Judges 11
1 Jephthah of Gilead was a strong fighter. He was the son of a prostitute, and his father was Gilead.
UJeftha umGiliyadi wayelibutho elilamandla. Uyise wayenguGiliyadi; unina wayeyisifebe.
2 Gilead's wife gave him sons, who when they grew up, drove Jephthah away, telling him, “You won't inherit anything from our father because you are another woman's son.”
UmkaGiliyadi wamzalela amadodana, okwathi esekhulile asexotsha uJeftha. Athi kuye, “Wena akulalifa ozalithola emulini yakwethu ngoba uyindodana yomunye umfazi.”
3 Jephthah ran away from his brothers and went to live in the land of Tob. A gang of trouble-makers joined him and he led them out on raids.
Ngakho uJeftha wabaleka kubafowabo wayahlala elizweni laseThobhi, lapho abuthanelwa khona lixuku lezigebenga zamlandela.
4 Later on, the Ammonites were at war with Israel.
Emva kwalokho, kwathi ama-Amoni esesilwa labako-Israyeli,
5 As the Ammonites were attacking Israel, the elders of Gilead came to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
abadala baseGiliyadi bahamba bayathatha uJeftha elizweni laseThobhi.
6 “Come and be our army commander,” they asked Jepthah, “so we can fight the Ammonites.”
Bathi kuye, “Woza ube ngumlawuli wamabutho ethu ukuze silwe lama-Amoni.”
7 “Weren't you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father's house?” Jephthah asked them, “Why are you coming to me now you're in trouble?”
UJeftha wathi kubo, “Kalingizondanga yini langixotsha endlini kababa na? Kungani lisiza kimi khathesi seliphakathi kohlupho?”
8 “Yes, that's why we've turned to you now,” the elders of Gilead replied. “Come with us and fight the Ammonites, and you will be the leader of all the people of Gilead.”
Abadala baseGiliyadi bathi kuye, “Lanxa kunjalo, khathesi sesiphendukela kuwe; hamba lathi ekulweni lama-Amoni, njalo uzakuba yinduna yabo bonke abahlala eGiliyadi.”
9 “So if I go back with you and fight the Ammonites, and the Lord makes me victorious, then I'll be your leader?” Jephthah asked the elders of Gilead.
UJeftha waphendula wathi, “Nxa lingabuyela lami ukuyakulwa lama-Amoni uThixo awanikele kimi, ngizakuba yinduna yenu sibili na?”
10 “The Lord will be a witness between us,” they replied. “We'll do whatever you say.”
Abadala baseGiliyadi baphendula bathi, “UThixo ungufakazi wethu; sizakwenza njengoba usitsho impela.”
11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and army commander. And Jephthah repeated all his conditions before the Lord at Mizpah.
Ngakho uJeftha wahamba labadala baseGiliyadi, abantu bamenza waba yinduna lomlawuli wabo. Wawaphinda wonke amazwi akhe phambi kukaThixo eMizipha.
12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites to ask him, “What have you got against me that you want to attack my land?”
Emva kwalokho uJeftha wathuma izithunywa enkosini yama-Amoni lombuzo othi: “Kuyini osibangisa khona uze uhlasele ilizwe lethu na?”
13 The king of the Ammonites replied to Jephthah's messengers, “Israel seized my land when they came from Egypt. It extended from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, and across to the Jordan River. So give it back and there'll be no fighting.”
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 Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of the Ammonites
UJeftha wazibuyisela izithunywa enkosini yama-Amoni
15 to tell him, “This is Jephthah's reply: The Israelites did not take any land from Moab or from the Ammonites.
esithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguJeftha: U-Israyeli kazange athathe ilizwe laseMowabi loba ilizwe lama-Amoni.
16 When they left Egypt, the Israelites went through the desert to the Red Sea and arrived at Kadesh.
Kodwa ekusukeni kwakhe eGibhithe, u-Israyeli wadabula enkangala esiya oLwandle oluBomvu eqonda eKhadeshi.
17 They sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your country,’ but the king of Edom refused to listen. They also sent the same request to the king of Moab, and he refused too. So they remained at 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 Eventually the Israelites traveled through the desert, avoiding the lands of Edom and Moab. They arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River. But they did not enter Moab territory, for the Arnon River was its border.
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 Then the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon, and asked him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to our own country.’
U-Israyeli wasethuma izithunywa kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, owayebusa eHeshibhoni, wathi kuye, ‘Akusivumele sidlule phakathi kwelizwe lakho sisiya endaweni yethu.’
20 But Sihon didn't trust the Israelites to pass through his territory. So he assembled his army, set up camp at Jahaz, and attacked the Israelites.
Kodwa uSihoni kamthembanga u-Israyeli ukuba adlule phakathi kwelizwe lakhe. Wabutha abantu bakhe bonke wamisa eJahazi walwa lo-Israyeli.
21 However, the Lord, the God of Israel, handed over Sihon and all his people to the Israelites, who defeated them. So the Israelites took over all the land inhabited by the Amorites.
Ngakho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wanikela uSihoni labantu bakhe bonke ezandleni zika-Israyeli, wabehlula. U-Israyeli walithatha lonke ilizwe lama-Amori ayehlala kulelolizwe,
22 They occupied all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, and from the desert to the Jordan River.
walithumba lonke elama-Amori kusukela e-Arinoni kusiya eJabhoki lokusuka enkangala kusiya eJodani.
