< Judges 11 >
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
Yeftha Mgileadi alikuwa shujaa mwenye nguvu, lakini alikuwa mwana wa kahaba. Gileadi alikuwa baba yake.
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.
Mke wa Gileadi pia alizaa wanawe wengine. Wana wa mkewe walipokua, walimlazimisha Yeftha aondoke nyumbani na kumwambia, “Huwezi kurithi chochote kutoka katika familia yetu. Wewe ni 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.
Basi Yeftha akaondoka toka kwa ndugu zake, akaishi katika nchi ya Tobu. Watu wasiokuwa na sheria waliungana na Yeftha na wakaja na kwenda pamoja naye.
4 And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
Siku kadhaa baadaye, wana wa Amoni walipigana 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:
Wana wa Amoni walipopigana na Israeli, wazee wa Gileadi wakaenda kumleta Yeftha kutoka 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 uwe kiongozi wetu ili tupigane 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?
YEphtha akawaambia viongozi wa Gileadi, “mlinichukia na kunilazimisha kuondoka nyumbani kwa baba yangu. Kwa nini mnakuja kwangu sasa munapokuwa na shida?”
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, “Ndiyo sababu tunakugeukia sasa; njoo pamoja nasi pigana na watu wa Amoni, na wewe utakuwa kiongozi juu ya wote wanaoishi Gileadi.
9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, And Yhwh deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
Yeftha akawaambia wazee wa Gileadi, “Ikiwa mnanirejesha nyumbani tena ili kupigana na wana wa Amoni, na kama Bwana atatupa ushindi juu yao, nitakuwa kiongozi wenu.”
10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Yhwh be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
wazee wa Gileadi wakamwambia Yeftha, “Bwana awe shahidi kati yetu ikiwa hatutafanya kama tunavyosema!”
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 Yhwh in Mizpeh.
Yeftha akaenda pamoja na wazee wa Gileadi, nao watu wakamfanya awe msimamizi na mkuu juu yao. Alipokuwa mbele ya Bwana huko Mizpa, Yeftha akarudia ahadi zote alizozifanya.
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?
Ndipo Yeftha akatuma wajumbe kwa mfalme wa wana wa Amoni, akisema, “Ni nini mgogoro huu kati yetu? Kwa nini umekuja kwa nguvu kuchukua ardhi yetu?”
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 wajumbe wa Yeftha, “Kwa sababu Israeli walipopanda kutoka Misri, walichukua nchi yangu toka Arnoni hata Yaboki, mpaka Yordani. Sasa rudisha ardhi hizo kwa amani.”
14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:
Yefta akatuma tena wajumbe kwa 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:
akasema, “Yefita asema hivi, Israeli hawakuchukua nchi ya Moabu na 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 walitoka Misri, na Israeli wakaenda kupitia jangwa hadi Bahari ya Shamu na 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.
Israeli walipomtuma wajumbe kwa mfalme wa Edomu, wakisema, 'Tafadhali tunaomba ruhusa tupite katika nchi yako,' mfalme wa Edomu hakuwasikiliza. Wakawatuma wajumbe kwa mfalme wa Moabu, lakini akakataa. Basi Israeli wakakaa 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 wakapitia jangwani, wakaondoka katika nchi ya Edomu, na nchi ya Moabu; wakavuka upande wa mashariki wa nchi ya Moabu, wakapanga ng'ambo ya Arnoni. Lakini hawakuingia mpaka wa Moabu, maana Arnoni ilikuwa 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.
Israeli wakatuma wajumbe kwa Sihoni, mfalme wa Waamori, ambaye alitawala huko Heshboni; Israeli akamwambia, 'Tafadhali, tunaomba tupite katika nchi yako hata mahali petu.'
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 Sihoni hakumwamini Israeli apite katika eneo lake. Basi Sihoni akakusanya jeshi lake lote, akalipeleka Yahasa, na huko akapigana na Israeli
21 And Yhwh 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 mkononi mwa Israeli, nao wakawashinda. Basi Israeli wakachukua nchi yote ya Waamori waliokaa katika nchi hiyo.
