Jij 11
1 Alò, Jephthé, Galaadit la, te yon gèrye plen kouraj. Li te fis a yon pwostitiye. Galaad se te papa a Jephté
[There was a man] from [the] Gilead [region] named Jephthah. He was a great warrior. His father was also named Gilead. But his mother was a prostitute.
2 Madanm a Galaad te ba li fis yo; epi lè fis sa yo te vin grandi, yo te kouri dèyè Jephthé, mete li deyò e te di li: “Ou p ap fè eritaj lakay papa nou, paske ou se fis a yon lòt fanm.”
Gilead’s wife gave birth to several sons. When they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home, saying to him, “You are the son of a prostitute, [not the son of our mother]. So [when] our father [dies], you will not receive any of his property.”
3 Konsa, Jephthé te sove ale devan frè li yo, pou li te viv nan peyi Tob la. Sanzave yo te rasanble yo antoure Jephthé e yo te konn ale andeyò avèk li.
So Jephthah ran away from his brothers, and he went to the Tob region. While he was there, some worthless men started to spend a lot of time with him.
4 Li te vin rive apre yon tan ke fis Ammon yo te goumen kont Israël.
Some time later, the Ammon people-group started to fight against the Israelis.
5 Lè fis Ammon yo te goumen kont Israël, ansyen nan Galaad yo te ale jwenn Jephthé nan peyi Tob la.
When that happened [DOU], the leaders of [the] Gilead [region] went to Jephthah to bring him back from the Tob region [to their area].
6 Konsa, yo te di a Jephthé: “Vin fè chèf sou nou pou nou kab goumen kont fis Ammon yo.”
They said to him, “Come [with us] and lead our army, and [help us to] fight against the men from the Ammon people-group!”
7 Jephthé te reponn a ansyen Galaad yo: “Èske nou pa t rayi mwen e chase mwen lwen lakay papa m? Poukisa, koulye a, nou vin devan m lè nou nan pwoblèm nan?”
But Jephthah replied, “You hated me [RHQ] previously! You forced me to leave my father’s house! So why are you coming to me now, [asking me to help you] when you are experiencing trouble?”
8 Ansyen Galaad yo te di a Jephthé: “Se pou rezon sa a ke nou gen tan retounen bò kote ou, pou ou kapab ale avèk nou, goumen avèk fis Ammon yo e vin chèf sou tout pèp Galaad la.”
The leaders from Gilead replied, “[Yes, we are having trouble, and] that is the reason that we have come to you now. If you come with us and [help us to] fight against the Ammon people-group, [after we defeat them, we will appoint] you to be the leader of all us people in [the] Gilead [region].”
9 Pou sa, Jephthé te di a ansyen Galaad yo: “Si nou reprann mwen pou m kab goumen kont fis Ammon yo, epi SENYÈ a livre yo nan men m, èske mwen va devni chèf an tèt nou?”
Jephthah replied, “If I go back to Gilead with you to fight against the Ammon people-group, and if Yahweh helps us to defeat them, will you truly appoint me to be your leader?”
10 Ansyen a Galaad yo te di a Jephthé: “SENYÈ a se temwen antre nou. Anverite, nou va fè sa ou mande nou fè a.”
They replied, “Yahweh is listening to everything that we say. [So he will punish us] if we do not do everything that you tell us to do.”
11 Konsa, Jephthé te ale avèk ansyen Galaad yo, e pèp la te fè li chèf sou yo. Konsa, Jephthé te pale tout pawòl li yo devan SENYÈ a nan Mitspa.
So Jephthah went with them back to [the] Gilead [region], and the people appointed him to be their leader and the commander of their army. And Jephthah solemnly promised to Yahweh there at Mizpah [to serve him well].
12 Jephthé te voye mesaje a wa a fis Ammon yo. Li te di: “Kisa ki gen antre ou menm avèk mwen menm, pou nou vin kote m pou goumen kont peyi mwen?”
Jephthah sent some messengers to the king of the Ammon people-group. They asked the king, “What have we [done to make you angry, with the result] that your army is coming to fight [against the people] in our land?”
13 Wa a fis Ammon yo te di a mesaje Jephthé yo: “Akoz Israël te pran peyi mwen lè yo te vin monte sòti an Egypte, jis soti nan Arnon pou rive Jabbok avèk Jourdain an. Konsa, remèt mwen yo koulye a, nan lapè.”
The king replied, “[We have come to fight against you Israelis because] you took our land when you came here from Egypt. You took all our land east of the Jordan [River], from the Arnon [River in the south] to the Jabbok [River in the north]. So if you now give it back to us, there (will be peace between us/we will not fight against you).”
