Fakamaau 11
1 Pea ko Sefita ko e tangata Kiliati, ko e tangata toʻa lahi, pea ko e tama ia ʻae fefine angahala: pea ko e foha ʻo Kiliati ʻa Sefita.
[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 Pea naʻe fanauʻi ʻe he uaifi ʻo Kiliati ʻae ngaahi tama; pea naʻe tupu hake ʻae ngaahi tama ʻa hono uaifi, pea naʻa nau kapusi ʻa Sefita, ʻonau pehē kiate ia, “ʻE ʻikai te ke hoko koe ki ha meʻa ʻi he fale ʻo ʻetau tamai: he ko e tama koe ʻae fefine kehe.”
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 Pea naʻe hola ai ʻa Sefita mei hono ngaahi kāinga, pea nofo ia ʻi he fonua ko Topi: pea naʻe kātoa kia Sefita ʻae kau tangata launoa, ʻonau ʻalu fano mo ia.
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 Pea fuoloaange mo ʻene hoko ʻo pehē, naʻe te u tau ʻae fānau ʻa ʻAmoni ki ʻIsileli.
Some time later, the Ammon people-group started to fight against the Israelis.
5 Pea ʻi he te u tau ʻae fānau ʻa ʻAmoni ki ʻIsileli, pea pehē, naʻe ʻalu ʻae kau mātuʻa ʻo Kiliati ke ʻomi ʻa Sefita mei he fonua ko Topi:
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 Pea naʻa nau pehē kia Sefita, “Haʻu koe, ʻo hoko ko homau ʻeikitau, koeʻuhi ketau tauʻi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻAmoni.”
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 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sefita ki he kau mātuʻa ʻo Kiliati, “ʻIkai naʻa mou fehiʻa kiate au, pea kapusi au mei he fale ʻo ʻeku tamai? Pea ko e hā kuo mou haʻu ai kiate au ʻi hoʻomou tuʻutāmaki?”
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 Pea pehē ʻe he kau mātuʻa ʻo Kiliati kia Sefita, “Ko ia ʻoku mau toe kumi ni kiate koe, koeʻuhi ke tau ō, pea tauʻi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻAmoni, pea ke hoko ko homau ʻeiki ʻi he kakai kotoa pē ʻo Kiliati.”
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 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sefita ki he kau mātuʻa ʻo Kiliati, “Kapau ʻoku mou ʻave au ki hoku fonua ke u tauʻi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻAmoni, pea tukuange ʻakinautolu ʻe Sihova ʻi hoku ʻao, te u hoko moʻoni ai ko homou ʻeiki?”
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 Pea pehē ʻe he kau mātuʻa ʻo Kiliati kia Sefita, “Ke ʻafio ʻe Sihova kiate kitaua, ʻo kapau ʻe ʻikai te mau fai ʻo hangē ko hoʻo lea.”
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 Pea naʻe toki ʻalu ʻa Sefita mo e kau mātuʻa ʻo Kiliati, pea fakanofo ia ʻe he kakai ko e pule mo e ʻeikitau kiate kinautolu: pea naʻe fai ʻe Sefita ʻene ngaahi lea kotoa pē ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova ʻi Misipa.
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 Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Sefita ʻae kau talafekau ki he tuʻi ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻAmoni, ʻo pehē, “Ko e hā haʻo kau kiate au koeʻuhi kuo ke haʻu ai ke tauʻi au ʻi hoku fonua?”
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 Pea naʻe lea ʻae tuʻi ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻAmoni ki he kau talafekau ʻa Sefita, ʻo pehē, “Ko e meʻa ʻi he faʻaoa ʻe ʻIsileli hoku fonua, ʻi heʻenau haʻu mei ʻIsipite, mei ʻAlanoni ʻo aʻu ki Sapoki, pea hoko ki Sioatani: ko ia ke ke toe tuku mai fiemālie pē ʻae ngaahi fonua ko ia.”
