Bilombe 11
1 Jefite, moto ya Galadi, azalaki elombe ya bitumba. Azalaki mwana mobali oyo Galadi abotaki na mwasi ya makangu.
There was at that time Jephte the Galaadite, a most valiant man and a warrior, the son of a woman that was a harlot, and his father was Galaad.
2 Nzokande mwasi ya Galadi abotelaki ye mpe bana mibali. Mpe tango bakolaki, babenganaki Jefite; balobaki na ye: « Ozali na libula te kati na ndako ya tata na biso, pamba te ozali mwana ya makangu. »
Now Galaad had a wife of whom he had sons: who after they were grown up, thrust out Jephte, saying: Thou canst not inherit in the house of our father, because thou art born of another mother.
3 Boye, Jefite akimaki mosika ya bandeko na ye ya mibali mpe akomaki kovanda kati na etuka ya Tobi. Bato ya mobulu basanganaki na ye mpe bazalaki kotambola elongo na ye.
Then he fled and avoided them and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered to him needy men, and robbers, and they followed him as their prince.
4 Sima na mwa tango, bato ya Amoni babundisaki Isalaele.
In those days the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5 Wana bato ya Amoni bazalaki kobundisa bana ya Isalaele, bampaka ya Galadi bakendeki koluka Jefite, kati na Tobi.
And as they pressed hard upon them, the ancients of Galaad went to fetch Jephte out of the land of Tob to help them:
6 Balobaki na Jefite: — Yaka, mpe zala mokambi na biso mpo ete tobundisa bato ya Amoni.
And they said to him: Come thou and be our prince, and fight against the children of Ammon.
7 Jefite azongiselaki bampaka ya Galadi: — Boni, ezali bino te bato oyo boyinaki ngai mpe bobenganaki ngai wuta na ndako ya tata na ngai? Mpo na nini bozali koya sik’oyo epai na ngai, awa bokomi na pasi?
And he answered them: Are not you the men that hated me, and cast me out of my father’s house, and now you are come to me constrained by necessity?
8 Bampaka ya Galadi balobaki lisusu na Jefite: — Soki tozongi sik’oyo epai na yo, ezali mpo ete oya elongo na biso, obundisa bato ya Amoni mpe okoma mokonzi na biso, mokonzi ya bavandi nyonso ya Galadi.
And the princes of Galaad said to Jephte: For this cause we are now come to thee, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be head over all the inhabitants of Galaad.
9 Jefite azongiselaki bampaka ya Galadi: — Soki bozongisi ngai mpo na kobundisa bato ya Amoni, bongo Yawe akabi bango na maboko na ngai, boni, nakozala solo mokonzi na bino?
Jephte also said to them: If you be come to me sincerely, that I should fight for you against the children of Ammon, and the Lord shall deliver them into my band, shall I be your prince?
10 Bampaka ya Galadi bazongiselaki Jefite: — Tika ete Yawe azala Motatoli kati na biso! Tika ete apesa biso etumbu soki tosali te ndenge olobi.
They answered him: The Lord who heareth these things, he himself is mediator and witness that we will do as we have promised.
11 Boye Jefite akendeki nzela moko na bampaka ya Galadi, mpe bato ya Galadi bakomisaki ye mokambi mpe mokonzi ya mampinga. Mpe Jefite azongelaki koloba maloba na ye nyonso liboso ya Yawe, kati na Mitsipa.
Jephte therefore went with the princes of Galaad, and all the people made him their prince. And Jephte spoke all his words before the Lord in Maspha.
12 Bongo Jefite atindaki bantoma epai ya mokonzi ya bato ya Amoni mpo na koloba na ye: — Ozwi biso na likambo nini mpo ete oya kobundisa mboka na biso?
And he sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, to say in his name, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me, to waste my land?
13 Mokonzi ya bato ya Amoni azongiselaki bantoma ya Jefite: — Ezali mpo ete Isalaele abotolaki mokili na ngai tango abimaki na Ejipito; babotolaki mokili yango longwa na lubwaku ya Arinoni, mayi moke ya Yaboki kino na lubwaku ya Yordani. Sik’oyo, zongisela ngai yango na kimia.
And he answered them: I Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the confines of the Arnon unto the Jaboc and the Jordan: now therefore restore the same peaceably to me.
14 Jefite atindaki lisusu bantoma epai ya mokonzi ya bato ya Amoni mpo na koloba na ye:
And Jephte again sent word by them, and commanded them to say to the king of Ammon:
15 — Tala maloba oyo Jefite alobi: « Bana ya Isalaele bazwaki mokili ya Moabi te to mokili ya bato ya Amoni te.
