Atemmufo 11
1 Gileadni Yefta yɛ ɔkofo kɛse. Nʼagya din de Gilead. Nanso ne na yɛ ɔbea guamanfo.
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.
2 Gilead yere woo mmabarima bebree, na saa mmabarima no nyinyinii no, wɔpam Yefta fii asase no so. Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Worennya yɛn agya agyapade biara, efisɛ woyɛ ɔbea guamanfo bi ba.”
And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”
3 Enti Yefta guan fii ne nuanom nkyɛn kɔtenaa Tob asase so. Ankyɛ, onyaa atuatewfo bebree bedii nʼakyi.
So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.
4 Bere koro yi ara, Amonfo de ɔko bɛkaa Israel.
Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel
5 Bere a Amonfo tow hyɛɛ Israelfo so no, Gilead mpanyimfo soma kɔfaa Yefta fii Tob asase so bae. Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se,
and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6 “Bra na bɛyɛ yɛn so ɔsahene! Boa yɛn ma yɛne Amonfo nko.”
“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”
7 Yefta bisaa wɔn se, “Ɛnyɛ mo na motan me, pam me fii mʼagya fi no? Adɛn nti na afei a mowɔ ɔhaw mu no, morebɛfrɛ me?”
Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?”
8 Gilead mpanyimfo no ka kyerɛɛ Yefta se, “Wo ho hia yɛn. Sɛ wudi yɛn anim ma yɛko tia Amonfo a, yɛbɛyɛ wo Gileadfo nyinaa sodifo.”
They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.”
9 Yefta buae se, “Sɛ me ne mo kɔ na Awurade ma midi Amonfo so nkonim a, ampa ara sɛ mode me bɛyɛ nnipa no nyinaa sodifo ana?”
But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?”
10 Gilead ntuanofo no buaa no se, “Awurade ne yɛn dansefo. Yɛbɛyɛ sɛnea woka biara.”
And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.”
11 Enti Yefta ne ntuanofo no kɔɔ Gilead. Na wɔde no yɛɛ wɔn sodifo ne ɔsahene. Na Yefta tii nsɛm no nyinaa mu wɔ Mispa wɔ Awurade anim.
So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.
12 Afei, Yefta somaa abɔfo kɔɔ Amonfo hene nkyɛn se wonkobisa no nea enti a ɔrebɛtow ahyɛ Israel so.
Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against my land?”
13 Amonfo hene buaa Yefta abɔfo no se, “Bere a Israel fii Misraim bae no, wɔfaa mʼasase a efi Asubɔnten Arnon de kosi Asubɔnten Yabok, toa so kosi Yordan. Enti san fa mʼade ma me asomdwoe mu.”
The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and all the way to the Jordan. Now, therefore, restore it peaceably.”
14 Na Yefta san somaa abɔfo kɔɔ Amonfo hene hɔ se,
Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites
15 “Sɛnea Yefta se ni: Israel amfa Moab asase anaa Amonfo asase biara.
to tell him, “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or of the Ammonites.
16 Bere a Israelfo tuu kwan fii Misraim, twaa Po Kɔkɔɔ na woduu Kades no,
But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.
17 wɔsomaa abɔfo kɔɔ Edomhene hɔ sɛ ɔmma wɔn kwan na wɔmfa nʼasase no so. Nanso Edomhene ampene. Wɔsoma ma wɔkɔɔ Moabhene hɔ, nanso ɔno nso ampene. Enti, Israelfo tenaa Kades.
Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.
18 “Ne korakora ne sɛ, wɔnam sare so twa faa Edom ne Moab ho hyiae. Wɔfaa Edom apuei fam hye so kyeree nsraban wɔ Asubɔnten Arnon fa hɔ. Nanso wɔantwa Asubɔnten Arnon ankɔ Moab asase so.
Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.
19 “Afei, Israelfo somaa abɔfo kɔɔ Amorihene Sihon a odii ade fi Hesbon na wɔsrɛɛ kwan sɛ wɔpɛ sɛ wɔfa nʼasase so kɔ baabi a wɔrekɔ no.
