzachita monga mwa mawu anu.” 11Choncho Yefita anapita nawo akuluakulu a ku Giliyadi aja, ndipo anthu a kumeneko anamusandutsa kukhala wowalamulira ndi mkulu wankhondo. Tsono Yefita anabwerezanso mawu omwewa pamaso pa Yehova ku Mizipa.
12Kenaka Yefita anatuma amithenga kwa mfumu ya Aamoni ndi funso lakuti, “Kodi ife takuchimwirani chiyani kuti muzichita nkhondo ndi dziko langa?”
13Ndipo mfumu ya Aamoni inayankha amithenga a Yefita aja kuti, “Pamene Israeli amatuluka kuchokera mu Igupto, analanda dziko langa kuyambira ku mtsinje wa Arinoni mpaka ku mtsinje wa Yaboki mpakanso ku mtsinje wa Yorodani. Tsopano mundibwezere dziko langa mwamtendere.”
14Yefita anatumizanso amithenga akewo kwa mfumu ya Aamoni 15kukanena kuti,
Yefita akuti, “Israeli sanalande dziko la Mowabu kapena dziko la Aamoni. 16Koma pamene Aisraeli ankachoka ku Igupto anadzera njira ya ku chipululu mpaka ku Nyanja Yofiira nakafika ku Kadesi. 17Kenaka Israeli anatumiza amithenga kwa mfumu ya ku Edomu kuti, ‘Chonde tiloleni kuti tidutse mʼdziko lanu,’ Koma mfumu ya ku Edomu sinamvere zimenezo. Aisraeli anatumizanso amithenga kwa mfumu ya ku Mowabu, ndipo iyo inakananso. Choncho Israeli anakhala ku Kadesi.
18“Pambuyo pake, Aisraeli ananyamuka ulendo kudzera ku chipululu nazungulira dziko la Edomu ndi dziko la Mowabu, ndipo anafika ku mmawa kwa dziko la Mowabu ndi kumanga zinthando zawo ku mbali ina ya mtsinje wa Arinoni. Iwo sanalowe mʼdziko la Mowabu, chifukwa mtsinje wa Arinoni ndiwo unali malire a dziko la Mowabu.
19“Pambuyo pake Israeli anatumiza amithenga kwa Sihoni mfumu ya Aamori, amene amalamulira ku Hesiboni ndipo anati kwa iye, ‘Chonde tiloleni kuti tidutse mʼdziko lanu popita kwathu.’ 20Koma Sihoni sanalole Israeli kuti adzere mʼdziko mwake. Mʼmalo mwake Sihoni anasonkhanitsa ankhondo ake onse nakamanga msasa ku Yahazi ndipo anachita nkhondo ndi Israeli.
21“Koma Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli anamupereka Sihoni pamodzi ndi anthu ake onse mʼmanja mwa Israeli, ndipo anawagonjetsa. Choncho Aisraeli analanda dziko lonse la Aamori amene amakhala mʼdzikolo. 22Analanda dziko lonse kuchokera ku Arinoni mpaka ku Yaboki ndiponso kuchokera ku chipululu mpaka ku mtsinje wa Yorodani.
23“Ndiye kuti Yehova Mulungu wa Aisraeli ndiye analanda dziko la Aamori, kuwalandirira anthu ake. Kodi inu mukufuna kutilanda dzikolo? 24Bwanji inu osakhazikika mʼdziko limene Kemosi mulungu wanu anakupatsani, ifenso tikhazikike mʼdziko limene Yehova Mulungu wathu anatipatsa? 25Kodi ndinu abwino kuposa Balaki mwana wa Zipori, mfumu ya Mowabu? Kodi iye anakanganapo kapena kuchita nkhondo ndi Israeli? 26Pamene Aisraeli ankakhala mʼdziko la Hesiboni ndi mʼmidzi yake, mʼdziko la Aroeri ndi midzi yake, komanso mʼmizinda yonse imene ili mʼmbali mwa mtsinje wa Arinoni kwa zaka 300, nʼchifukwa chiyani inu simunalande malowo nthawi imeneyo? 27Choncho ine sindinakuchimwireni. Koma inu mukundilakwira pomenyana nane. Yehova woweruza, ndiye aweruze lero mlandu wa pakati pa Aisraeli ndi Aamoni.”