Thus saith Jephte: Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16 Kasi tango bana ya Isalaele babimaki na Ejipito, batambolaki na esobe kino na ebale monene ya Barozo, mpe bakomaki na Kadeshi.
But when they came up out of Egypt, he walked through the desert to the Red Sea and came into Cades.
17 Batindaki bantoma epai ya mokonzi ya Edomi, mpo na koloba na ye: ‹ Pesa biso nzela ya koleka na mokili na yo. › Kasi mokonzi ya Edomi aboyaki koyoka. Bana ya Isalaele batindaki lisusu bantoma epai ya mokonzi ya Moabi, kasi ye mpe aboyaki. Boye, bana ya Isalaele bawumelaki na Kadeshi.
And he sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying: Suffer me to pass through thy land. But he would not condescend to his request. He sent also to the king of Moab, who likewise refused to give him passage. He abode therefore in Cades,
18 Na sima, batambolaki na esobe mpe babalukaki na sima ya mokili ya Edomi mpe ya Moabi, balekaki na ngambo ya este ya mokili ya Moabi mpe batongaki milako na bango kuna, na ngambo mosusu ya lubwaku ya Arinoni. Kasi bakotaki te na mokili ya Moabi.
And went round the land of Edom at the side, and the land of Moab: and came over against the east coast of the land of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon: and he would not enter the bounds of Moab.
19 Bongo bana ya Isalaele batindaki bantoma epai ya Sikoni, mokonzi ya bato ya Amori, oyo azalaki kovanda na Eshiboni mpo na koloba na ye: ‹ Tika biso toleka na mokili na yo mpo ete tokende na esika na biso. ›
So Israel sent messengers to Sehon king of the Amorrhites, who dwelt in Hesebon, and they said to him: Suffer me to pass through thy land to the river.
20 Kasi Sikoni andimaki te bana ya Isalaele mpo ete baleka na mokili na ye. Boye asangisaki bato na ye nyonso; batongaki milako, na Yakatsi, mpe babundisaki Isalaele.
But he also despising the words of Israel, suffered him not to pass through his borders: but gathering an infinite multitude, went out against him to Jasa, and made strong opposition.
21 Kasi Yawe, Nzambe ya Isalaele, akabaki Sikoni mpe bato na ye nyonso na maboko ya bana ya Isalaele, mpe balongaki bango. Boye bana ya Isalaele babotolaki mokili nyonso ya bato ya Amori oyo bazalaki kovanda na etando wana.
And the Lord delivered him with all his army into the hands of Israel, and he slew him, and possessed all the land of the Amorrhite the inhabitant of that country,
22 Babotolaki etuka nyonso ya bato ya Amori, longwa na lubwaku ya Arinoni kino na mayi moke ya Yaboki, longwa na esobe kino na Yordani.
And all the coasts thereof from the Arnon to the Jaboc, and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23 Awa Yawe, Nzambe ya Isalaele, asili kobotola mokili ya bato ya Amori mpe apesi yango epai ya bana ya Isalaele, yo olingi sik’oyo kobotola bango yango?
So the Lord the God of Israel destroyed the Amorrhite, his people of Israel fighting against him, and wilt thou now possess this land?
24 Boni, okozwa te oyo Kemoshi, nzambe na yo, apesi yo? Biso tokozwa oyo Yawe, Nzambe na biso, apesi biso.
Are not those things which thy god Chamos possesseth, due to thee by right? But what the Lord our God hath obtained by conquest, shall be our possession:
25 Boni, ozali malamu koleka Balaki, mwana mobali ya Tsipori, mokonzi ya Moabi? Boni, asila koswanisa to kobundisa bana ya Isalaele?
Unless perhaps thou art better than Balac the son of Sephor king of Moab: or canst shew that he strove against Israel and fought against him,
26 Mibu nkama misato, bana ya Isalaele bavandaki na Eshiboni, na Aroeri, na bamboka na yango ya mike mpe na bingumba nyonso oyo ezali pembeni ya Arinoni. Mpo na nini bobotolaki yango te na tango wana?
Whereas he hath dwelt in Hesebon, and the villages thereof, and in Aroer, and its villages, and in all the cities near the Jordan, for three hundred years. Why have you for so long a time attempted nothing about this claim?
27 Ngai nasali yo mabe te, kasi yo nde ozali kosala ngai mabe na kobundisa ngai. Tika ete Yawe, Mosambisi, akata lelo likambo kati na bana ya Isalaele mpe bato ya Amoni. »
Therefore I do not trespass against thee, but thou wrongest me by declaring an unjust war against me. The Lord be judge and decide this day between Israel and the children of Ammon.
