Ndị Ikpe 11
1 Otu ọ dị, Jefta, onye Gilead, bụ dimkpa nʼagha. Nna ya bụ Gilead; nne ya bụ akwụna.
At that time, there was a Gileadite, Jephthah, a very strong man and a fighter, the son of a kept woman, and he was born of Gilead.
2 Nwunye Gilead mụtaara ya ọtụtụ ụmụ ndị ikom ọzọ. Mgbe ha tolitere, ha chụpụrụ Jefta site nʼobodo ahụ, sị ya, “Ị gaghị eketa ihe ọbụla nʼezi nna anyị, nʼihi na nwa nwanyị ọzọ ka ị bụ.”
Now Gilead had a wife, from whom he received sons. And they, after growing up, cast out Jephthah, saying, “You cannot inherit in the house of our father, because you were born of another mother.”
3 Nʼihi nke a, Jefta gbapụrụ site nʼụlọ nna ya, gaa biri nʼobodo Tob. Mgbe na-adịghị anya, ọtụtụ ndị isi na-anụ ọkụ bịara nọnyere ya ma sorokwa ya.
And so, fleeing and avoiding them, he lived in the land of Tob. And men who were indigent and robbers joined with him, and they followed him as their leader.
4 O ruo mgbe ọtụtụ oge gasịrị, ndị Amọn busoro ụmụ Izrel agha.
In those days, the sons of Ammon fought against Israel.
5 Ndị okenye Gilead jere ịkpọpụta Jefta site nʼala Tob.
And being steadfastly attacked, the elders of Gilead traveled so that they might obtain for their assistance Jephthah, from the land of Tob.
6 Ha sịrị ya, “Bịa buru onyeisi agha anyị ka anyị nwee ike ibuso ndị Amọn agha.”
And they said to him, “Come and be our leader, and fight against the sons of Ammon.”
7 Jefta sịrị ha, “Unu akpọghị m asị, ma chụpụkwa m site nʼụlọ nna m? Gịnị mere unu ji na-achọ m ugbu a unu nọ nʼoke nsogbu?”
But he answered them: “Are you not the ones who hated me, and who cast me out of my father’s house? And yet now you come to me, compelled by necessity?”
8 Ndị okenye Gilead sịrị ya, “na-agbanyeghị nke a, anyị abịaghachikwutela gị ugbu a, bịa ka anyị na gị lụso ndị Amọn agha. Ị ga-abụkwa onyeisi anyị niile bi na Gilead.”
And the leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “But it is due to this necessity that we have approached you now, so that you may set out with us, and fight against the sons of Ammon, and be commander over all who live in Gilead.”
9 Jefta zara, “A sịkwarị na m esoro unu gaa lụso ndị Amọn agha, ọ bụrụ na Onyenwe anyị enyefee ha nʼaka m, m ga-abụ onyeisi unu nʼezie?”
Jephthah also said to them: “If you have come to me so that I may fight for you against the sons of Ammon, and if the Lord will deliver them into my hands, will I truly be your leader?”
10 Ndị okenye Gilead zara, “Onyenwe anyị bụ onye akaebe, na anyị aghaghị ime dịka i kwuru.”
They answered him, “The Lord who hears these things is himself the Mediator and the Witness that we shall do what we have promised.”
11 Ya mere, Jefta sooro ndị okenye Gilead, ha mekwara ya onyeisi ha na ọchịagha ha. O kwughachikwara okwu ya niile nʼihu Onyenwe anyị nʼobodo Mizpa.
And so Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead, and all the people made him their leader. And Jephthah spoke all his words, in the sight of the Lord, at Mizpah.
12 Mgbe ahụ, Jefta zipụrụ ndị ozi ka ha jekwuru eze ndị Amọn jụọ ya ajụjụ sị, “Gịnị bụ ihe i nwere megide anyị i ji ebuso ala anyị agha?”
And he sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, who said on his behalf, “What is there between you and me, that you would approach against me, so that you might lay waste to my land?”
13 Eze ndị Amọn zaghachiri ndị ozi Jefta, “Mgbe ụmụ Izrel si nʼala Ijipt pụta, ha ji aka ike napụ anyị ala anyị, site nʼosimiri Anọn ruo na Jabọk, rukwaa nʼosimiri Jọdan. Ugbu a nyeghachinụ anyị ala ahụ niile nʼudo.”
And he responded to them, “It is because Israel took my land, when he ascended from Egypt, from the parts of Arnon, as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan. Now therefore, restore these to me with peace.”
14 Jefta zighachiri ndị ozi ka ha jekwuru eze ndị Amọn,
And Jephthah again commissioned them, and he ordered them to say to the king of Ammon:
15 na-asị, “Ihe ndị a ka Jefta sịrị: Izrel esiteghị nʼaka ike napụ Moab maọbụ Amọn ala ha.
