Mwet Nununku 11
1 Jephthah el sie mwet mweun Gilead su ku ac pulaik. Nina kial uh sie mutan kosro su eis molin kosro lal, ac papa tumal pa Gilead.
[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 Oasr pac wen natul Gilead sin mutan kial ah, na ke tulik mukul inge matula elos lusulla Jephthah liki lohm sin papa tumalos ac fahk, “Kom ac fah tia usrui kutena ma lun papa tumasr, mweyen kom ma nutin siena mutan.”
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 Na Jephthah el kaingla liki tamulel lal ac som muta in acn Tob. Ac ke el muta we, un mwet lusrongten se tuku nu yorol ac welul forfor in acn sac.
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 Tok kutu, na mwet Ammon elos tuku in mweuni mwet Israel.
Some time later, the Ammon people-group started to fight against the Israelis.
5 Ke ma inge sikyak ah, mwet kol lun acn Gilead elos som in folokunulma Jephthah liki acn Tob.
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 Elos fahk nu sel, “Fahsru kol kut, tuh kut in ku in mweuni mwet Ammon.”
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 A Jephthah el fahk nu selos, “Kowos tuh lisyula liki lohm sin papa tumuk ke sripen kowos tuh arulana srungayu. Na efu kowos ku sukyu inge ke kowos sun ongoiya?”
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 Elos fahk nu sel Jephthah, “Kut sifilpa foroht nu sum inge mweyen kut lungse kom in wi kut mweuni mwet Ammon, ac kol mwet Gilead nukewa.”
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 Jephthah el topuk ac fahk, “Kowos fin folokinyu nu yen sik tuh nga in mweuni mwet Ammon, ac LEUM GOD El fin ase kutangla nu sik, na nga fah mwet kol lowos.”
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 Ac elos topuk ac fahk, “Kut insese ke ma kom fahk an, ac LEUM GOD El mwet loh lasr.”
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 Na Jephthah el wi mwet kol lun mwet Gilead inge, ac mwet uh elos akfulatyal ac oru tuh elan mwet kol lalos ac leum faclos. Ac Jephthah el fahkak nunak lal nukewa ye mutun LEUM GOD in acn Mizpah.
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 Na Jephthah el supwala mwet utuk kas nu yurin tokosra lun mwet Ammon ke kas se inge, “Sripa fuka se kom tuku lain kut kac an— Efu kom utyak nu in acn sesr uh?”
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 Ac tokosra lun mwet Ammon el topuk mwet utuk kas lal Jephthah ac fahk, “Ke mwet Israel elos tuku liki acn Egypt elos tuku twe eisla facl sik, mutawauk ke Infacl Arnon fahla nwe Infacl Jabbok ac sun Infacl Jordan. Inge kowos enenu in folokonma acn inge nufon ke misla.”
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 Na Jephthah el sifil supwala mwet utuk kas nu yurin tokosra lun mwet Ammon,
[The messengers returned to Jephthah and told him what the king had said]. So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
15 ke kas se inge, “Tia pwaye lah mwet Israel elos eisla facl Moab ku facl Ammon.
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 Pa inge ma tuh sikyak ah. Ke mwet Israel elos tuku liki acn Egypt elos fahsr sasla yen mwesis nwe ke elos sun inalok ke Meoa Srusra ac tuku nu Kadesh.
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 Na elos supwala mwet utuk kas nu yurin tokosra lun mwet Edom in siyuk tuh elan fuhlela elos in fahla sasla facl sel ah. Tuh tokosra sac el tuh tia fuhlela. Na elos siyuk pac sin tokosra lun mwet Moab, tuh el tia pacna lela elos in fahla in acn sel. Ouinge mwet Israel elos mutana in acn Kadesh.
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 Na elos fahsrna ke yen mwesis, ac ut sisken facl Edom ac Moab nwe ke elos sun kutulap in Moab, nu lefahl eir in Infacl Arnon. Elos tui we, tia tupalla Infacl Arnon mweyen pa ingan masrol nu 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 Na mwet Israel elos supwala mwet utuk kas nu yorol Sihon, tokosra lun mwet Amor in acn Heshbon, ac siyuk elan lela elos in fahsr sasla facl sel nu in acn selos sifacna.
‘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 Na Sihon el tia pac lela mwet Israel in fahsr sasla facl sel. El sap mwet mweun lal nukewa in fahsreni ac muta in acn Jahaz, na elos mweun lain mwet Israel.
