Balam 11
1 Yefusa Omugireyaadi yali mulwanyi w’amaanyi; kitaawe yamuzaala mu malaaya.
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 Mukazi wa Gireyaadi yali amuzaalidde abaana aboobulenzi, era abaana b’omukazi oyo bwe baakula, ne bagobaganya Yefusa nga bagamba nti, “Tolisikira wamu naffe ku bintu bya kitaffe, kubanga kitaffe yakuzaala mu mukazi mulala.”
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 Awo Yefusa n’adduka baganda be, n’agenda n’abeera mu nsi ye Tobu. Abasajja abataaliko kigendererwa ne bakuŋŋaana gy’ali ne bamugoberera.
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 Oluvannyuma lw’ebbanga abaana ba Amoni ne bakola olutalo ku Isirayiri.
In those days, the sons of Ammon fought against Israel.
5 Awo abaana ba Amoni bwe baali nga balwana ne Isirayiri, abakadde ab’e Gireyaadi ne bagenda okukima Yefusa mu nsi ya Tobu.
And being steadfastly attacked, the elders of Gilead traveled so that they might obtain for their assistance Jephthah, from the land of Tob.
6 Ne bagamba Yefusa nti, “Jjangu otukulembere tulwanyise abaana ba Amoni.”
And they said to him, “Come and be our leader, and fight against the sons of Ammon.”
7 Yefusa n’agamba abakadde b’e Gireyaadi nti, “Temwankyawa ne mungoba mu nnyumba ya kitange? Lwaki kaakano mujja gye ndi nga mulina ekizibu?”
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 Abakadde b’e Gireyaadi ne bagamba Yefusa nti, “Tuzze gy’oli kaakano, ojje ogende naffe, olwanyise abaana ba Amoni, n’oluvannyuma onoobeera mukulembeze w’abo bonna ababeera mu Gireyaadi.”
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 Yefusa n’abaddamu nti, “Singa munzizaayo ne nnwana n’abaana ba Amoni, Mukama n’abampangusiza, n’abeera omukulembeze wammwe?”
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 Abakadde b’e Gireyaadi ne baddamu Yefusa nti, “Mukama ye mujulirwa waffe, bwe tutaatuukirize kigambo ekyo.”
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 Awo Yefusa n’agenda n’abakadde b’e Gireyaadi, abantu ne bamufuula omukulembeze waabwe era omuduumizi, n’addamu ebigambo byonna bye yayogera mu maaso ga Mukama mu Mizupa.
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 Yefusa n’atuma ababaka eri kabaka w’abaana ba Amoni, ng’amugamba nti, “Onnanga ki ggwe, okujja gye ndi, olwanyise eggwanga lyange?”
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 Kabaka w’abaana ba Amoni n’addamu ababaka ba Yefusa nti, “Kubanga Isirayiri bwe baali bava e Misiri baatwala ensi yange okuva ku Alunoni ne ku Yaboki n’okutuukira ddala ku Yoludaani. Kaakano gituddize lwa mirembe.”
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 Awo Yefusa n’addamu n’aweereza ababaka eri kabaka w’abaana ba Amoni
And Jephthah again commissioned them, and he ordered them to say to the king of Ammon:
15 ng’agamba nti, “Yefusa bw’ati bw’ayogera nti, ‘Isirayiri teyatwala nsi ya Mowaabu newaakubadde ensi y’abaana ba Amoni.
“Jephthah says this: Israel did not take the land of Moab, nor the land of the sons of Ammon.
16 Naye Isirayiri bwe baava mu Misiri ne baba nga bayita mu ddungu nga balaga ku Nnyanja Emyufu n’e Kadesi,
But when they ascended together from Egypt, he walked through the desert as far as the Red Sea, and he went into Kadesh.
17 Isirayiri yatuma ababaka eri kabaka wa Edomu nga bamusaba bayitemu buyisi mu nsi ye. Naye ye teyabawuliriza. Isirayiri n’atuma n’ababaka eri kabaka wa Mowaabu, naye n’atabakkiriza kuyitamu. Isirayiri kyeyava asigala e Kadesi.
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 “‘Awo Isirayiri n’alyoka ayita mu ddungu ne yeetooloola ensi ya Edomu n’ensi ya Mowaabu, n’ayita ku luuyi olw’ebuvanjuba obw’ensi ya Mowaabu, ne basiisira emitala wa Alunoni ku nsalo ya Mowaabu.
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 “‘Awo Isirayiri n’atuma ababaka eri Sikoni kabaka w’Abamoli era kabaka w’e Kesuboni, ng’amusaba ng’agamba nti, Tukkirize tuyitemu tulage mu nsi yaffe.