“Jephthah says this: Israel did not take the land of Moab, nor the land of the sons of Ammon.
16 Kama, mgbe ha si Ijipt rigopụta, Izrel sitere nʼọzara bịaruo Osimiri Uhie, sikwa nʼebe ahụ ruo Kadesh.
But when they ascended together from Egypt, he walked through the desert as far as the Red Sea, and he went into Kadesh.
17 Mgbe ahụ, Izrel zipụrụ ndị ozi ka ha jekwuru eze Edọm sị ya, ‘Kwere ka anyị si nʼala gị gafere,’ ma eze Edọm jụrụ ajụ. Ha zipụkwara ozi nye eze Moab, ma o kwenyeghị. Nʼihi ya, Izrel nọgidere na Kadesh.
And he sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Permit me to pass through your land.’ But he was not willing to agree to his petition. Likewise, he sent to the king of Moab, who also refused to offer him passage. And so he delayed in Kadesh,
18 “Ọzọ, ha sitere nʼọzara gaa gburugburu Edọm na Moab, site nʼakụkụ ọwụwa anyanwụ ala Moab, maa ụlọ ikwu ha nʼofe Anọn. Ha abaghị nʼoke ala Moab, nʼihi na Anọn bụ oke ala ya.
and he circled around the side of the land of Edom and the land of Moab. And he arrived opposite the eastern region of the land of Moab. And he made camp across the Arnon. But he was not willing to enter the borders of Moab. (Of course, Arnon is the border of the land of Moab.)
19 “Mgbe ahụ, ụmụ Izrel zigara ndị ozi ka ha jekwuru Saịhọn eze ndị Amọrait, onye bi na Heshbọn, sị ya, ‘Biko, ka anyị site nʼala gị gafee ruo nʼala nke anyị.’
And so Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who was living at Heshbon. And they said to him, “Permit me to cross through your land as far as the river.”
20 Ma eze Saịhọn atụkwasịghị Izrel obi isite nʼoke ala ya gabiga. Nʼihi nke a, ọ chịkọtara usuu ndị agha ya, ma ụlọ ikwu na Jahaz, buso ụmụ Izrel agha.
But he, too, despising the words of Israel, would not permit him to cross through his borders. Instead, gathering an innumerable multitude, he went out against him at Jahaz, and he resisted strongly.
21 “Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel nyere Saịhọn na ndị agha ya niile nʼaka Izrel. Ha merikwara ha. Izrel nwetara ala niile nke ndị Amọrait, bụ ndị bi nʼala ahụ.
But the Lord delivered him, with his entire army, into the hands of Israel. And he struck him down, and he possessed all the land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that region,
22 Ha nwetara ala niile ahụ, site nʼAnọn ruo Jabọk, sitekwa nʼọzara ruo Jọdan.
with all its parts, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.
23 “Ma ugbu a, Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel achụpụla ndị Amọrait nʼihu ndị ya bụ Izrel. Olee ikike i nwere iwere ala ahụ?
Therefore, it was the Lord, the God of Israel, who overthrew the Amorites, by means of his people Israel fighting against them. And now you wish to possess his land?
24 Ọ bụghị ihe chi gị, Kemosh, nyere gị ka i ga-enweta? Otu aka ahụ kwa, ihe ọbụla Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị nyere anyị ka anyị ga-enweta.
Are not the things that your god Chemosh possesses owed to you by right? And so, what the Lord our God has obtained by victory falls to us as a possession.
25 Ị dị mma karịa Balak nwa Zipoa, eze Moab? O nwere mgbe ọ chọrọ Izrel okwu, maọbụ lụso ha agha?
Or are you, perhaps, better than Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab? Or are you able to explain what his argument was against Israel, and why he fought against him?
26 Ọ bụ narị afọ atọ kemgbe ụmụ Izrel malitere ibi na Heshbọn na Aroea, na nʼime obodo ndị ọzọ gbara ha gburugburu ruo nʼiyi Anọn. Ọ bụkwa gịnị mere na ịnapụtaghị ala ndị a nʼoge ndị ahụ?
And though he has lived in Heshbon, and its villages, and in Aroer, and its villages, and in all the cities near the Jordan for three hundred years, why have you, for such long a time, put forward nothing about this claim?
27 Emegideghị m gị, kama ọ bụ gị na-emejọ m, site nʼibuso m agha. Ka Onyenwe anyị, onye na-ekpe ikpe ziri ezi kpebie ikpe a taa nʼetiti ndị Izrel na ndị Amọn.”
Therefore, I am not sinning against you, but you are doing evil against me, by declaring an unjust war against me. May the Lord be the Judge and the Arbiter this day, between Israel and the sons of Ammon.”
