Waamuzi 11
1 Yeftha Mgileadi alikuwa shujaa mwenye nguvu, lakini alikuwa mwana wa kahaba. Gileadi alikuwa baba yake.
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 Mke wa Gileadi pia alizaa wanawe wengine. Wana wa mkewe walipokua, walimlazimisha Yeftha aondoke nyumbani na kumwambia, “Huwezi kurithi chochote kutoka katika familia yetu. Wewe ni mwana wa mwanamke mwingine.”
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 Basi Yeftha akaondoka toka kwa ndugu zake, akaishi katika nchi ya Tobu. Watu wasiokuwa na sheria waliungana na Yeftha na wakaja na kwenda pamoja naye.
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 Siku kadhaa baadaye, wana wa Amoni walipigana na Israeli.
In those days the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5 Wana wa Amoni walipopigana na Israeli, wazee wa Gileadi wakaenda kumleta Yeftha kutoka nchi ya Tobu.
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 Wakamwambia Yeftha, “Njoo uwe kiongozi wetu ili tupigane na wana wa Amoni.”
And they said to him: Come thou and be our prince, and fight against the children of Ammon.
7 YEphtha akawaambia viongozi wa Gileadi, “mlinichukia na kunilazimisha kuondoka nyumbani kwa baba yangu. Kwa nini mnakuja kwangu sasa munapokuwa na shida?”
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 Wazee wa Gileadi wakamwambia Yeftha, “Ndiyo sababu tunakugeukia sasa; njoo pamoja nasi pigana na watu wa Amoni, na wewe utakuwa kiongozi juu ya wote wanaoishi Gileadi.
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 Yeftha akawaambia wazee wa Gileadi, “Ikiwa mnanirejesha nyumbani tena ili kupigana na wana wa Amoni, na kama Bwana atatupa ushindi juu yao, nitakuwa kiongozi wenu.”
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 wazee wa Gileadi wakamwambia Yeftha, “Bwana awe shahidi kati yetu ikiwa hatutafanya kama tunavyosema!”
They answered him: The Lord who heareth these things, he himself is mediator and witness that we will do as we have promised.
11 Yeftha akaenda pamoja na wazee wa Gileadi, nao watu wakamfanya awe msimamizi na mkuu juu yao. Alipokuwa mbele ya Bwana huko Mizpa, Yeftha akarudia ahadi zote alizozifanya.
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 Ndipo Yeftha akatuma wajumbe kwa mfalme wa wana wa Amoni, akisema, “Ni nini mgogoro huu kati yetu? Kwa nini umekuja kwa nguvu kuchukua ardhi yetu?”
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 Mfalme wa wana wa Amoni akawajibu wajumbe wa Yeftha, “Kwa sababu Israeli walipopanda kutoka Misri, walichukua nchi yangu toka Arnoni hata Yaboki, mpaka Yordani. Sasa rudisha ardhi hizo kwa amani.”
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 Yefta akatuma tena wajumbe kwa mfalme wa wana wa Amoni,
And Jephte again sent word by them, and commanded them to say to the king of Ammon:
15 akasema, “Yefita asema hivi, Israeli hawakuchukua nchi ya Moabu na nchi ya wana wa Amoni;
Thus saith Jephte: Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16 lakini walitoka Misri, na Israeli wakaenda kupitia jangwa hadi Bahari ya Shamu na Kadeshi.
But when they came up out of Egypt, he walked through the desert to the Red Sea and came into Cades.
17 Israeli walipomtuma wajumbe kwa mfalme wa Edomu, wakisema, 'Tafadhali tunaomba ruhusa tupite katika nchi yako,' mfalme wa Edomu hakuwasikiliza. Wakawatuma wajumbe kwa mfalme wa Moabu, lakini akakataa. Basi Israeli wakakaa 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 Kisha wakapitia jangwani, wakaondoka katika nchi ya Edomu, na nchi ya Moabu; wakavuka upande wa mashariki wa nchi ya Moabu, wakapanga ng'ambo ya Arnoni. Lakini hawakuingia mpaka wa Moabu, maana Arnoni ilikuwa mpaka wa Moabu.
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 Israeli wakatuma wajumbe kwa Sihoni, mfalme wa Waamori, ambaye alitawala huko Heshboni; Israeli akamwambia, 'Tafadhali, tunaomba tupite katika nchi yako hata mahali petu.'
