1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.11.1 Jephthah: Gr. Jephthae11.1 an harlot: Heb. a woman an harlot 2And 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. 3Then 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.11.3 from: Heb. from the face of
4¶ And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.11.4 in process…: Heb. after days 5And 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: 6And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. 7And 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? 8And 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. 9And 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? 10And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.11.10 witness…: Heb. the hearer between us 11Then 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.
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? 13And 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. 14And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon: 15And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon: 16But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; 17Then 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. 18Then 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. 19And 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. 20But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21And 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. 22And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. 23So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? 24Wilt 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. 25And 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, 26While 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? 27Wherefore 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. 28Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
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. 30And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, 31Then 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.11.31 whatsoever…: Heb. that which cometh forth, which shall come forth11.31 and…: or, or I will offer it, etc
32¶ So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. 33And 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.11.33 the plain: or, Abel
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.11.34 beside…: or, he had not of his own either son or daughter: Heb. of himself 35And 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. 36And 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. 37And 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.11.37 go up…: Heb. go and go down 38And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains. 39And 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,11.39 custom: or, ordinance 40That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.11.40 yearly: Heb. from year to year11.40 to lament: or, to talk with
Yefta Bɛyɛ Israel So Temmufo
1Gileadni Yefta yɛ ɔkofo kɛse. Nʼagya din de Gilead. Nanso ne na yɛ ɔbea guamanfo. 2Gilead yere woo mmabarima bebree, na saa mmabarima no nyinyinii no, wɔpam Yefta fii asase no so. Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Worennya yɛn agya agyapade biara, efisɛ woyɛ ɔbea guamanfo bi ba.” 3Enti Yefta guan fii ne nuanom nkyɛn kɔtenaa Tob asase so. Ankyɛ, onyaa atuatewfo bebree bedii nʼakyi.
4Bere koro yi ara, Amonfo de ɔko bɛkaa Israel. 5Bere a Amonfo tow hyɛɛ Israelfo so no, Gilead mpanyimfo soma kɔfaa Yefta fii Tob asase so bae. Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, 6“Bra na bɛyɛ yɛn so ɔsahene! Boa yɛn ma yɛne Amonfo nko.”
7Yefta bisaa wɔn se, “Ɛnyɛ mo na motan me, pam me fii mʼagya fi no? Adɛn nti na afei a mowɔ ɔhaw mu no, morebɛfrɛ me?”
8Gilead mpanyimfo no ka kyerɛɛ Yefta se, “Wo ho hia yɛn. Sɛ wudi yɛn anim ma yɛko tia Amonfo a, yɛbɛyɛ wo Gileadfo nyinaa sodifo.”
9Yefta buae se, “Sɛ me ne mo kɔ na Awurade ma midi Amonfo so nkonim a, ampa ara sɛ mode me bɛyɛ nnipa no nyinaa sodifo ana?”
10Gilead ntuanofo no buaa no se, “Awurade ne yɛn dansefo. Yɛbɛyɛ sɛnea woka biara.” 11Enti Yefta ne ntuanofo no kɔɔ Gilead. Na wɔde no yɛɛ wɔn sodifo ne ɔsahene. Na Yefta tii nsɛm no nyinaa mu wɔ Mispa wɔ Awurade anim.
12Afei, Yefta somaa abɔfo kɔɔ Amonfo hene nkyɛn se wonkobisa no nea enti a ɔrebɛtow ahyɛ Israel so. 13Amonfo hene buaa Yefta abɔfo no se, “Bere a Israel fii Misraim bae no, wɔfaa mʼasase a efi Asubɔnten Arnon de kosi Asubɔnten Yabok, toa so kosi Yordan. Enti san fa mʼade ma me asomdwoe mu.”
14Na Yefta san somaa abɔfo kɔɔ Amonfo hene hɔ se,
15“Sɛnea Yefta se ni: Israel amfa Moab asase anaa Amonfo asase biara. 16Bere a Israelfo tuu kwan fii Misraim, twaa Po Kɔkɔɔ na woduu Kades no, 17wɔsomaa abɔfo kɔɔ Edomhene hɔ sɛ ɔmma wɔn kwan na wɔmfa nʼasase no so. Nanso Edomhene ampene. Wɔsoma ma wɔkɔɔ Moabhene hɔ, nanso ɔno nso ampene. Enti, Israelfo tenaa Kades.
18“Ne korakora ne sɛ, wɔnam sare so twa faa Edom ne Moab ho hyiae. Wɔfaa Edom apuei fam hye so kyeree nsraban wɔ Asubɔnten Arnon fa hɔ. Nanso wɔantwa Asubɔnten Arnon ankɔ Moab asase so.