23 It was the Lord, the God of Israel, who drove out the Amorites before his people Israel, so why should you take it over?
Njengoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ewaxotshile ama-Amori phambi kwabantu bakhe u-Israyeli, wena ulelungelo bani lokulithatha na?
24 Why don't you keep whatever your god Chemosh gave you, and we'll keep whatever the Lord our God has given us?
Kawuyikuthatha lokho okuphiwa ngunkulunkulu wakho uKhemoshi na? Ngokunjalo, yiloba yikuphi uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu asiphe khona, sizakuthatha.
25 Do you think you're so much better than Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or attack them?
Wena ungcono yini kuloBhalaki indodana kaZiphori, inkosi yaseMowabi? Wake waxabana lo-Israyeli loba walwa laye na?
26 Israelites have been living in Heshbon, Aroer, their villages, and in all the towns along the banks of the Arnon River for three hundred years. Why didn't you take them back during 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 I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by going to war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
Kangikonelanga, kodwa wena wenza okubi kimi ngokungihlasela ngempi. Akuthi uThixo, uMahluleli, ahlulele umbango ngalolosuku phakathi kwabako-Israyeli lama-Amoni.”
28 But the king of Ammon didn't pay any attention to what Jephthah had to say.
Kodwa inkosi yama-Amoni kayilinakanga ilizwi eyayilithunyelwe nguJeftha.
29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then on through Mizpah of Gilead. From there he advanced to attack the Ammonites.
Lapho-ke uMoya kaThixo wehlela kuJeftha. Wadabula eGiliyadi kanye lakoManase, wedlula eMizipha yaseGiliyadi, kuthe esuka lapho waqhubekela kuma-Amoni.
30 Jephthah made a solemn promise to the Lord, saying, “If you make me victorious over the Ammonites,
Njalo uJeftha wafunga isifungo kuThixo wathi, “Unganikela ama-Amoni ezandleni zami,
31 I will dedicate to the Lord whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me on my safe return from the battle. I will present it as a burnt offering.”
loba kuyini okuphuma emnyango wendlu yami ukuba kungihlangabeze lapho ngibuya nginqobile ngivela kuma-Amoni kuzakuba ngokukaThixo, njalo ngizakunikela njengomnikelo wokutshiswa.”
32 Jephthah advanced to attack the Ammonites, and the Lord gave him the victory over them.
UJeftha waya ngaphetsheya ukuyakulwa lama-Amoni, njalo uThixo wawanikela ezandleni zakhe.
33 He soundly defeated them, capturing twenty cities from Aroer to the area around Minnith, up as far as Abel-keramim. This is how the Ammonites were conquered by the Israelites.
Watshabalalisa imizi engamatshumi amabili kusukela e-Aroweri kusiya eduze leMinithi, kusiyafika e-Abheli-Kheramimi. U-Israyeli wayinqoba kanjalo i-Amoni.
34 When Jephthah arrived home in Mizpah, there came his daughter out to meet him, with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child—he had no son or daughter apart from her.
UJeftha esebuyele emzini wakhe eMizipha, ngubani owaphuma wamhlangabeza ngaphandle kwendodakazi yakhe, igida kukhala amagedla! Yayiyiyo yodwa umntanakhe. Ngaphandle kwakhe wayengelandodana loba indodakazi.
35 The moment he saw her, he ripped his clothes in agony and cried out, “Oh no, my daughter! You have crushed me completely! You have destroyed me, for I made a solemn promise to the Lord and I can't go back on it.”
Kwathi eyibona wadabula izigqoko zakhe wakhala esithi, “Oh! Ndodakazi yami! Usungidabule wangenza ngaba lusizi, ngoba ngifunge isifungo kuThixo engingeke ngisephule.”
36 She replied, “Father, you have made a solemn promise to the Lord. Do to me what you promised, for the Lord brought vengeance your enemies, the Ammonites.”
Yona yaphendula yathi, “Baba, wethule ilizwi lakho kuThixo. Kimi yenza njengoba uthembisile, njengoba uThixo esephindisele ezitheni zakho, ama-Amoni.”
37 Then she went on to say to him, “Just let me do this: let me walk through the hills for two months with my friends and grieve the fact that I'll never marry.”
Wasesithi, “Kodwa ngicela ungivumele kulokhu okukodwa nje. Nginika izinyanga ezimbili ukuba ngizulazule ezintabeni ngilile labangane bami, ngoba angiyikwenda.”
38 “You can go,” he told her. He sent her away for two months, and she and her friends went into the hills and cried because she would never marry.
Yena wathi, “Ungahamba.” Wayivumela ukuba ihambe okwezinyanga ezimbili. Yona lamantombazana lawo baya ezintabeni balila ngoba yayingasoze yende.
39 When the two months were over, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had promised, and she was a virgin. This is the origin of the custom in Israel
Emva kwezinyanga ezimbili yabuyela kuyise wasesenza lokho ayekufungile ngayo. Yayiyintombi egcweleyo. Kulokhu yikho okuvela khona umkhuba wama-Israyeli
40 that every year the young women of Israel leave for four days to weep in commemoration of the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
wokuthi minyaka yonke izintombi zako-Israyeli ziyaphuma okwensuku ezine ukuba zikhumbule indodakazi kaJeftha umGiliyadi.
