Judges 11
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor. He was the son of a prostitute. Gilead became the father of Jephthah.
Yeftha Mgileadi alikuwa shujaa mwenye nguvu, lakini alikuwa mwana wa kahaba. Gileadi alikuwa baba yake.
2 Gilead’s wife bore him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You will not inherit in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”
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.”
3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Outlaws joined up with Jephthah, and they went out with him.
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.
4 After a while, the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
Siku kadhaa baadaye, wana wa Amoni walipigana na Israeli.
5 When the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah out of the land of Tob.
Wana wa Amoni walipopigana na Israeli, wazee wa Gileadi wakaenda kumleta Yeftha kutoka nchi ya Tobu.
6 They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.”
Wakamwambia Yeftha, “Njoo uwe kiongozi wetu ili tupigane na wana wa Amoni.”
7 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did not you hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”
YEphtha akawaambia viongozi wa Gileadi, “mlinichukia na kunilazimisha kuondoka nyumbani kwa baba yangu. Kwa nini mnakuja kwangu sasa munapokuwa na shida?”
8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight with the children of Ammon. You will be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
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.
9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them before me, will I be your head?”
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.”
10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.”
wazee wa Gileadi wakamwambia Yeftha, “Bwana awe shahidi kati yetu ikiwa hatutafanya kama tunavyosema!”
11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.
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.
12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What do you have to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?”
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?”
13 The king of the children of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore that territory again peaceably.”
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.”
14 Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon;
Yefta akatuma tena wajumbe kwa mfalme wa wana wa Amoni,
15 and he said to him, “Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon;
akasema, “Yefita asema hivi, Israeli hawakuchukua nchi ya Moabu na nchi ya wana wa Amoni;
16 but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh,
lakini walitoka Misri, na Israeli wakaenda kupitia jangwa hadi Bahari ya Shamu na Kadeshi.
17 then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let me pass through your land;’ but the king of Edom did not listen. In the same way, he sent to the king of Moab, but he refused; so Israel stayed in Kadesh.
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.
18 Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
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.
19 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to my place.’
Israeli wakatuma wajumbe kwa Sihoni, mfalme wa Waamori, ambaye alitawala huko Heshboni; Israeli akamwambia, 'Tafadhali, tunaomba tupite katika nchi yako hata mahali petu.'
20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
Lakini Sihoni hakumwamini Israeli apite katika eneo lake. Basi Sihoni akakusanya jeshi lake lote, akalipeleka Yahasa, na huko akapigana na Israeli
21 The LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
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.
22 They possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.
Wachukua kila kitu ndani ya wilaya ya Waamori, kutoka Arnoni hadi Yaboki, na kutoka jangwani hadi Yordani.
23 So now the LORD, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess them?
Basi, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, amewafukuza Waamori mbele ya watu wake Israeli, na sasa mnataka kuimiliki nchi yao?
24 Will not you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever the LORD our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.
Je, huwezi kuchukua nchi ambayo Kemoshi, mungu wako, anakupa? Kwa hiyo nchi yoyote Bwana, Mungu wetu, ametupa, tutachukua.
25 Now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?
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?
26 Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along the side of the Arnon for three hundred years! Why did not you recover them within that time?
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?
27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me. May the LORD the Judge be judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.”
Sijawafanyia vibaya, lakini mnanifanyia vibaya kwa kunishambulia. Bwana, mwamuzi, ataamua leo kati ya wana wa Israeli na wana wa Amoni.
28 However, the king of the children of Ammon did not listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
Lakini mfalme wa wana wa Amoni akakataa onyo alilotumiwa na Yeftha.
29 Then the LORD’s Spirit came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.
Basi, Roho wa Bwana akamjia Yeftha, akapita Gileadi na Manase, akapitia Mizpa ya Gileadi, na kutoka Mispa ya Gileadi akapita kwa wana wa Amoni.
30 Jephthah vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,
Yeftha akaahidi kwa Bwana, akasema, “Ikiwa utanipa ushindi juu ya wana wa Amoni,
31 then it shall be, that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”
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.”
32 So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hand.
Basi Yeftha akapita kwa wana wa Amoni ili kupigana nao, naye Bwana akampa ushindi.
33 He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
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.
34 Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
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.
35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot go back.”
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.
36 She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.”
Akamwambia, “Baba yangu, umeweka ahadi kwa Bwana, unifanyie kila kitu ulichoahidi; kwa kuwa Bwana amekulipia kisasi juu ya adui zako, wana wa Amoni.”
37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me. Leave me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.”
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.”
38 He said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months; and she departed, she and her companions, and mourned her virginity on the mountains.
Akasema, “Nenda.” Alimtuma kwa muda wa miezi miwili. Akamwondoa, yeye na wenzake, nao wakauomboleza ubikira wake katika milimani.
39 At the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She was a virgin. It became a custom in Israel
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
40 that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
kwamba binti za Israeli kila mwaka, kwa siku nne, waweze kurejea hadithi ya binti ya Yeftha Mgileadi.