22 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
Wachukua kila kitu ndani ya wilaya ya Waamori, kutoka Arnoni hadi Yaboki, na kutoka jangwani hadi Yordani.
23 So now Yhwh God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
Basi, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, amewafukuza Waamori mbele ya watu wake Israeli, na sasa mnataka kuimiliki nchi yao?
24 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever Yhwh our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
Je, huwezi kuchukua nchi ambayo Kemoshi, mungu wako, anakupa? Kwa hiyo nchi yoyote Bwana, Mungu wetu, ametupa, tutachukua.
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,
Sasa wewe ni bora zaidi kuliko Balaki, mwana wa Sipori, mfalme wa Moabu? Je, alidai kuwa na hoja na Israeli? Je, yeye amewahi kupigana vita dhidi yao?
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 walipoishia miaka mia tatu huko Heshboni na vijiji vyake, na Aroeri na vijiji vyake, na katika miji yote iliyo karibu na Arnoni, kwa nini hamkuwachukua tena wakati huo?
27 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: Jehovah-shaphat, Yhwh the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
Sijawafanyia vibaya, lakini mnanifanyia vibaya kwa kunishambulia. Bwana, mwamuzi, ataamua 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 akakataa onyo alilotumiwa na Yeftha.
29 Then the Spirit of Yhwh 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.
Basi, Roho wa Bwana akamjia Yeftha, akapita Gileadi na Manase, akapitia Mizpa ya Gileadi, na kutoka Mispa ya Gileadi akapita kwa wana wa Amoni.
30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto Yhwh, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
Yeftha akaahidi kwa Bwana, akasema, “Ikiwa utanipa ushindi juu ya wana wa Amoni,
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 Yhwh's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
chochote kinachotoka mlangoni mwa nyumba yangu kunijia mimi nitakaporudi kwa amani kutoka kwa wana wa Amoni kitakuwa cha Bwana; Nami nitatoa hiyo sadaka ya kuteketezwa.”
32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Yhwh delivered them into his hands.
Basi Yeftha akapita kwa wana wa Amoni ili kupigana nao, naye Bwana akampa ushindi.
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.
Akawashinda na kusababisha mauaji makubwa kutoka Aroeri hadi miji ishirini na miwili-na Abeli Keramimu. Basi wana wa Amoni waliwekwa chini ya uangalizi wa watu 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.
Yeftha alifika nyumbani kwake huko Mizpa, na binti yake akatoka kumlaki na ngoma na kucheza. Alikuwa mtoto wake pekee, na badala yake hakuwa na mwana wa kiume wala binti.
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 Yhwh, and I cannot go back.
Mara tu alipopomwona, alirarua nguo zake akasema, 'Loo! Binti yangu! Umenivunja kwa huzuni, na umekuwa mtu anayenisababishia maumivu yangu! Kwa maana nimeapa kwa Bwana, wala siwezi kurudisha ahadi yangu.
36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto Yhwh, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as Yhwh hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
Akamwambia, “Baba yangu, umeweka ahadi kwa Bwana, unifanyie kila kitu ulichoahidi; kwa kuwa Bwana amekulipia kisasi juu ya adui zako, 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.
Akamwambia baba yake, “Hebu ahadi hii ihifadhiwe kwa ajili yangu. Niache kwa miezi miwili, nipate kuondoka na kwenda kwenye vilima na kuomboleza juu ya ubikira 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.
Akasema, “Nenda.” Alimtuma kwa muda wa miezi miwili. Akamwondoa, yeye na wenzake, nao wakauomboleza ubikira wake katika 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,
Mwishoni mwa miezi miwili alirudi kwa baba yake, ambaye alifanya kulingana na ahadi ya aliyoifanya. Sasa alikuwa hajalala na mwanaume, na 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 kila mwaka, kwa siku nne, waweze kurejea hadithi ya binti ya Yeftha Mgileadi.