< Judges 11 >

1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead had begotten Jephthah.
UJeftha umGiliyadi wayelibutho elilamandla. Uyise wayenguGiliyadi; unina wayeyisifebe.
2 And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons were grown, they expelled Jephthah, and said to him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of another woman.
UmkaGiliyadi wamzalela amadodana, okwathi esekhulile asexotsha uJeftha. Athi kuye, “Wena akulalifa ozalithola emulini yakwethu ngoba uyindodana yomunye umfazi.”
3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob. And vain men were gathered to Jephthah, and they made expeditions with him.
Ngakho uJeftha wabaleka kubafowabo wayahlala elizweni laseThobhi, lapho abuthanelwa khona lixuku lezigebenga zamlandela.
4 And it came to pass after some time, that the children of Ammon fought with Israel.
Emva kwalokho, kwathi ama-Amoni esesilwa labako-Israyeli,
5 And when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob.
abadala baseGiliyadi bahamba bayathatha uJeftha elizweni laseThobhi.
6 And they said to Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight against the children of Ammon.
Bathi kuye, “Woza ube ngumlawuli wamabutho ethu ukuze silwe lama-Amoni.”
7 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come to me now when ye are in trouble?
UJeftha wathi kubo, “Kalingizondanga yini langixotsha endlini kababa na? Kungani lisiza kimi khathesi seliphakathi kohlupho?”
8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, Therefore we have returned to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be head over all of us the inhabitants of Gilead.
Abadala baseGiliyadi bathi kuye, “Lanxa kunjalo, khathesi sesiphendukela kuwe; hamba lathi ekulweni lama-Amoni, njalo uzakuba yinduna yabo bonke abahlala eGiliyadi.”
9 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If ye take me back to fight against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah give them up before me, shall I be your head?
UJeftha waphendula wathi, “Nxa lingabuyela lami ukuyakulwa lama-Amoni uThixo awanikele kimi, ngizakuba yinduna yenu sibili na?”
10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Jehovah be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words!
Abadala baseGiliyadi baphendula bathi, “UThixo ungufakazi wethu; sizakwenza njengoba usitsho impela.”
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 Jehovah in Mizpah.
Ngakho uJeftha wahamba labadala baseGiliyadi, abantu bamenza waba yinduna lomlawuli wabo. Wawaphinda wonke amazwi akhe phambi kukaThixo eMizipha.
12 And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight against my land?
Emva kwalokho uJeftha wathuma izithunywa enkosini yama-Amoni lombuzo othi: “Kuyini osibangisa khona uze uhlasele ilizwe lethu na?”
13 And the king of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok and unto the Jordan; and now restore it peaceably.
Inkosi yama-Amoni yaphendula izithunywa zikaJeftha yathi, “Abako-Israyeli sebesukile eGibhithe bathatha ilizwe lami kusukela e-Arinoni kusiya eJabhoki, umango wonke kusiya eJodani. Khathesi libuyiseleni ngokuthula.”
14 And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon,
UJeftha wazibuyisela izithunywa enkosini yama-Amoni
15 and said to him, Thus saith Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.
esithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguJeftha: U-Israyeli kazange athathe ilizwe laseMowabi loba ilizwe lama-Amoni.
16 But when they came up from Egypt, then Israel walked through the wilderness as far as the Red sea, and came to Kadesh.
Kodwa ekusukeni kwakhe eGibhithe, u-Israyeli wadabula enkangala esiya oLwandle oluBomvu eqonda eKhadeshi.
17 And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land; but the king of Edom would not hearken. And they also sent to the king of Moab; and he would not. And Israel abode in Kadesh.
U-Israyeli wathuma izithunywa enkosini yase-Edomi esithi, ‘Ake usinike imvumo yokudabula phakathi kwelizwe lakho,’ kodwa inkosi yase-Edomi kayilalelanga. Bathumela lasenkosini yaseMowabi, layo yala. Ngakho u-Israyeli wahlala eKhadeshi.
18 And they walked through the wilderness, and went round the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came by the east of the land of Moab, and encamped beyond the Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon is the border of Moab.
Emva kwalokho bahamba bedabula phakathi kwenkangala, beceza ilizwe lase-Edomi lelaseMowabi, badlula beseceleni elingasempumalanga kwelizwe laseMowabi, bamisa ngakwelinye icele le-Arinoni. Kabangenanga elizweni laseMowabi, ngoba i-Arinoni yayingumngcele walo.
19 And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land unto my place.
U-Israyeli wasethuma izithunywa kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, owayebusa eHeshibhoni, wathi kuye, ‘Akusivumele sidlule phakathi kwelizwe lakho sisiya endaweni yethu.’
20 But Sihon trusted not Israel, to let him pass through his border, and Sihon gathered all his people, and they encamped in Jahzah; and he fought with Israel.
Kodwa uSihoni kamthembanga u-Israyeli ukuba adlule phakathi kwelizwe lakhe. Wabutha abantu bakhe bonke wamisa eJahazi walwa lo-Israyeli.
21 And Jehovah the God of Israel gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; and Israel took possession of the whole land of the Amorites, who dwelt in that country.