28 Kasi mokonzi ya Amoni aboyaki koyoka maloba oyo Jefite atindelaki ye.
And the king of the children of Ammon would not hearken to the words of Jephte, which he sent him by the messengers.
29 Molimo na Yawe akitelaki Jefite. Jefite akatisaki Galadi mpe Manase, mpe alekaki na Mitsipe ya Galadi. Wuta na Mitsipe ya Galadi, akendeki kobundisa bato ya Amoni.
Therefore the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephte, and going round Galaad, and Manasses, and Maspha of Galaad, and passing over from thence to the children of Ammon,
30 Jefite alapaki ndayi epai na Yawe, alobaki: « Soki okabi bato ya Amoni na maboko na ngai,
He made a vow to the Lord, saying: If thou wilt deliver the children of Ammon into my hands,
31 nakobonzela Yo, Yawe, lokola mbeka ya kotumba, nyonso oyo ekobima na ekuke ya ndako na ngai mpo na koyamba ngai, tango nakozonga na elonga wuta na bato ya Amoni. »
Whosoever shall first come forth out of the doors of my house, and shall meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, the same will I offer a holocaust to the Lord.
32 Bongo Jefite akatisaki bandelo ya bato ya Amoni, mpe Yawe akabaki bango na maboko na ye.
And Jephte passed over to the children of Ammon, to fight against them: and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33 Abebisaki bingumba tuku mibale oyo ezali na kati-kati ya Aroeri mpe Miniti kino na Abele-Keramimi. Ezalaki kobebisama ya makasi mpo na bato ya Amoni oyo bakweyaki liboso ya bana ya Isalaele.
And he smote them from Aroer till you come to Mennith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel, which is set with vineyards, with a very great slaughter: and the children of Ammon were humbled by the children of Israel.
34 Tango Jefite azongaki na ndako na ye, na Mitsipa, mwana na ye ya mwasi abimaki mpo na koyamba ye; azalaki kobina mpe kobeta mbonda ya moke. Azalaki mwana na ye kaka moko: azalaki na mwana mosusu te, ezala ya mwasi to ya mobali.
And when Jephte returned into Maspha to his house, his only daughter met him with timbrels and with dances: for he had no other children.
35 Tango kaka Jefite amonaki ye, apasolaki bilamba na ye mpe agangaki: — Ah, mwana na ngai ya mwasi! Opesi ngai mawa mingi mpe otie ngai na mobulu, pamba te nalapaki ndayi epai na Yawe mpe nakoki lisusu kozonga sima te.
And when he saw her, he rent his garments, and said: Alas! my daughter, thou hast deceived me, and thou thyself art deceived: for I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I can do no other thing.
36 Mwana na ye ya mwasi alobaki: — Tata na ngai, opesaki elaka epai na Yawe. Sala na ngai ndenge olakaki epai na Yawe, pamba te Yawe azongisi mabe na mabe epai ya banguna na yo, bato ya Amoni.
And she answered him: My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to the Lord, do unto me whatsoever thou hast promised, since the victory hath been granted to thee, and revenge of thy enemies.
37 Abakisaki: — Pesa ngai nzela ete likambo oyo moko esalema mpo na ngai: Tikela ngai basanza mibale mpo ete nakende koyengayenga mpe kolela, elongo na baninga na ngai, bozangi na ngai koyeba nzoto ya mobali.
And she said to her father: Grant me only this which I desire: Let me go, that I may go about the mountains for two months, and may bewail my virginity with my companions.
38 Jefite alobaki na ye: — Okoki na yo kokende. Mpe atikaki ye kokende mpo na basanza mibale. Boye mwana mwasi akendeki na ngomba elongo na baninga na ye ya basi, mpe alelaki mpo ete ayebaki nanu nzoto ya mibali te.
And he answered her: Go. And he sent her away for two months. And when she was gone with her comrades and companions, she mourned her virginity in the mountains.
39 Sima na basanza mibale, azongaki epai ya tata na ye, Jefite; mpe Jefite akokisaki epai ya mwana na ye ya mwasi, ndayi oyo alapaki. Nzokande, atikalaki kaka koyeba nzoto ya mobali te. Boye, ekoma momesano kati na Isalaele:
And the two months being expired, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed, and she knew no man. From thence came a fashion in Israel, and a custom has been kept:
40 mibu nyonso, bilenge basi ya Isalaele babimaka mikolo minei, mpo na kosala feti na tina na mwana mwasi ya Jefite, moto ya Galadi.
That from year to year the daughters of Israel assemble together, and lament the daughter of Jephte the Galaadite for four days.