28Koma mfumu ya Aamori, sinasamale mawu amene Yefita anatumiza kwa iyo.
29Tsono Mzimu wa Yehova unatsikira pa Yefita. Ndipo iye ananyamuka nadzera ku Giliyadi ndi ku Manase. Anafika ku Mizipa mʼdziko la Giliyadi, ndipo kuchokera kumeneko anapita kukalimbana ndi Aamoni. 30Yefita analumbira kwa Yehova kuti, “Ngati mupereka Aamoni mʼmanja mwanga, 31aliyense amene atuluke pa khomo la nyumba yanga kudzandichingamira pobwerera nditagonjetsa Aamoni adzakhala wake wa Yehova, ndipo ndidzamupereka kuti akhale nsembe yopsereza.”
32Kenaka Yefita anawolokera kwa Aamoni kukamenya nawo nkhondo, ndipo Yehova anawaperekadi mʼmanja mwake. 33Iye anawononga mizinda makumi awiri kuchokera ku Ariori mpaka pafupi ndi mzinda wa Miniti. Anapitirira mpaka ku Abeli-Keranimu. Choncho Aisraeli anagonjetsa Aamoni.
34Pambuyo pake Yefita anabwerera ku nyumba yake. Tsono anangoona mwana wake wamkazi akutuluka kudzamuchingamira akuyimba ngʼoma ndi kuvina. Uyu anali mwana yekhayo wa Yefita. Analibenso mwana wina wamwamuna kapena wamkazi. 35Yefita ataona mwana wake uja, anangʼamba zovala zake ndi kulira, “Kalanga ine! Mwana wanga! Wandivulaza kwambiri ndipo iwe ndi gwero la mavuto anga. Ine ndinalumbira kwa Yehova ndi pakamwa pangapa ndipo sindingathe kubweza malumbiro angawo.”
36Mwanayo anayankha kuti, “Abambo, ngati munalonjeza kwa Yehova ndi pakamwa panu, chitani zimene munalonjezera pakuti Yehova wakuthandizani kulipsira adani anu Amowabu.” 37Anatinso kwa abambo ake, “Ndikupempheni chinthu ichi: Mundilole ndikayendeyende ku mapiri miyezi iwiri ndizikalira pamodzi ndi anzanga chifukwa ndikufa ndikanali namwali wosadziwa mwamuna.”
38Yefita anamuyankha kuti, “Pita.” Ndipo anamulola kuti apite miyezi iwiri. Tsono anapita kumapiri ndi atsikana anzake kukalira chifukwa cha unamwali wake. 39Miyezi iwiri itatha iye anabwerera kwa abambo ake, ndipo anachitadi zimene analonjeza.
Motero unakhala mwambo wa Aisraeli, 40kuti atsikana a Israeli ankapita chaka chilichonse kukalira maliro a mwana wa mkazi wa Yefita, Mgiliyadi uja masiku makumi anayi pa chaka.
1Jephthah was a mighty warrior. He was from the land of Gilead. His father’s name was Gilead. Jephthah’s mother was a prostitute. 2Gilead’s wife also had sons by him. When they had grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You aren’t going to get any share of our family’s property,” they said. “You are the son of another woman.” 3So Jephthah ran away from his brothers. He made his home in the land of Tob. A group of men who weren’t good for anything gathered around him there. And they followed him.
4Some time later, the Ammonites were fighting against Israel. 5So the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6“Come with us,” they said. “Be our commander. Then we can fight against the Ammonites.”
7Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me? Didn’t you drive me away from my father’s house? Why are you coming to me only when you are in trouble?”
8The elders of Gilead replied to him. “You are right,” they said. “That’s why we’re turning to you now. Come with us and fight against the Ammonites. Then you will rule over all of us who live in Gilead.”
