Mpitsara 11
1 Teo henane zay t’Ieftake, nte-Gilade, fanalolahy, ana’ ty tsimirirañe; nasama’ i Gilade t’Ieftake.
[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 Nahatoly ana-dahy ka ty tañanjomba’ i Gilade, aa ie nibey le rinoa’ iareo añe t’Ieftake, ami’ty hoe: Tsy ho lovae’o ty anjomban-drae’ay; ihe ana-drakemba ambahiny.
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 Aa le nipotatsak’ amo rahalahi’eo nimoneñe an-tane Tobe ao t’Ieftake; vaho nirekets’ amy Ieftake ondaty tsy manjofake mpiharo fiavotse ama’e.
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 Ie añe le tondroke te nialy am’ Israele o ana’ i Amoneo.
Some time later, the Ammon people-group started to fight against the Israelis.
5 Ie amy zay, kanao nialy am’ Israele o ana’ i Amoneo, le nañitrike hangalake Ieftak’ an-tane Tobe añe o mpiaolo’ i Giladeo.
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 Le hoe iereo am’ Ieftake, Antao ho mpifelek’ anay, hialy amo ana’ i Amoneo.
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 Aa hoe t’Ieftak’ amo roandria’ i Giladeo: Tsy mpalaiñ’ ahy hao nahareo, kanao rinoa’ areo añ’ anjomban-draeko? Inoñ’ arè ty nomba’ areo mb’amako henaneo t’ie am-poheke?
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 Le hoe o mpiaolo’ i Giladeo am’ Ieftake: Mimpoly ama’o henaneo, hindreza’o ama’ay hifanehak’ amo ana’ i Amoneo, vaho ho fehe’o ze hene mpimone’ i Gilade.
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 Le hoe t’Ieftak’ amo roae’ i Giladeo: Aa naho endese’o moly iraho hialy amo ana’ i Amoneo vaho hatolo’ Iehovà aoloko iereo, ho mpifehe’ areo hao?
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 Le hoe o roae’ i Giladeo am’ Ieftake, Ho valolombeloñ’ añivon-tika t’Iehovà, toe hanoe’ay i nitaroñe’oy.
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 Aa le nindre lia amo roae’ i Giladeo t’Ieftake, naho nanoe’ ondatio lohàñe naho mpiaolo’ iareo; vaho nitaroñe’ Ieftak’ añatrefa’ Iehovà e Mitspà i saontsi’ey.
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 Nañitrik’ amy mpanjaka’ o ana’ i Amoneoy t’Ieftake, nanao ty hoe: Inoñ’ ama’o iraho t’ie nomb’ amako mb’ etoa hialy amy tanekoy?
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 Le hoe ty natoi’ i mpanjaka’ o ana’ i Amoneoy amo ira’ Ieftakeo: Amy te tinava’ Israele ty taneko, ie niakatse boake Mitsraime añe boak’ amy Arnoney pak’ am’ Iaboke eo naho mb’ am’ Iordaney mb’eoy; ie amy zao ampolio amako am-panintsiñañe i rova rey.
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 Nañitrik’ amy mpanjaka’ o ana’ i Amoneoy indraike t’Ieftake,
[The messengers returned to Jephthah and told him what the king had said]. So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
15 nanao ty hoe, Hoe t’Ieftake; Tsy tinava’ Israele ty tane’ i Moabe ndra ty tane’ o ana’ i Amoneo.
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 Fa ie niakatse i Mitsraime añe, naho nañavelo am-pirangàñe i ratraratray sikal’ amy riake Menay t’Israele, vaho nivotrake e Kadese eo;
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 le nampisangitrik’ amy mpanjaka’ i Edomey t’Israele nanao ty hoe: Ehe, angao iraho hiranga o tane’oo; fe tsy nañaoñe ty mpifehe Edome. Nañitrife’e ka ty mpifehe i Moabe; fe tsy nimete; vaho nañialo e Kadese ao t’Israele.
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 Aa le niranga i ratraratray niary an-tane Edome naho an-tane Moabe iereo, nañavelo atiñanan-tane Moabe añe, le nitobe alafe’ i Arnone eo, fa tsy nandilatse i efe-tane Moabey, amy te efe’ i Moabe ty Arnone.
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 Le nampañitrik’ amy Sihone mpanjaka’ o nte-Amoreo, mpanjaka’ i Kesbone, t’Israele nanao ty hoe: Ehe, angao homb’eo, hiranga an-tane’o mb’an-toeko mb’eo.
‘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 Fe tsy niantofa’ i Sihone ty hirangà’ Israele i tane’ey, te mone fonga natonto’ i Sihone ondati’eo, naho nitobe e Iahatse vaho nialy am’ Israele.