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 Tusruktu LEUM GOD lun Israel El oru tuh mwet Israel in kutangulla Sihon ac mwet mweun lal. Na mwet Israel elos eisla acn nukewa sin mwet Amor su muta in facl sac tuh in ma lalos.
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 Elos sruokya facl sin mwet Amor nukewa, mutawauk Infacl Arnon su masrol nu eir, utyak nwe ke Infacl Jabbok layen nu epang, ac liki yen mwesis su masrol kutulap, fahla nwe ke Infacl Jordan layen nu roto.
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 LEUM GOD lun Israel pa tuh lusak mwet Amor inge ac sang facl sac nu sin mwet Israel, mwet lal.
‘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 Ya kom ac srike in sifilpa eis facl se inge tuh in ma lom— Kom ku in sruokya kutena acn ma Chemosh, god lom, el tuh sot nu sum. A kut, kut ac sruokya acn nukewa ma LEUM GOD lasr El eisla in ma lasr.
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 Mea, kom nunku mu kom fas lukel Balak, wen natul Zippor, tokosra lun mwet Moab— Ya oasr pacl Balak el akukuin lain mwet Israel, ku mweun lain kut?
(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 Oasr yac tolfoko lac mwet Israel elos sruokya acn Heshbon ac Aroer ac inkul ma oan raunela, oayapa siti nukewa su oan sisken Infacl Arnon. Efu ku kom tia eisla acn inge ke pacl na loeloes se ingan?
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 Tia nga pa orekma koluk nu sum uh. Kom pa orekma koluk ke kom mweun lainyu. Misenge LEUM GOD El ac fah oru nununku lal inmasrlon mwet Israel ac mwet Ammon.”
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 Tusruktu, tokosra lun mwet Ammon el tia lohang nu ke kas inge ma Jephthah el supwala nu yorol.
But the king of the Ammon people-group did not pay attention to that message from Jephthah.
29 Na ngunin LEUM GOD tuku nu facl Jephthah. El fahsr sasla in acn Gilead ac Manasseh, ac folokla nu Mizpah in acn Gilead ac som nu Ammon.
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 Ac Jephthah el orala sie wulela nu sin LEUM GOD ac fahk, “Kom fin oru tuh nga in kutangla mwet Ammon,
There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,
31 na mwet se emeet su ilme liki lohm sik ac sunyu ke nga ac kutangla foloko, nga ac fah kisakin nu sum, tuh in mwe kisa firir.”
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 Ouinge Jephthah el fahla sasla Infacl Arnon in mweuni mwet Ammon, ac LEUM GOD El sang kutangla nu sel.
Then Jephthah [and his men] went from Mizpah to attack the Ammon people-group, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
33 El tuh mweunelos, mutawauk in acn Aroer fahla rauneak acn Minnith, su oasr siti longoul we, nwe ke el sun acn Abel Keramim. Mwet puspis anwuki ke mweun se inge, na mwet Israel elos kutangla mwet Ammon.
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 Ke Jephthah el folok nu yen sel in acn Mizpah, acn se natul ah el illa in sonol. El srital ke sie tambourine ac onsrosro. El tulik sefanna natul, wangin pac tulik saya.
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 Ke Jephthah el liyal el arulana asor ac seya nuknuk lal, ac fahk, “We, acn nutik! Sripom pa oru ngan pula keok upa nu in ngunik inge! Foroti na pwaye insiuk keim, mweyen nga tuh orala wulela na ku se nu sin LEUM GOD ac nga tia ku in kunausla!”
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 Ac tulik mutan sac fahk nu sel, “Kom fin orala tari sie wulela nu sin LEUM GOD, oru nu sik ma kom wulela kac an, mweyen LEUM GOD El tuh kasrekom in foloksak nu sin mwet lokoalok lom, mwet Ammon uh.
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 Tusruktu, oasr sie ma nga enenu sum: filiyula nga in wi kawuk luk som mutwata fineol uh malem luo, in asorkin lah nga ac misa tia payuk.”
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 Na Jephthah el fahk elan som ke lusen malem luo. Na acn sac wi mutan kawuk lal elos som nu fineol uh, ac tung mweyen el ac misa ac tia payuk ku isus tulik.
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 Tukun malem luo el foloko nu yurin papa tumal. Jephthah el oru nu sel oana ma el tuh wulela nu sin LEUM GOD, na mutan sac el misa, tiana payuk. Pa inge mutaweyen facsin se inge,
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 ma mutan Israel uh ac som liki lohm selos ke lusen len akosr pacl se ke yac nukewa, in asor ac oru mwe esmakin lalos ke acn natul Jephthah, mwet Gilead.
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.