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 Pea naʻe toe fekau ʻe Sefita ʻae kau talafekau ki he tuʻi ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻAmoni:
[The messengers returned to Jephthah and told him what the king had said]. So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
15 Pea ne pehē kiate ia, ʻoku pehē ʻe Sefita, “Naʻe ʻikai faʻaoa ʻe ʻIsileli ʻae fonua ʻo Moape, pe ko e fonua ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻAmoni:
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 Ka ʻi he ʻalu hake ʻa ʻIsileli mei ʻIsipite, pea fononga ʻo ʻasi ʻi he toafa mo e tahi Kulokula, pea hoko ki Ketesi;
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 Naʻe fekau ai ʻe ʻIsileli ki he tuʻi ʻo ʻItomi, ʻo pehē, ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, tuku ke u ʻalu ʻi ho fonua: ka naʻe ʻikai tokanga ki ai ʻae tuʻi ʻo ʻItomi. Pea naʻe pehē pe ʻenau fekau ki he tuʻi ʻo Moape: ka naʻe ʻikai loto ia ki ai: pea naʻe nofo pe ʻa ʻIsileli ʻi Ketesi.
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 Naʻa nau ʻalu ai pe ʻi he toafa, pea foliaki ʻae fonua ko ʻItomi, pea mo e fonua ʻo Moape, ʻonau hoko ʻo ofi ki he fonua ʻo Moape ʻi he potu hopoʻangalaʻā, pea ʻapitanga ʻi he potu ʻe taha ʻo ʻAlanoni, ka naʻe ʻikai hoko ki loto ʻi he veʻe fonua ʻo Moape: he ko e ngataʻanga ʻo Moape ʻa ʻAlanoni.
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 Pea naʻe fekau ʻe ʻIsileli ʻae kau talafekau kia Sihoni ko e tuʻi ʻoe kau ʻAmoli, ko e tuʻi ʻo Hesiponi: pea naʻe pehē ʻe ʻIsileli kiate ia, ʻOku mau kole kiate koe, ke ke tuku ke mau ʻalu atu ʻi ho fonua ki hoku potu.
‘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 Ka naʻe ʻikai tui ʻa Sihoni ke tuku ʻa ʻIsileli ke ʻalu ʻi hono fonua: ka naʻe tānaki ʻe Sihoni hono kakai kotoa pē ʻo ʻapitanga ʻi Sehasi, ke tauʻi ʻa ʻIsileli.
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 Pea naʻe tukuange ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻa Sihoni mo hono kakai kotoa pē ki he nima ʻo ʻIsileli, pea naʻa nau taaʻi ʻakinautolu: pea naʻe maʻu ʻe ʻIsileli ʻae fonua kotoa pē ʻoe kau ʻAmoli, ko e kakai ʻoe fonua.
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 Pea naʻa nau maʻu ʻae ngaahi fonua kotoa pē ʻoe kau ʻAmoli, mei ʻAlanoni ʻo aʻu atu ki Sapoki, pea mei he toafa ʻo hoko ki Sioatani.
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 Ko ia ko Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli kuo ne kapusi ʻae kakai ʻAmoni, mei he ʻao ʻo hono kakai ko ʻIsileli, pea ʻoku lelei ke ke maʻu ia ʻe koe?
‘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 ʻIkai te ke maʻu ʻaia ʻoku foaki ʻe Kimosi ko ho ʻotua kiate koe? Ko ia ko kinautolu kotoa pē ʻe kapusi ʻe Sihova ko homau ʻOtua mei homau ʻao, ko kinautolu te mau maʻu.
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 Pea ko eni, ʻoku ke lelei hake koe ʻia Pelaki ko e foha ʻo Sipoa ko e tuʻi ʻo Moape? Naʻe fekuki ia mo ʻIsileli pe ʻikai? Pe naʻa ne tauʻi ʻa ʻIsileli?
(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 Naʻe nofo ʻa ʻIsileli ʻi Hesiponi mo hono ngaahi kolo, pea ʻi ʻAloeli mo hono ngaahi kolo, pea ʻi he ngaahi kolo ʻoku tuʻu ʻi hono ngaahi ngataʻanga ʻoe fonua ʻo ʻAlanoni, ʻi he taʻu ʻe tolungeau? Ko e hā naʻe ʻikai te mou toe maʻu ʻakinautolu ʻi he ngaahi kuonga ko ia?
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 Ko ia naʻe ʻikai te u fai angahala kiate koe, ka ʻoku ke fai kovi kiate au ʻi hoʻo fie tauʻi au: ko Sihova ko e fakamaau, ke fakamaau ʻe ia he ʻaho ni koeʻuhi ko e fānau ʻa ʻIsileli mo e fānau ʻa ʻAmoni.”