14 Men Jephthé te voye mesaje yo ankò vè wa a fis Ammon yo.
[The messengers returned to Jephthah and told him what the king had said]. So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
15 Li te di li yo: “Konsa pale Jephthé: “Israël pa t pran peyi Moab, ni peyi fis Ammon yo.
They said to him, “This is what Jephthah says: ‘It is not [true] that we Israelis took the land from the Moab people-group and the Ammon people-group.
16 Paske, lè yo te monte sòti an Egypte, Israël te pase nan dezè a pou rive nan Lamè Wouj e te vin Kadès.
When the Israeli people came out of Egypt, they walked through the desert to the Red Sea, and then [walked across it and traveled to Kadesh town at the border of the Edom region].
17 Alò, Israël te voye mesaje yo vè wa Édom an, pou te di: ‘Souple, lese nou travèse peyi nou an,’ men wa a Édom an te refize koute. Ankò, yo te voye wa Moab la, men li pa t dakò. Konsa, Israël te rete Kadès.
They sent messengers to the king of the Edom people-group, to say to him, “Please allow us Israelis to walk across your land.” But the king of the Edom people-group refused. Later we sent the same message to the king of the Moab people-group, but he also refused to allow the Israelis to go through his land. So the Israelis stayed at Kadesh [for a long time].
18 Epi yo te pase nan dezè a pou evite peyi Édom avèk Moab la. Yo te rive nan lizyè lès a Moab la e yo te fè kan an lòtbò Arnon an, men yo pa t antre nan teren Moab la, paske Arnon an se te lizyè Moab.
Then the Israelis went into the desert and walked outside the borders of the Edom and Moab regions. They walked east of the Moab region, east of the Arnon [River, which is the eastern border of the Moab region]. They did not cross that river to enter [the] Moab [region].
19 Konsa, Israël te voye mesaje a Sihon yo, wa Amoreyen yo, ak wa a Hesbon an. Israël te di li: “Souple, kite nou pase nan teritwa pa ou a pou rive nan plas nou.”
‘Then the Israelis sent a message to Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city]. They asked him, “Will you please allow us Israeli people to cross through your land to arrive at the land to which we [are going].”
20 Men Sihon pa t mete konfyans an Israël pou pase nan teritwa pa li a. Pou sa, Sihon te ranmase tout pèp li a, e te fè kan nan Jahats pou te goumen avèk Israël.
But Sihon did not trust the Israelis; [he thought that they would steal some of the things in his land]. So he gathered all his troops and they set up their tents at Jahaz [village] and then they attacked the Israelis.
21 SENYÈ a, Bondye a Israël la, te meteSihon avèk tout pèp li a nan men Israël la, e yo te genyen yo. Konsa, Israël la te vin posede tout teren a Amoreyen yo, pèp a peyi sila yo.
But Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], enabled the Israeli army to defeat [IDM] Sihon and his army. Then they (took possession of/started to live in) all the land where the Amor people-group had lived.
22 Epi yo te vin posede tout teren a Amoreyen yo, soti nan Arnon an, jis rive nan Jabbok la, e soti nan dezè a jis rive nan Jourdain an.
The Israelis took all the land that belonged to the Amor people-group, from the Arnon [River in the south] to the Jabbok [River in the north], and from the desert [in the east] to the Jordan [River in the west].
23 Depi alò, SENYÈ a te chase Amoreyen yo, Li te fè yo sòti nan teren an devan pèp Israël la, èske koulye a, ou menm ap vin antre pou posede li?
‘It was Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], who forced the Amor people-group to leave as the Israelis advanced. So do you now think that you can force the Israelis to leave [RHQ]?
24 Èske nou pa posede deja sa ke Kemosch, dye pa nou an, te bannou pou posede a? Konsa nenpòt sa ke SENYÈ a te chase devan nou, nou va posede li.
You take the land that your god Chemosh has given to you. And we will live in the land that Yahweh our God has given to us!
25 Alò, èske ou pi bon ke Balak, fis a Tsippor a, wa Moab la? Èske li te janm fè traka pou Israël, oswa èske li te janm goumen kont yo?
(You are no/Are you) better than Zippor’s son Balak, who was the king of the Moab people-group? He never [RHQ] quarreled with the Israeli people, and he never started to fight against us [RHQ]!
26 Pandan Israël te rete Hesbon avèk bouk pa li yo, nan Aroër avèk bouk pa li yo ak nan vil ki arebò Arnon an, pandan twa-san ane, poukisa nou pa t rekouvri yo pandan tan sa a?
For 300 years the Israeli people have lived in Heshbon and Aroer [cities in your region], and in the surrounding towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon [River]. Why have you people of the Ammon people-group not taken back those cities during all those years [RHQ]?
27 Konsa, mwen pa t peche kont nou, men nou te fè m tò lè nou te fè lagè kont mwen. Ke SENYÈ a, Jij la, jije jodi a antre fis Israël yo ak fis a Ammon yo.”