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 Naye Sikoni n’ateesiga Isirayiri kuyita mu nsalo ye, era Sikoni n’akuŋŋaanya abantu be bonna, ne basiisira mu Yakazi, n’alwanyisa Isirayiri.’
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 “‘Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri n’agabula Sikoni n’abantu be bonna mu mukono gwa Isirayiri, n’abawangula, era Isirayiri n’atwala ensi yonna ey’Abamoli.
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 Ne bawamba ensalo yonna ey’Abamoli okuva ku Alunoni okutuuka ku Yaboki, n’okuva ku ddungu okutuuka ku Yoludaani.
with all its parts, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.
23 “‘Kaakano obanga Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri yagoba Abamoli mu maaso g’abantu be Isirayiri, ggwe ani okulwanyisa Isirayiri?
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 Lwaki totwala ensi lubaale wo Kemosi gye yakuwa, naffe ne tutwala eyo Mukama Katonda waffe gye yatuwa?
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 Ddala ddala osinga Balaki mutabani wa Zipoli kabaka wa Mowaabu? Yali akaayanyizza Isirayiri wadde okubalwanyisa?
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 Isirayiri emaze emyaka ebikumi bisatu mu Kesuboni n’ebyalo byayo, ne mu Aloweri n’ebyalo byayo, ne mu bibuga byonna ebiri ku lubalama lwa Alunoni. Kiki ekyabalobera okubyeddiza mu kiseera ekyo?
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 Kaakano sirina kye nkusobezza naye ggwe onnumbye okulwana nange. Kale Mukama, Omulamuzi, leero alamule wakati w’abaana ba Isirayiri n’abaana ba Amoni.’”
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 Naye kabaka w’abaana ba Amoni n’atassaayo mwoyo ku bubaka Yefusa bwe yamutumira.
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 Awo Omwoyo wa Mukama Katonda n’ajja ku Yefusa; Yefusa n’asomoka Gireyaadi ne Manase, n’ayita ne mu Mizupa eky’e Gireyaadi, era mu Mizupa eky’e Gireyaadi gye yava okulumba abaana ba Amoni.
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 Yefusa ne yeeyama eri Mukama Katonda ng’agamba nti, “Bw’onogabula abaana ba Amoni mu mukono gwange,
he made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you will deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands,
31 ekintu kyonna ekirifuluma mu nzigi z’ennyumba yange nga nkomyewo mu buwanguzi, ne kinyaniriza nga nva mu baana ba Amoni, ndikiwaayo ng’ekiweebwayo ekyokebwa eri Mukama.”
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 Awo Yefusa n’alumba abaana ba Amoni n’abalwanyisa, era Mukama Katonda n’abagabula mu mukono gwe.
And Jephthah crossed to the sons of Ammon, so that he might fight against them. And the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33 N’abakuba okuva ku Aloweri okutuuka e Minnisi, bye bibuga amakumi abiri, n’okutuukira ddala ku Aberukeramimu; n’abakubira ddala era abaana ba Isirayiri ne bawangulira ddala abaana ba Amoni.
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 Awo Yefusa bwe yakomawo e Mizupa mu maka ge, laba muwala we n’ajja okumukulisaayo ng’akuba ebitaasa era ng’amuzinira. Ye mwana yekka gwe yalina.
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 Yefusa bwe yamulaba, n’ayuza engoye ze, n’ayogera mu ddoboozi ery’omwanguka nti, “Zinsaze muwala wange. Onnakuwazizza nnyo, era ondeetedde ennaku, kubanga neeyama eri Mukama Katonda, so siyinza kukimenyawo.”
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 Awo muwala we n’amugamba nti, “Kitange weeyama eri Mukama. Kola ekyo kye weeyama eri Mukama Katonda, kubanga awooledde eggwanga ku balabe bo, abaana ba Amoni.”
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 N’agamba kitaawe nti, “Nkusaba ekintu kimu kyokka, onzikirize ŋŋende ne mikwano gyange mu nsozi okumala emyezi ebiri, ne kaabireko kubanga ndi mbeerera.”
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 N’amugamba nti, “Genda.” N’agenda n’amala emyezi ebiri mu nsozi ng’ali ne bawala banne nga yeekaabirako olw’okuba yali mbeerera.
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 Oluvannyuma lw’emyezi ebiri, omuwala n’akomawo eri kitaawe, era kitaawe n’amuwaayo, nga bwe yeeyama. Yali muwala mbeerera. Era okwo kwe kwava empisa mu Isirayiri
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 okuva mu biro ebyo, nti abawala mu Isirayiri bajjukira muwala wa Yefusa Omugireyaadi okumala ennaku nnya buli mwaka.
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.
