Balam 12
1 Abasajja ba Efulayimu ne bayitibwa okusomoka okulaga mu Zafoni. Ne bagamba Yefusa nti, “Lwaki wagenda okulwanyisa abaana ba Amoni, n’otatuyita kugenda naawe? Tugenda kukwokera mu nnyumba yo.”
The men of the tribe of Ephraim summoned their soldiers, and they crossed [the Jordan River] to [the town of] Zaphon [to talk with] Jephthah. They said to him, “(Why did you not ask us for help?/You should have requested us) to help your army fight the Ammon people-group. So we will burn down your house while you are in it.”
2 Yefusa n’abaddamu nti, “Nze n’abantu bange twatawaana nnyo okulwanyisa abaana ba Amoni, era nabakoowoola mujje mutubeere, naye temwajja kutubeera kuva mu mukono gwabwe.
Jephthah replied, “The Ammon people-group were oppressing us greatly. When we were prepared to start to attack them, I requested you to come and help us, but you refused. My men and I defeated the Ammon people-group, but you did not help us.
3 Bwe nalaba nga temuzze kutubeera, ne nteeka obulamu bwange mu ngalo zange, ne nsomoka okulwana n’abaana ba Amoni, era Mukama Katonda n’abagabula mu mukono gwange. Kaakano kiki ekibaleeta gye ndi okulwana nange leero?”
When I saw that you would not help us, I was willing to be killed in the battle against the Ammon people-group. But Yahweh helped us to defeat them. [You did not help us when we requested it before], so (why have you come here today to fight against me?/you should not have come here today to fight against me.)” [RHQ]
4 Awo Yefusa n’akuŋŋaanya abantu b’e Gireyaadi bonna, ne balwanyisa Efulayimu. Abasajja ab’e Gireyaadi baabalwanyisa kubanga Efulayimu baayogera nti, “Mmwe muli bakyewaggula ba Efulayimu ab’e Gireyaadi, wakati mu Efulayimu ne mu Manase.”
Then Jephthah summoned the men of [the] Gilead [region] to fight [against the men of the tribe of] Ephraim. The men of the tribe of Ephraim said, “You men from [the] Gilead [region] are men who deserted us. Long ago you left us and moved to the area between our tribe and the tribe of Manasseh.” [Because of their saying that], the men of [the] Gilead [region] attacked the men of the tribe of Ephraim.
5 Ab’e Gireyaadi ne bawamba ebifo bya Yoludaani okusomokerwa okutuuka mu Efulayimu, era bwe waabangawo ku bakomawo aba Efulayimu eyayagalanga okusomoka, abasajja ab’e Gireyaadi nga bamubuuza nti, “Oli Mwefulayimu?”
The men of Gilead captured that (ford/place where people can walk across) at the Jordan [River] to go to the land where the tribe of Ephraim live. Whenever one of the soldiers from the tribe of Ephraim came to the ford to try to escape, he would say, “Let me cross the river.” Then the men of Gilead would ask him, “Are you from the tribe of Ephraim?” If he said “No,”
6 Bwe yeegananga, nga bamugamba ayogere nti, “Shibbolesi.” Bwe yayogeranga nti, “Sibbolesi,” kubanga teyayinzanga kukyogera bulungi, ng’akwatibwa era ng’attibwa awo awasomokerwa ku Yoludaani. Mu biro ebyo, mu Efulayimu ne mufaamu abantu emitwalo ena mu enkumi bbiri.
they would say to him, “Say the word ‘Shibboleth’.” The men of Ephraim could not pronounce that word correctly. So if the person from the tribe of Ephraim said ‘Sibboleth’, [they would know that he was lying and that he was really from the tribe of Ephraim, and] they would kill him there at the ford. So the men of Gilead killed 42,000 people from the tribe of Ephraim at that time.
7 Awo Yefusa n’alamula Isirayiri okumala emyaka mukaaga. Yefusa Omugireyaadi n’afa, n’aziikibwa mu kimu ku kibuga bya Gireyaadi.
Jephthah, the man from [the] Gilead [region], was a leader of the Israeli people for six years. Then he died and was buried in a town in [the] Gilead [region].
8 Oluvannyuma lwa Yefusa, Ibuzaani ow’e Besirekemu n’alamula Isirayiri.
After Jephthah died, a man named Ibzan, from Bethlehem, became the leader of the Israeli people.
9 Yalina abaana aboobulenzi amakumi asatu, n’abaana aboobuwala amakumi asatu. Bawala be n’abafumbiza abantu abataali ba kika kye, ne batabani be n’abawasiza abawala abataali ba kika kye. N’akulembera Isirayiri okumala emyaka musanvu.
He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He forced all his daughters to marry men who were not in his clan, and brought women from outside his clan to marry his sons. He was the leader of the Israeli people for seven years.
10 Ibuzaani n’afa, n’aziikibwa mu Besirekemu.
When he died, he was buried in Bethlehem.
11 Oluvannyuma lwa Ibuzaani, Eroni Omuzebbulooni, n’alamula Isirayiri okumala emyaka kkumi.
After Ibzan died, a man named Elon, from the tribe of Zebulun, became the leader of the Israeli people. He was their leader for ten years.
12 Eroni Omuzebbulooni n’afa, n’aziikibwa mu Ayalooni mu nsi ya Zebbulooni.
Then he died and was buried in Aijalon [city] in the area where the tribe of Zebulun lives.
13 Awo oluvannyuma lwa Eroni, Abudoni mutabani wa Kereri Omupirasoni n’alamula Isirayiri.
After Elon died, a man named Abdon who was the son of Hillel, from Pirathon [city, in the area where the tribe of Ephraim live] became the leader of the Israeli people.
14 Yalina abaana aboobulenzi amakumi ana, n’abazzukulu amakumi asatu abeebagalanga endogoyi nsanvu. Yalamula Isirayiri okumala emyaka munaana.
He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons. Each of them had his own donkey on which to ride. Abdon was the leader of the Israeli people for eight years.
15 Abudoni mutabani wa Kireri Omupirasoni n’afa, n’aziikibwa mu Pirasoni mu nsi ya Efulayimu, mu nsi ey’Abamaleki ey’ensozi.
When Abdon died, he was buried in Pirathon, in the hilly area where the descendants of Amalek lived previously, [but now it is the area where the tribe of Ephraim lives].