We have not sinned against you, but you are sinning against me by attacking me [and my army]. I trust that Yahweh, the great judge, will decide whether we Israelis are right, or whether you people of the Ammon people-group are right.’”
28 Men wa a fis Ammon yo te refize koute mesaj ke Jephthé te voye ba li a.
But the king of the Ammon people-group did not pay attention to that message from Jephthah.
29 Alò, Lespri SENYÈ a te vini sou Jephthé. Li te pase travèse Galaad avèk Manassé, epi li te pase travèse Mitspé nan Galaad pou te rive vè fis Ammon yo.
Then the Spirit of Yahweh took control of Jephthah. Jephthah went through [the] Gilead [region] and through the area where the tribe of Manasseh lived, [to enlist/gather men for his army]. [He finally gathered them together] in Mizpah [city] in [the] Gilead [region] to fight against the Ammon people-group.
30 Jephthé te fè yon ve bay SENYÈ a, e te di: “Si Ou va vrèman ban mwen fis Ammon yo nan men m,
There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,
31 konsa, li va rive ke nenpòt sa ki sòti nan pòt lakay mwen pou rankontre mwen lè m retounen anpè soti nan fis Ammon yo, li va pou SENYÈ a. Epi mwen va ofri li kòm yon ofrann brile.”
when I return from the battle, I will sacrifice to you the first person who comes out of my house [to greet me]. It will be a sacrifice that will be completely burned [on the altar].”
32 Konsa, Jephthé te travèse vè fis Ammon yo pou goumen kont yo; epi SENYÈ a te mete yo nan men li.
Then Jephthah [and his men] went from Mizpah to attack the Ammon people-group, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
33 Li te frape yo avèk yon trè gran masak soti nan Aroër jis rive nan antre Minnith, ven vil e jis rive nan Abel-Keramim. Konsa, fis Ammon yo te jete ba devan fis Israël yo.
Jephthah and his men killed them, from Aroer [city] all the way to the area around the city of Minnith. They destroyed 20 cities, as far as [the city of] Abel Keramim. So the Israelis [completely] defeated the Ammon people-group.
34 Lè Jephthé te rive vè kay li nan Mitspa, men vwala, fi li a te vin parèt pou rankontre li avèk tanbouren ak dans. Alò, li te sèl pitit li. Sof ke li menm, li pa t gen ni fis ni fi.
When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter was the first one to come out of the house to meet him. She was [joyfully] playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only child; he had no sons and no other daughters.
35 Lè li te wè li, li te chire rad li e te di: “Anmwey, pitit mwen, ou mete m ba nèt e ou pami sila yo ki twouble m yo. Paske, mwen te bay pawòl mwen a SENYÈ a, e mwen p ap kab reprann li.”
When Jephthah saw his daughter, he tore his clothes [to show that he was very sad about what he was going to do]. He said to her, “My daughter, you have caused me to become very sad [DOU] because I made a solemn promise to Yahweh [to sacrifice the first one who came out of my house], and I must do what I promised.”
36 Konsa li te di li: “Papa m, ou te bay pawòl ou a SENYÈ a. Fè avè m sa ou te di a, akoz SENYÈ a te fè vanjans sou lènmi ou yo, fis a Ammon yo.”
His daughter said, “My father, you made a solemn promise to Yahweh. So you must do to me what you promised, because [you said that you would do that if] Yahweh helped you to defeat our enemies, the Ammon people-group.”
37 Li te di a papa li: “Sèlman, kite bagay sa a fèt; lese mwen pou kont mwen pandan de mwa, pou mwen kapab ale nan mòn yo pou m kab kriye akoz ke m toujou vyèj, mwen menm avèk zami mwen yo.
Then she also said, “But allow me to do one thing. (First/before you do what you promised), allow me to go up into the hilly area and wander around for two months. Since I will never be married [and have children], allow me and my friends to go and cry together.”
38 Epi li te reponn: “Ale.” Konsa, li te voye li sòti pandan de mwa. Li te ale avèk zanmi li yo pou te kriye sou mòn yo akoz li te vyèj.
Jephthah replied, “All right, you may go.” So she left for two months. She and her friends stayed in the hills and they cried for her because she would never be married.
39 Nan fen de mwa yo, li te retounen vè papa li ki te aji ak li selon ve ke li te fè a. Li pa t gen relasyon avèk gason. Konsa, sa te vin yon koutim an Israël,
After two months, she returned to her father Jephthah, and he did to her what he had vowed. So his daughter never was married. Because of that, the Israelis now have a custom.
40 pou fi a Israël yo te ale chak ane pandan kat jou an memwa fi Jephthé la, Galaadit la.
Every year the young Israeli women go [into the hills] for four days to remember [and cry about what happened to] the daughter of Jephthah.