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 Ka naʻe ʻikai tokanga ʻae tuʻi ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻAmoni ki he ngaahi lea ʻa Sefita, ʻaia naʻa ne fekau kiate ia.
But the king of the Ammon people-group did not pay attention to that message from Jephthah.
29 Pea naʻe hoko ʻae Laumālie ʻo Sihova kia Sefita, pea naʻe ʻalu atu ia ʻi Kiliati, mo Manase, pea ʻalu atu ʻi Misipa ʻo Kiliati, pea ʻalu ʻi Misipa ʻo Kiliati ʻo hoko atu ki he fānau ʻa ʻAmoni.
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 Pea naʻe lea ʻa Sefita ʻaki ʻae fuakava kia Sihova, ʻo ne pehē, “Kapau te ke tukuange moʻoni ʻae fānau ʻa ʻAmoni ki hoku nima,
There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,
31 pea ʻe pehē, ko ia ʻe hū kituʻa mei he matapā ʻo hoku fale ke fakafetaulaki kiate au ʻi heʻeku liu mai ʻi he fiemālie mei he fānau ʻa ʻAmoni, ʻe ʻa Sihova moʻoni ia, pea te u ʻatu ia ko e feilaulau tutu.”
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 Pea naʻe ʻalu ai ʻa Sefita ki he fānau ʻa ʻAmoni ke tauʻi ʻakinautolu: pea naʻe tukuange ʻakinautolu ʻe Sihova ki hono nima.
Then Jephthah [and his men] went from Mizpah to attack the Ammon people-group, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
33 Pea ne taaʻi ʻakinautolu mei ʻAloeli, ʻo hoko atu ki Minite, ko e kolo ʻe uofulu, ʻo aʻu atu ki he toafa ʻoe ngoue vaine, ʻi he tā lahi ʻaupito. Pea naʻe pehē hono fakavaivai ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻAmoni ʻi he ʻao ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻIsileli.
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 Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Sefita ki hono fale ʻi Misipi, pea vakai, naʻe haʻu kituʻa hono ʻofefine mo e ngaahi kihiʻi lali tatangi mo e meʻe ke fakafetaulaki kiate ia: pea ko hono ʻofefine pe taha ia; naʻe ʻikai hano foha pe ʻofefine ka ko ia pe.
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 Pea ʻi heʻene mamata kiate ia, naʻa ne haehae hono kofu, ʻo ne pehē, “ʻOiauē, hoku ʻofefine! Kuo ke fakavaivai ʻaupito au, ko e tokotaha koe ʻokinautolu ʻoku fakamamahi kiate au: he kuo faai hoku ngutu kia Sihova, pea ʻoku ʻikai te u faʻa foki kimui.”
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 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kiate ia, “ʻA ʻeku tamai, kapau kuo ke lea ʻaki ho ngutu kia Sihova, ke ke fai kiate au ʻo hangē ko ia kuo haʻu mei ho ngutu; he kuo fai ʻe Sihova ʻae totongi maʻau ki ho ngaahi fili, ʻio, ʻae fānau ʻa ʻAmoni.”
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 Pea pehē ʻe ia ki heʻene tamai, “Tuku ke fai ʻae meʻa ni koeʻuhi ko au: tuku au ʻi he māhina ʻe ua, ke u feʻaluʻaki ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga ʻo tēngihia hoku tāupoʻou, ʻeau mo hoku kau fefine.”
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 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “ʻAlu.” Pea naʻa ne fekau ia ke ʻalu ʻi he māhina ʻe ua: pea ʻalu ia mo hono kau fefine, ʻo tēngihia hono tāupoʻou ʻi he ngaahi moʻunga.
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 Pea ʻi he ngataʻanga ʻoe māhina ʻe ua, naʻe pehē, naʻe liu mai ia ki heʻene tamai, pea naʻa ne fai kiate ia ʻo fakatatau ki heʻene fuakava naʻa ne fai: pea naʻe ʻikai te ne ʻilo ha tangata.
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 Pea naʻe fai maʻu ʻae anga ko ia ʻi ʻIsileli, ʻi he ʻalu ʻae ngaahi ʻofefine ʻi ʻIsileli ʻi he ʻaho ʻe fā ʻi he taʻu kotoa pē tukufakaholo ke tēngihia ʻae ʻofefine ʻo Sefita ko e tangata Kiliati.
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.