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 Lakini Sihoni hakumwamini Israeli apite katika eneo lake. Basi Sihoni akakusanya jeshi lake lote, akalipeleka Yahasa, na huko akapigana na Israeli
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 Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, akamtia Sihoni na watu wake wote mkononi mwa Israeli, nao wakawashinda. Basi Israeli wakachukua nchi yote ya Waamori waliokaa katika nchi hiyo.
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 Wachukua kila kitu ndani ya wilaya ya Waamori, kutoka Arnoni hadi Yaboki, na kutoka jangwani hadi Yordani.
And all the coasts thereof from the Arnon to the Jaboc, and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23 Basi, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, amewafukuza Waamori mbele ya watu wake Israeli, na sasa mnataka kuimiliki nchi yao?
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 Je, huwezi kuchukua nchi ambayo Kemoshi, mungu wako, anakupa? Kwa hiyo nchi yoyote Bwana, Mungu wetu, ametupa, tutachukua.
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 Sasa wewe ni bora zaidi kuliko Balaki, mwana wa Sipori, mfalme wa Moabu? Je, alidai kuwa na hoja na Israeli? Je, yeye amewahi kupigana vita dhidi yao?
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 Wakati Israeli walipoishia miaka mia tatu huko Heshboni na vijiji vyake, na Aroeri na vijiji vyake, na katika miji yote iliyo karibu na Arnoni, kwa nini hamkuwachukua tena wakati huo?
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 Sijawafanyia vibaya, lakini mnanifanyia vibaya kwa kunishambulia. Bwana, mwamuzi, ataamua leo kati ya wana wa Israeli na wana wa 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 Lakini mfalme wa wana wa Amoni akakataa onyo alilotumiwa na Yeftha.
And the king of the children of Ammon would not hearken to the words of Jephte, which he sent him by the messengers.
29 Basi, Roho wa Bwana akamjia Yeftha, akapita Gileadi na Manase, akapitia Mizpa ya Gileadi, na kutoka Mispa ya Gileadi akapita kwa wana wa 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 Yeftha akaahidi kwa Bwana, akasema, “Ikiwa utanipa ushindi juu ya wana wa Amoni,
He made a vow to the Lord, saying: If thou wilt deliver the children of Ammon into my hands,
31 chochote kinachotoka mlangoni mwa nyumba yangu kunijia mimi nitakaporudi kwa amani kutoka kwa wana wa Amoni kitakuwa cha Bwana; Nami nitatoa hiyo sadaka ya kuteketezwa.”
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 Basi Yeftha akapita kwa wana wa Amoni ili kupigana nao, naye Bwana akampa ushindi.
And Jephte passed over to the children of Ammon, to fight against them: and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33 Akawashinda na kusababisha mauaji makubwa kutoka Aroeri hadi miji ishirini na miwili-na Abeli Keramimu. Basi wana wa Amoni waliwekwa chini ya uangalizi wa watu wa Israeli.
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 Yeftha alifika nyumbani kwake huko Mizpa, na binti yake akatoka kumlaki na ngoma na kucheza. Alikuwa mtoto wake pekee, na badala yake hakuwa na mwana wa kiume wala binti.
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 Mara tu alipopomwona, alirarua nguo zake akasema, 'Loo! Binti yangu! Umenivunja kwa huzuni, na umekuwa mtu anayenisababishia maumivu yangu! Kwa maana nimeapa kwa Bwana, wala siwezi kurudisha ahadi yangu.
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 Akamwambia, “Baba yangu, umeweka ahadi kwa Bwana, unifanyie kila kitu ulichoahidi; kwa kuwa Bwana amekulipia kisasi juu ya adui zako, wana wa 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 Akamwambia baba yake, “Hebu ahadi hii ihifadhiwe kwa ajili yangu. Niache kwa miezi miwili, nipate kuondoka na kwenda kwenye vilima na kuomboleza juu ya ubikira wangu, mimi na wenzangu.”
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 Akasema, “Nenda.” Alimtuma kwa muda wa miezi miwili. Akamwondoa, yeye na wenzake, nao wakauomboleza ubikira wake katika milimani.
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 Mwishoni mwa miezi miwili alirudi kwa baba yake, ambaye alifanya kulingana na ahadi ya aliyoifanya. Sasa alikuwa hajalala na mwanaume, na ikawa desturi katika Israeli
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 kwamba binti za Israeli kila mwaka, kwa siku nne, waweze kurejea hadithi ya binti ya Yeftha Mgileadi.
That from year to year the daughters of Israel assemble together, and lament the daughter of Jephte the Galaadite for four days.