28 Ma eze Amọn egeghị ntị nʼozi Jefta ziri ka e zie ya.
But the king of the sons of Ammon was not willing to agree to the words of Jephthah that he commissioned by the messengers.
29 Nʼoge ahụ, mmụọ Onyenwe anyị dakwasịrị Jefta. Site nʼike mmụọ ahụ, o duuru ndị agha Izrel gafee obodo Gilead na Manase, gafeekwa Mizpa, nke dị nʼime Gilead, gaa lụso ndị Amọn agha.
Therefore, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon Jephthah, and circling around Gilead, and Manasseh, and also Mizpah of Gilead, and crossing from there to the sons of Ammon,
30 Jefta kwere Onyenwe anyị nkwa sị ya, “Ọ bụrụ na ị ga-enyefe ndị Amọn nʼaka m,
he made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you will deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands,
31 ihe ọbụla sitere nʼọnụ ụzọ ụlọ m pụta izute m mgbe m lọghachiri nʼọnọdụ mmeri megide ndị Amọn, ga-abụ nke Onyenwe anyị. Aga m eji ya chụọ aja nsure ọkụ.”
whoever will be the first to depart from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, the same will I offer as a holocaust to the Lord.”
32 Jefta duuru ndị agha ya gaa ibuso Amọn agha. Onyenwe anyị nyekwara ya mmeri dị ukwuu.
And Jephthah crossed to the sons of Ammon, so that he might fight against them. And the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33 O bibiri iri obodo abụọ site nʼAroea ruo nso nso Minit, ruokwa Ebel-Keramim. Otu a ka Izrel si merie ndị Amọn.
And he struck them down from Aroer, as far as the entrance to Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel, which is covered with vineyards, in an exceedingly great slaughter. And the sons of Ammon were humbled by the sons of Israel.
34 Mgbe Jefta lọghachiri nʼụlọ ya na Mizpa, ma lee ada ya nwanyị onye ji iti egwu na ite egwu pụta izute ya. Ọ bụ naanị ya ka nna ya mụtara. Ewezuga ya, nna ya amụtaghị nwa nwoke maọbụ nwa nwanyị ọzọ.
But when Jephthah returned to Mizpah, to his own house, his only daughter met him with timbrels and dances. For he had no other children.
35 Mgbe Jefta hụrụ ya, ọ dọwara uwe ya, tie mkpu sị, “Ewoo, nwa m nwanyị! I wetarala obi m ihe mgbu, nʼihi na ekwela m Onyenwe anyị nkwa, nke m na-aghaghị imezu.”
And upon seeing her, he tore his garments, and he said: “Alas, my daughter! You have cheated me, and you yourself have been cheated. For I opened my mouth to the Lord, and I can do nothing else.”
36 Ọ zara, “Nna m, lee, ị ghaghị imezu ihe i kwere Onyenwe anyị na nkwa. Jiri m mee ihe i kwere Onyenwe anyị na nkwa, nʼihi na o nyela gị mmeri dị ukwuu nʼebe ndị Amọn, ndị iro gị nọ.
And she answered him, “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me whatever you have promised, since victory has been granted to you, as well as vengeance against your enemies.”
37 Ma ọ dị otu ihe m chọrọ ịrịọ gị, biko kwere ka m soro ụmụ agbọghọ ibe m gaa wagharịa nʼugwu ndị a, ka mụ na ha kwaa akwa ọnwa abụọ, nʼihi na agaghị m alụ di.”
And she said to her father: “Grant to me this one thing, which I request. Permit me, that I may wander the hillsides for two months, and that I may mourn my virginity with my companions.”
38 Nna ya zara sị ya, “E, nwa m, i nwere ike ịga.” Ọ pụrụ gaa, jegharịa, kwaakwa akwa, ya na ụmụ agbọghọ ndị enyi ya, ruo mgbe ọnwa abụọ ahụ zuru.
And he answered her, “Go.” And he released her for two months. And when she had departed with her friends and companions, she wept over her virginity in the hillsides.
39 Mgbe ọnwa abụọ gasịrị, ọ laghachikwutere nna ya, onye ji ya mezuo nkwa ahụ o kwere. Ọ bụ nwaagbọghọ na-amatabeghị nwoke. Malite nʼoge ahụ ka ọ ghọrọ omenaala ndị Izrel,
And when the two months expired, she returned to her father, and he did to her just as he had vowed, though she knew no man. From this, the custom grew up in Israel, and the practice has been preserved,
40 na ụmụ agbọghọ na-apụ kwa afọ, gaa, nọọ abalị anọ nʼihi icheta ada Jefta, onye Gilead.
such that, after each year passes, the daughters of Israel convene as one, and they lament the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, for four days.
