Waamuzi 11
1 Yeftha Mgileadi alikuwa shujaa mwenye nguvu, lakini alikuwa mwana wa kahaba. Gileadi alikuwa baba yake.
Jephthah of Gilead was a strong fighter. He was the son of a prostitute, and his father was Gilead.
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.”
Gilead's wife gave him sons, who when they grew up, drove Jephthah away, telling him, “You won't inherit anything from our father because you are another woman's son.”
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.
Jephthah ran away from his brothers and went to live in the land of Tob. A gang of trouble-makers joined him and he led them out on raids.
4 Siku kadhaa baadaye, wana wa Amoni walipigana na Israeli.
Later on, the Ammonites were at war with Israel.
5 Wana wa Amoni walipopigana na Israeli, wazee wa Gileadi wakaenda kumleta Yeftha kutoka nchi ya Tobu.
As the Ammonites were attacking Israel, the elders of Gilead came to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6 Wakamwambia Yeftha, “Njoo uwe kiongozi wetu ili tupigane na wana wa Amoni.”
“Come and be our army commander,” they asked Jepthah, “so we can fight the Ammonites.”
7 YEphtha akawaambia viongozi wa Gileadi, “mlinichukia na kunilazimisha kuondoka nyumbani kwa baba yangu. Kwa nini mnakuja kwangu sasa munapokuwa na shida?”
“Weren't you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father's house?” Jephthah asked them, “Why are you coming to me now you're in trouble?”
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.
“Yes, that's why we've turned to you now,” the elders of Gilead replied. “Come with us and fight the Ammonites, and you will be the leader of all the people of Gilead.”
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.”
“So if I go back with you and fight the Ammonites, and the Lord makes me victorious, then I'll be your leader?” Jephthah asked the elders of Gilead.
10 wazee wa Gileadi wakamwambia Yeftha, “Bwana awe shahidi kati yetu ikiwa hatutafanya kama tunavyosema!”
“The Lord will be a witness between us,” they replied. “We'll do whatever you say.”
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.
So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and army commander. And Jephthah repeated all his conditions before the Lord at Mizpah.
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?”
Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites to ask him, “What have you got against me that you want to attack 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.”
The king of the Ammonites replied to Jephthah's messengers, “Israel seized my land when they came from Egypt. It extended from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, and across to the Jordan River. So give it back and there'll be no fighting.”
14 Yefta akatuma tena wajumbe kwa mfalme wa wana wa Amoni,
Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of the Ammonites
15 akasema, “Yefita asema hivi, Israeli hawakuchukua nchi ya Moabu na nchi ya wana wa Amoni;
to tell him, “This is Jephthah's reply: The Israelites did not take any land from Moab or from the Ammonites.
16 lakini walitoka Misri, na Israeli wakaenda kupitia jangwa hadi Bahari ya Shamu na Kadeshi.
When they left Egypt, the Israelites went through the desert to the Red Sea and arrived at Kadesh.
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.
They sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your country,’ but the king of Edom refused to listen. They also sent the same request to the king of Moab, and he refused too. So they remained at Kadesh.
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.
Eventually the Israelites traveled through the desert, avoiding the lands of Edom and Moab. They arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River. But they did not enter Moab territory, for the Arnon River was its border.
19 Israeli wakatuma wajumbe kwa Sihoni, mfalme wa Waamori, ambaye alitawala huko Heshboni; Israeli akamwambia, 'Tafadhali, tunaomba tupite katika nchi yako hata mahali petu.'
Then the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon, and asked him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to our own country.’
20 Lakini Sihoni hakumwamini Israeli apite katika eneo lake. Basi Sihoni akakusanya jeshi lake lote, akalipeleka Yahasa, na huko akapigana na Israeli
But Sihon didn't trust the Israelites to pass through his territory. So he assembled his army, set up camp at Jahaz, and attacked the Israelites.
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.
However, the Lord, the God of Israel, handed over Sihon and all his people to the Israelites, who defeated them. So the Israelites took over all the land inhabited by the Amorites.
22 Wachukua kila kitu ndani ya wilaya ya Waamori, kutoka Arnoni hadi Yaboki, na kutoka jangwani hadi Yordani.
They occupied all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, and from the desert to the Jordan River.
23 Basi, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, amewafukuza Waamori mbele ya watu wake Israeli, na sasa mnataka kuimiliki nchi yao?
It was the Lord, the God of Israel, who drove out the Amorites before his people Israel, so why should you take it over?
24 Je, huwezi kuchukua nchi ambayo Kemoshi, mungu wako, anakupa? Kwa hiyo nchi yoyote Bwana, Mungu wetu, ametupa, tutachukua.
Why don't you keep whatever your god Chemosh gave you, and we'll keep whatever the Lord our God has given us?
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?
Do you think you're so much better than Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or attack them?
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?
Israelites have been living in Heshbon, Aroer, their villages, and in all the towns along the banks of the Arnon River for three hundred years. Why didn't you take them back during that time?
27 Sijawafanyia vibaya, lakini mnanifanyia vibaya kwa kunishambulia. Bwana, mwamuzi, ataamua leo kati ya wana wa Israeli na wana wa Amoni.
I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by going to war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
28 Lakini mfalme wa wana wa Amoni akakataa onyo alilotumiwa na Yeftha.
But the king of Ammon didn't pay any attention to what Jephthah had to say.
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.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then on through Mizpah of Gilead. From there he advanced to attack the Ammonites.
30 Yeftha akaahidi kwa Bwana, akasema, “Ikiwa utanipa ushindi juu ya wana wa Amoni,
Jephthah made a solemn promise to the Lord, saying, “If you make me victorious over the Ammonites,
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.”
I will dedicate to the Lord whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me on my safe return from the battle. I will present it as a burnt offering.”
32 Basi Yeftha akapita kwa wana wa Amoni ili kupigana nao, naye Bwana akampa ushindi.
Jephthah advanced to attack the Ammonites, and the Lord gave him the victory over them.
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.
He soundly defeated them, capturing twenty cities from Aroer to the area around Minnith, up as far as Abel-keramim. This is how the Ammonites were conquered by the Israelites.
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.
When Jephthah arrived home in Mizpah, there came his daughter out to meet him, with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child—he had no son or daughter apart from her.
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.
The moment he saw her, he ripped his clothes in agony and cried out, “Oh no, my daughter! You have crushed me completely! You have destroyed me, for I made a solemn promise to the Lord and I can't go back on it.”
36 Akamwambia, “Baba yangu, umeweka ahadi kwa Bwana, unifanyie kila kitu ulichoahidi; kwa kuwa Bwana amekulipia kisasi juu ya adui zako, wana wa Amoni.”
She replied, “Father, you have made a solemn promise to the Lord. Do to me what you promised, for the Lord brought vengeance your enemies, the Ammonites.”
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.”
Then she went on to say to him, “Just let me do this: let me walk through the hills for two months with my friends and grieve the fact that I'll never marry.”
38 Akasema, “Nenda.” Alimtuma kwa muda wa miezi miwili. Akamwondoa, yeye na wenzake, nao wakauomboleza ubikira wake katika milimani.
“You can go,” he told her. He sent her away for two months, and she and her friends went into the hills and cried because she would never marry.
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
When the two months were over, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had promised, and she was a virgin. This is the origin of the custom in Israel
40 kwamba binti za Israeli kila mwaka, kwa siku nne, waweze kurejea hadithi ya binti ya Yeftha Mgileadi.
that every year the young women of Israel leave for four days to weep in commemoration of the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