9Jephthah said, “Suppose you take me back to fight against the Ammonites. And suppose the Lord gives me victory over them. Then will I really be your leader?”
10The elders of Gilead replied, “The Lord is our witness. We’ll certainly do as you say.” 11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. And the people made him their leader and commander. He went to Mizpah. There he repeated to the Lord everything he had said.
12Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon. They asked, “What do you have against me? Why have you attacked my country?”
13The king of Ammon answered Jephthah’s messengers. He said, “Israel came up out of Egypt. At that time they took my land away. They took all the land between the Arnon River and the Jabbok River. It reached all the way to the Jordan River. Now give it back. Then there will be peace.”
14Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon. 15They said,
“Here is what Jephthah says to you. Israel didn’t take the land of Moab. They didn’t take the land of Ammon. 16When Israel came up out of Egypt, they went through the desert to the Red Sea. From there they went on to Kadesh. 17Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom. They said, ‘Please let us go through your country.’ But the king of Edom wouldn’t listen to them. They sent the same message to the king of Moab. But he refused too. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.
18“Next, they traveled through the desert. They traveled along the borders of the lands of Edom and Moab. They passed along the east side of the country of Moab. They camped on the other side of the Arnon River. They didn’t enter the territory of Moab. The Arnon River was Moab’s border.
19“Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon. He was the king of the Amorites. He ruled in Heshbon. They said to him, ‘Let us pass through your country to our own land.’ 20But Sihon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered all his troops together. They camped at Jahaz. And they fought against Israel.
21“Then the Lord, the God of Israel, handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel. Israel won the battle over them. Amorites were living in the country at that time. And Israel took over all their land. 22Israel captured all the land between the Arnon River and the Jabbok River. It reached from the desert all the way to the Jordan River.
23“The Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out to make room for his people. So what right do you have to take it over? 24You will take what your god Chemosh gives you, won’t you? In the same way, we will take over what the Lord our God has given us. 25Are you any better than Balak, the son of Zippor? Balak was the king of Moab. Did he ever argue with Israel? Did he ever fight against them? 26For 300 years Israel has been living in Heshbon and Aroer. They have been living in the settlements around those cities. They have also been living in all the towns along the Arnon River. Why didn’t you take those places back during that time? 27I haven’t done anything wrong to you. But you are doing something wrong to me. You have gone to war against me. The Lord is the Judge. So let him decide our case today. Let him settle matters between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
28But the king of Ammon didn’t pay any attention to the message Jephthah sent him.
29Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He went across the territories of Gilead and Manasseh. He passed through Mizpah in the land of Gilead. From there he attacked the people of Ammon. 30Jephthah made a promise to the Lord. Jephthah said, “Hand the Ammonites over to me. 31If you do, here’s what I’ll do when I come back from winning the battle. Anything that comes out the door of my house to meet me will belong to the Lord. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”
32Then Jephthah went over to fight against the Ammonites. The Lord handed them over to him. 33Jephthah destroyed 20 towns between Aroer and the area of Minnith. He destroyed them all the way to Abel Keramim. So Israel brought Ammon under their control.
34Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah. And guess who came out to meet him. It was his daughter! She was dancing to the beat of tambourines. She was his only child. He didn’t have any other sons or daughters. 35When Jephthah saw her, he was so upset that he tore his clothes. He cried out, “Oh no, my daughter! You have filled me with trouble and sorrow. I’ve made a promise to the Lord. And I can’t break it.”
36“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. So do to me just what you promised to do. The Ammonites were your enemies. And the Lord has paid them back for what they did to you. 37But please do one thing for me,” she continued. “Give me two months to wander around in the hills. Let me weep there with my friends. I want to do that because I’ll never get married.”
38“You may go,” he said. He let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills. They were filled with sadness because she would never get married. 39After the two months were over, she returned to her father. He did to her just what he had promised to do. And she was a virgin.
So that became a practice in Israel. 40Each year the young women of Israel go away for four days. They do it in honor of the daughter of Jephthah. He was from the land of Gilead.