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 Fe hene natolo’ Iehovà Andrianañahare’ Israele am-pità’ Israele t’i Sihone naho ondati’eo vaho linafa’ iareo; aa le fanaña’ Israele ty tane’ o nte-Amore nimoneñe an-tane ao iabio.
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 Le fanaña’ iareo ze hene tane’ o nte-Amoreo boak’ amy Arnoney pak’ am’ Iabokey vaho boak’am-patrambey añe pak’ am’ Iordaney.
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 Ie amy zay rinoa’ Iehovà Andrianañahare’ Israele aolo’ ondati’e Israeleo mb’eo o nte-Amoreo, aa vaho ho fanaña’ areo hao zay?
‘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 Naho mahafandroake ondaty ho anahareo ty Kemose ‘ndrahare’ areo, tsy ho fanaña’ areo hao? Aa le ze roahe’ Iehovà Andrianañahare’ay aolo’ay, ro fanaña’ay.
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 Likoare’o hao t’i Balak’ ana’ i Tsipore, mpanjaka’ i Moabe? Nitamea’e hao t’Israele? Naname iereo an’ aly hao?
(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 ie fa nimoneñe e Kesbone naho amo tanà’eo, naho e Areore naho amo tanà’eo naho amy ze hene rova añ’ olo’ i Arnoney, o taoñe telon-jato zao, t’Israele. Inoñ’ arè ty tsy nandrambesa’ areo aze hatrela izay?
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 Ie amy zao tsy anaña’o hakeo, fa mandilatse ahy ka t’ie hialy amako; angao, hizaka añivo’ o ana’ Israeleo naho o ana’ i Amoneo t’Iehovà Mpizaka te anito.
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 Fe tsy hinao’ i mpanjaka’ o ana’ i Amoneoy i saontsy nihitrifa’ Ieftakey.
But the king of the Ammon people-group did not pay attention to that message from Jephthah.
29 Niheo am’ Ieftak’ amy zao t’i Arofo’ Iehovà, le rinanga’e ty Mitspà’ i Gilade, le boake Mitspà’ i Gilade re nitoañe mb’ amo ana’ i Amoneo mb’eo.
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 Le nanao fanta amy Iehovà t’Ieftak’ ami’ty hoe: Naho toe hatolo’o an-tañako o ana’ i Amoneo,
There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,
31 le ndra inoñ’ inoñe ty miakatse an-dalan-kibohoko hifanalaka amako, ie mimpoly am-panintsiñan-draho boak’ amo ana’ i Amoneo, le ho a Iehovà, vaho hengaeko ho soroñe.
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 Aa le nitsake mb’ amo ana’ i Amoneo mb’eo haname iareo t’Ieftake; vaho natolo’ Iehovà am-pità’e.
Then Jephthah [and his men] went from Mizpah to attack the Ammon people-group, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
33 Le linafa’e boak’ Aroere, ampara’ ty figadoñañe e Minite añe, rova roapolo naho mb’ Abele-keramine mb’eo am-panjamanam-bey. Aa le niambane amo ana’ Israeleo o ana’ i Amoneo.
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 Ie nivotrak’ añ’ anjomba’e e Mitspà eo t’Ieftake, hehe te i anak’ ampela’ey ty niakatse hifanalaka ama’e ninday fikoriñañe an-tsinjake; i bako-toka’ey; tsy nanañ’ anadahy ndra anak’ ampela re naho tsy ie.
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 Ie nahaoniñe aze, le nandriatse o siki’eo, nanao ty hoe: Hoy abey! anako! Vata’e nampiambane’o! nanoe’o am-poheke, amy te sinokako amy Iehovà ty vavako, vaho tsy ifoterañe.
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 Le hoe re ama’e, O raeko, kanao nanoka-palie am’ Iehovà, le ano amako i niakatse am-palie’oy, amy te namale fate ho azo, amo rafelahi’o ana’ i Amoneo, t’Iehovà.
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 Le tinovo’e aman-drae’e ty hoe: Ehe te hanoeñe amako o raha zao t’ie ho vahiny volan-droe hañambone-ambane’ o vohitseo hangoihoy ty hasomondrarako, izaho naho o mpiamakoo.
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 Le hoe re: Akia, le nirahe’e mb’eo volañe roe, le nionjomb’eo rekets’ o rañe’eo nirovetse i hasomondrara’ey an-kaboañe ey.
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 Ie modo i volañe roe rey, le nimpoly aman-drae’e vaho nanoe’e ama’e i nifantà’ey, ie mbe tsy nahavany lahy. Izay ty nifotora’ ty lilitse e Israele ao,
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 te mb’eo boa-taoñe o anak’ ampela’ Israeleo hirovetse i anak’ ampela’ Ieftake nte-Giladey, efatse andro ami’ ty taoñe.
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.