Ngakho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wanikela uSihoni labantu bakhe bonke ezandleni zika-Israyeli, wabehlula. U-Israyeli walithatha lonke ilizwe lama-Amori ayehlala kulelolizwe,
22 And they possessed all the borders of the Amorites, from the Arnon unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness unto the Jordan.
walithumba lonke elama-Amori kusukela e-Arinoni kusiya eJabhoki lokusuka enkangala kusiya eJodani.
23 And now Jehovah the God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou take possession of it?
Njengoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ewaxotshile ama-Amori phambi kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli, wena ulelungelo bani lokulithatha na?
24 Dost not thou possess what Chemosh thy god puts thee in possession of? and whatever Jehovah our God has dispossessed before us, that will we possess.
Kawuyikuthatha lokho okuphiwa ngunkulunkulu wakho uKhemoshi na? Ngokunjalo, yiloba yikuphi uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu asiphe khona, sizakuthatha.
25 And now art thou indeed better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive with Israel? did he ever fight against them?
Wena ungcono yini kuloBhalaki indodana kaZiphori, inkosi yaseMowabi? Wake waxabana lo-Israyeli loba walwa laye na?
26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its dependent villages, and in Aroer and its dependent villages, and in all the cities that are along the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years — why did ye not recover [them] within that time?
U-Israyeli wahlala eHeshibhoni iminyaka engamakhulu amathathu, e-Aroweri, lasemizaneni eseduzane kanye lakuyo yonke imizi elinganisane le-Arinoni. Kungani ungazihlangulanga lezondawo ngalesosikhathi?
27 So I have not sinned against thee, but it is thou who doest me wrong in making war against me. Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon!
Kangikonelanga, kodwa wena wenza okubi kimi ngokungihlasela ngempi. Akuthi uThixo, uMahluleli, ahlulele umbango ngalolosuku phakathi kwabako-Israyeli lama-Amoni.”
28 But the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not to the words of Jephthah that he had sent him.
Kodwa inkosi yama-Amoni kayilinakanga ilizwi eyayilithunyelwe nguJeftha.
29 Then the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed to Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.
Lapho-ke uMoya kaThixo wehlela kuJeftha. Wadabula eGiliyadi kanye lakoManase, wedlula eMizipha yaseGiliyadi, kuthe esuka lapho waqhubekela kuma-Amoni.
30 And Jephthah vowed a vow to Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt without fail give the children of Ammon into my hand,
Njalo uJeftha wafunga isifungo kuThixo wathi, “Unganikela ama-Amoni ezandleni zami,
31 then shall that which cometh forth from the door of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, be Jehovah's, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.
loba kuyini okuphuma emnyango wendlu yami ukuba kungihlangabeze lapho ngibuya nginqobile ngivela kuma-Amoni kuzakuba ngokukaThixo, njalo ngizakunikela njengomnikelo wokutshiswa.”
32 And Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Jehovah gave them into his hand.
UJeftha waya ngaphetsheya ukuyakulwa lama-Amoni, njalo uThixo wawanikela ezandleni zakhe.
33 And he smote them from Aroer until thou come to Minnith, twenty cities, even unto Abel-Cheramim, with a very great slaughter; and the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
Watshabalalisa imizi engamatshumi amabili kusukela e-Aroweri kusiya eduze leMinithi, kusiyafika e-Abheli-Kheramimi. U-Israyeli wayinqoba kanjalo i-Amoni.
34 And Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambours and with dances; and she was an only child: besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
UJeftha esebuyele emzini wakhe eMizipha, ngubani owaphuma wamhlangabeza ngaphandle kwendodakazi yakhe, igida kukhala amagedla! Yayiyiyo yodwa umntanakhe. Ngaphandle kwakhe wayengelandodana loba indodakazi.
35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his garments, 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 to Jehovah, and I cannot go back.
Kwathi eyibona wadabula izigqoko zakhe wakhala esithi, “Oh! Ndodakazi yami! Usungidabule wangenza ngaba lusizi, ngoba ngifunge isifungo kuThixo engingeke ngisephule.”
36 And she said to him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to Jehovah, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as Jehovah has taken vengeance for thee upon thine enemies, upon the children of Ammon.
Yona yaphendula yathi, “Baba, wethule ilizwi lakho kuThixo. Kimi yenza njengoba uthembisile, njengoba uThixo esephindisele ezitheni zakho, ama-Amoni.”
37 And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go and descend to the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
Wasesithi, “Kodwa ngicela ungivumele kulokhu okukodwa nje. Nginika izinyanga ezimbili ukuba ngizulazule ezintabeni ngilile labangane bami, ngoba angiyikwenda.”
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.
Yena wathi, “Ungahamba.” Wayivumela ukuba ihambe okwezinyanga ezimbili. Yona lamantombazana lawo baya ezintabeni balila ngoba yayingasoze yende.
39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned to her father, and he performed on her the vow that he had vowed; and she had known no man. And it became a fixed custom in Israel,
Emva kwezinyanga ezimbili yabuyela kuyise wasesenza lokho ayekufungile ngayo. Yayiyintombi egcweleyo. Kulokhu yikho okuvela khona umkhuba wama-Israyeli
40 that from year to year the daughters of Israel go to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.
wokuthi minyaka yonke izintombi zako-Israyeli ziyaphuma okwensuku ezine ukuba zikhumbule indodakazi kaJeftha umGiliyadi.

< Judges 11 >