19“Afei, Israelfo somaa abɔfo kɔɔ Amorihene Sihon a odii ade fi Hesbon na wɔsrɛɛ kwan sɛ wɔpɛ sɛ wɔfa nʼasase so kɔ baabi a wɔrekɔ no. 20Nanso esiane sɛ na ɔhene Sihon nni Israelfo mu gyidi nti ɔboaboaa ne dɔm ano wɔ Yahas ma wɔtow hyɛɛ wɔn so.
21“Na Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, maa ne nkurɔfo dii ɔhene Sihon so. Enti Israelfo faa Amorifo asase a na wɔte so wɔ ɔmantam no mu, 22fi Asubɔnten Arnon de kosi Asubɔnten Yabok, fi sare no so de kosi Yordan nyinaa dii so.
23“Enti moahu, ɛyɛ Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn na ogyee asase no fii Amorifo nsam na ɔde maa Israel. Adɛn na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛde ma mo? 24Nea mo nyame Kemos de maa mo no momfa, na yɛn nso, nea Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn de maa yɛn biara no yɛafa. 25So wosen Mosen, Sipor babarima Balak a na ɔyɛ Moabhene no? Ɔne Israel hamee anaa koe ana? 26Na afei, mfe ahaasa akyi na woama saa asɛm yi so? Israel atena ha saa bere tenten yi, wɔatrɛw afi Hesbon asase so, akosi Aroer ne nkurow no nyinaa so, akɔfa Asubɔnten Arnon ano. Adɛn nti na mmere sann yi moanyɛ mo adwene sɛ mubegye asase yi? 27Menyɛɛ mo bɔne. Mmom, mo na moayɛ me bɔne sɛ motow hyɛɛ me so. Momma Awurade a ɔyɛ otemmufo no mmua nnɛ, sɛ yɛn mu hena na nʼasɛm yɛ dɛ? Israel anaa Amon.”
28Nanso Amonhene amfa Yefta asɛm no asɛnhia.
Yefta Ntam
29Saa bere no, Awurade Honhom baa Yefta so maa ɔkɔɔ Gilead ne Manase nsase nyinaa so a, Mispa a ɛwɔ Gilead ka ho. Na odii asraafo anim tow hyɛɛ Amonfo so. 30Na Yefta hyɛɛ Awurade bɔ. Ɔkae se, “Sɛ woma midi Amonfo so a, 31mede ade a ebedi kan afi me fi abehyia me bere a mede nkonimdi reba no, bɛma Awurade. Mede bɛma no sɛ ɔhyew afɔre.”
32Ɛnna Yefta dii nʼakofo anim tiaa Amonfo, na Awurade ma odii nkonim. 33Odii Amonfo so pasaa, sɛee nkurow bɛyɛ aduonu, fii Aroer de kosii baabi a ɛbɛn Minit, kɔe ara kosii Abel-Keramim. Saa kwan yi so na Israelfo fa kaa Amonfo hyɛe.
34Bere a Yefta fi akono kɔɔ ne fi wɔ Mispa no, ne babea, a ɔyɛ ne ba koro no, tuu mmirika behyiaa no a ɔrebɔ akasae, na anigye nti, ɔresaw. 35Yefta huu no no, ɔde awerɛhow sunsuan ne ntade mu, teɛɛ mu se, “Ao, me ba! Woabrɛ me ase na matetew apansam. Na maka Awurade ntam na merentumi mmu so.”
36Ne babea no buae se, “Mʼagya, woahyɛ Awurade bɔ. Yɛ me sɛnea woahyɛ bɔ no, efisɛ Awurade ama woadi wʼatamfo a wɔyɛ Amonfo no so nkonim. 37Nanso nea edi kan no, ma memforo mmepɔw nkokyinkyin so na me ne me nnamfonom nsu asram abien, efisɛ mewu sɛ ababaa a minhuu ɔbarima da.”
38Yefta ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Wutumi kɔ.” Enti ɔmaa no kɔ kodii asram abien. Ɔne ne nnamfonom kɔɔ mmepɔw no so kosui, efisɛ ɔrennya mma. 39Bere a ɔsan baa fie no, nʼagya dii ne bɔhyɛ so. Enti owui sɛ ababaa a onhuu ɔbarima da.
Eyi abɛyɛ amanne wɔ Israel 40ama Israel mmabun sɛ afe biara wɔbɛkɔ baabi akodi nnaanan na wɔakosu Yefta babea no nkrabea.
