Ndị Ikpe 11
1 Otu ọ dị, Jefta, onye Gilead, bụ dimkpa nʼagha. Nna ya bụ Gilead; nne ya bụ akwụna.
Jephthah of Gilead was a strong fighter. He was the son of a prostitute, and his father was 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.”
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.”
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.
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.
4 O ruo mgbe ọtụtụ oge gasịrị, ndị Amọn busoro ụmụ Izrel agha.
Later on, the Ammonites were at war with Israel.
5 Ndị okenye Gilead jere ịkpọpụta Jefta site nʼala Tob.
As the Ammonites were attacking Israel, the elders of Gilead came to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6 Ha sịrị ya, “Bịa buru onyeisi agha anyị ka anyị nwee ike ibuso ndị Amọn agha.”
“Come and be our army commander,” they asked Jepthah, “so we can fight the Ammonites.”
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?”
“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?”
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.”
“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.”
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?”
“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.
10 Ndị okenye Gilead zara, “Onyenwe anyị bụ onye akaebe, na anyị aghaghị ime dịka i kwuru.”
“The Lord will be a witness between us,” they replied. “We'll do whatever you say.”
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.
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.
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?”
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?”
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.”
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.”
14 Jefta zighachiri ndị ozi ka ha jekwuru eze ndị Amọn,
Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of the Ammonites
15 na-asị, “Ihe ndị a ka Jefta sịrị: Izrel esiteghị nʼaka ike napụ Moab maọbụ Amọn ala ha.
to tell him, “This is Jephthah's reply: The Israelites did not take any land from Moab or from the Ammonites.
16 Kama, mgbe ha si Ijipt rigopụta, Izrel sitere nʼọzara bịaruo Osimiri Uhie, sikwa nʼebe ahụ ruo Kadesh.
When they left Egypt, the Israelites went through the desert to the Red Sea and arrived at 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.’
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.’
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 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.
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.
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.
22 Ha nwetara ala niile ahụ, site nʼAnọn ruo Jabọk, sitekwa nʼọzara ruo Jọdan.
They occupied all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, and from the desert to the Jordan River.
23 “Ma ugbu a, Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel achụpụla ndị Amọrait nʼihu ndị ya bụ Izrel. Olee ikike i nwere iwere ala ahụ?
It was the Lord, the God of Israel, who drove out the Amorites before his people Israel, so why should you take it over?
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.
Why don't you keep whatever your god Chemosh gave you, and we'll keep whatever the Lord our God has given us?
25 Ị dị mma karịa Balak nwa Zipoa, eze Moab? O nwere mgbe ọ chọrọ Izrel okwu, maọbụ lụso ha agha?
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?
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?
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?
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.”
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.”
28 Ma eze Amọn egeghị ntị nʼozi Jefta ziri ka e zie ya.
But the king of Ammon didn't pay any attention to what Jephthah had to say.
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.
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.
30 Jefta kwere Onyenwe anyị nkwa sị ya, “Ọ bụrụ na ị ga-enyefe ndị Amọn nʼaka m,
Jephthah made a solemn promise to the Lord, saying, “If you make me victorious over the Ammonites,
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.”
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.”
32 Jefta duuru ndị agha ya gaa ibuso Amọn agha. Onyenwe anyị nyekwara ya mmeri dị ukwuu.
Jephthah advanced to attack the Ammonites, and the Lord gave him the victory over them.
33 O bibiri iri obodo abụọ site nʼAroea ruo nso nso Minit, ruokwa Ebel-Keramim. Otu a ka Izrel si merie ndị Amọn.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
“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.
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,
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
40 na ụmụ agbọghọ na-apụ kwa afọ, gaa, nọọ abalị anọ nʼihi icheta ada Jefta, onye Gilead.
that every year the young women of Israel leave for four days to weep in commemoration of the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