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’
20 Nanso esiane sɛ na ɔhene Sihon nni Israelfo mu gyidi nti ɔboaboaa ne dɔm ano wɔ Yahas ma wɔtow hyɛɛ wɔn so.
But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
21 “Na Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, maa ne nkurɔfo dii ɔhene Sihon so. Enti Israelfo faa Amorifo asase a na wɔte so wɔ ɔmantam no mu,
Then the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, who defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who inhabited that country,
22 fi Asubɔnten Arnon de kosi Asubɔnten Yabok, fi sare no so de kosi Yordan nyinaa dii so.
seizing all the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23 “Enti moahu, ɛyɛ Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn na ogyee asase no fii Amorifo nsam na ɔde maa Israel. Adɛn na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛde ma mo?
Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, should you now possess it?
24 Nea mo nyame Kemos de maa mo no momfa, na yɛn nso, nea Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn de maa yɛn biara no yɛafa.
Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us.
25 So wosen Mosen, Sipor babarima Balak a na ɔyɛ Moabhene no? Ɔne Israel hamee anaa koe ana?
Are you now so much better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them?
26 Na afei, mfe ahaasa akyi na woama saa asɛm yi so? Israel atena ha saa bere tenten yi, wɔatrɛw afi Hesbon asase so, akosi Aroer ne nkurow no nyinaa so, akɔfa Asubɔnten Arnon ano. Adɛn nti na mmere sann yi moanyɛ mo adwene sɛ mubegye asase yi?
For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, as well as all the cities along the banks of the Arnon. Why did you not take them back during that time?
27 Menyɛɛ mo bɔne. Mmom, mo na moayɛ me bɔne sɛ motow hyɛɛ me so. Momma Awurade a ɔyɛ otemmufo no mmua nnɛ, sɛ yɛn mu hena na nʼasɛm yɛ dɛ? Israel anaa Amon.”
I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
28 Nanso Amonhene amfa Yefta asɛm no asɛnhia.
But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him.
29 Saa bere no, Awurade Honhom baa Yefta so maa ɔkɔɔ Gilead ne Manase nsase nyinaa so a, Mispa a ɛwɔ Gilead ka ho. Na odii asraafo anim tow hyɛɛ Amonfo so.
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
30 Na Yefta hyɛɛ Awurade bɔ. Ɔkae se, “Sɛ woma midi Amonfo so a,
Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,
31 mede ade a ebedi kan afi me fi abehyia me bere a mede nkonimdi reba no, bɛma Awurade. Mede bɛma no sɛ ɔhyew afɔre.”
then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
32 Ɛnna Yefta dii nʼakofo anim tiaa Amonfo, na Awurade ma odii nkonim.
So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand.
33 Odii Amonfo so pasaa, sɛee nkurow bɛyɛ aduonu, fii Aroer de kosii baabi a ɛbɛn Minit, kɔe ara kosii Abel-Keramim. Saa kwan yi so na Israelfo fa kaa Amonfo hyɛe.
With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.
34 Bere a Yefta fi akono kɔɔ ne fi wɔ Mispa no, ne babea, a ɔyɛ ne ba koro no, tuu mmirika behyiaa no a ɔrebɔ akasae, na anigye nti, ɔresaw.
And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
35 Yefta huu no no, ɔde awerɛhow sunsuan ne ntade mu, teɛɛ mu se, “Ao, me ba! Woabrɛ me ase na matetew apansam. Na maka Awurade ntam na merentumi mmu so.”
As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”
36 Ne babea no buae se, “Mʼagya, woahyɛ Awurade bɔ. Yɛ me sɛnea woahyɛ bɔ no, efisɛ Awurade ama woadi wʼatamfo a wɔyɛ Amonfo no so nkonim.
“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.”
37 Nanso nea edi kan no, ma memforo mmepɔw nkokyinkyin so na me ne me nnamfonom nsu asram abien, efisɛ mewu sɛ ababaa a minhuu ɔbarima da.”
She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander for two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.”
38 Yefta ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Wutumi kɔ.” Enti ɔmaa no kɔ kodii asram abien. Ɔne ne nnamfonom kɔɔ mmepɔw no so kosui, efisɛ ɔrennya mma.
“Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains.
39 Bere a ɔsan baa fie no, nʼagya dii ne bɔhyɛ so. Enti owui sɛ ababaa a onhuu ɔbarima da. Eyi abɛyɛ amanne wɔ Israel
After two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she had never had relations with a man. So it has become a custom in Israel
40 ama Israel mmabun sɛ afe biara wɔbɛkɔ baabi akodi nnaanan na wɔakosu Yefta babea no nkrabea.
that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
