11
Jephthah
1Now ⚓Jephthah the Gileadite was ⚓a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah.
2Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have ⚓no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”
3Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of ⚓Tob; and ⚓worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.
4It came to pass after a time that the ⚓people of Ammon made war against Israel.
5And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.”
7So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, ⚓“Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”
8⚓And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have ⚓turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be ⚓our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
9So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?”
10And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, ⚓“The Lord will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.”
11Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him ⚓head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words ⚓before the Lord in Mizpah.
12Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, ⚓“What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?”
13And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, ⚓“Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from ⚓the Arnon as far as ⚓the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.”
14So Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon,
15and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: ⚓‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon;
16for when Israel came up from Egypt, they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and ⚓came to Kadesh.
17Then ⚓Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let me pass through your land.” ⚓But the king of Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the ⚓king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel ⚓remained in Kadesh.
18And they ⚓went along through the wilderness and ⚓bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came to the east side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
19Then ⚓Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, “Please ⚓let us pass through your land into our place.”
20⚓But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21And the Lord God of Israel ⚓delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they ⚓defeated them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country.
22They took possession of ⚓all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23‘And now the Lord God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it?
24Will you not possess whatever ⚓Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever ⚓the Lord our God takes possession of before us, we will possess.
25And now, are you any better than ⚓Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel? Did he ever fight against them?
26While Israel dwelt in ⚓Heshbon and its villages, in ⚓Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time?
27Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the Lord, ⚓the Judge, ⚓render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.’ ”
28However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him.
Jephthah’s Vow and Victory
29Then ⚓the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon.
30And Jephthah ⚓made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands,
31then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, ⚓shall surely be the Lord’s, ⚓and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
32So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33And he defeated them from Aroer as far as ⚓Minnith—twenty cities—and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
Jephthah’s Daughter
34When Jephthah came to his house at ⚓Mizpah, there was ⚓his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
35And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he ⚓tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I ⚓have given my word to the Lord, and ⚓I cannot go back on it.”
36So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the Lord, ⚓do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because ⚓the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.”
37Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I.”
38So he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.
39And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he ⚓carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man.
And it became a custom in Israel
40that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
11
1Yefethas yog ib tug tubrog uas siab tawv heev nyob hauv xeev Nkile-as, nws yog ib tug niamntiav tus tub. Nws txiv yog Nkile-as;
2Nkile-as tus pojniam yug tau tub coob, thiab thaum lawv loj hlob tuaj lawm, lawv muab Yefethas ntiab tawm tsev. Lawv hais rau nws hais tias, “Koj yuav tsis muaj feem nrog peb faib peb txiv tej qubtxeeg qubteg; rau qhov koj yog dua ib tug niam yug.”
3Yog li ntawd, Yefethas thiaj khiav nws cov kwvtij mus nyob rau hauv tebchaws Taunpes. Nws mus yaum tau ib pab neeg lojleeb thiab lawv mus nrog nws nyob ua ke.
4Tom qab ntawd, muaj ib zaug cov Amoos txawm mus ua rog rau cov Yixalayees.
5Thaum muaj tej xwm no tshwmsim tuaj, cov Nkile-as tej thawjcoj thiaj mus coj Yefethas hauv tebchaws Taunpes rov qab los.
6Lawv hais rau Yefethas hais tias, “Koj cia li rov los ua peb tus thawjcoj, peb thiaj yuav tua yeej cov Amoos.”
7Tiamsis Yefethas teb hais tias, “Nej ntxub kuv heev, nej thiaj muab kuv ntiab tawm hauv kuv txiv tsev mus lawm. Ua cas nimno nej raug kev nyuaj siab, nej ho paub tuaj cuag kuv?”
8Lawv teb Yefethas hais tias, “Nimno peb tig rov los cuag koj, rau qhov peb xav tau koj nrog peb mus tua cov Amoos thiab ua cov Nkile-as tus thawjcoj.”
9Yefethas hais rau lawv hais tias, “Yog nej coj kuv rov qab mus tsev, mus tua cov Amoos thiab tus TSWV pab kuv tua yeej, mas kuv yuav ua tus kav nej xwb.”
10Lawv teb hais tias, “Peb pom zoo li ntawd ntag. Thov tus TSWV ua timkhawv rau peb.”
11Yog li ntawd, Yefethas thiaj nrog cov Nkile-as tej thawjcoj rov los, thiab cov pejxeem muab nws tsa ua tus saib lawv thiab ua lawv tus thawjcoj. Yefethas qhia tej kev uas nws yuav tswjhwm sawvdaws tabmeeg tus TSWV hauv lub nroog Mixepas.
12Yefethas txawm txib neeg mus hais rau cov Amoos tus vajntxwv hais tias, “Vim li cas koj yuav tsiv siab ua luaj rau peb? Vim li cas koj thiaj tuaj tua kuv lub tebchaws?”
13Cov Amoos tus vajntxwv teb Yefethas hais tias, “Thaum cov Yixalayees khiav nram tebchaws Iziv los, lawv txeeb tagnrho kuv tej av uas nyob ntawm tus dej Alenoos mus txog ntua ntawm tus dej Yanpaus thiab ntawm tus dej Yauladees lawm. Nimno koj cia li thim twjywm rov qab rau kuv xwb.”
14Yefethas rov txib neeg mus hais rau cov Amoos tus vajntxwv
15hais tias, “Cov Yixalayees tsis tau los txeeb lub tebchaws Mau-am lossis lub tebchaws Amoos, qhov ntawd tsis muaj tseeb li koj hais.
16Tej xwm uas tshwmsim ntawd yog li no: thaum cov Yixalayees khiav nram tebchaws Iziv los, lawv hla tiaj suabpuam los txog rau ntawm Hiavtxwv Akhanpas thiab los txog rau hauv Kades.
17Ces lawv thiaj txib neeg mus thov cov Edoos tus vajntxwv kom pub lawv taug kev hauv nws lub tebchaws los. Tiamsis cov Edoos tus vajntxwv tsis kam lawv los. Dua li ntawd lawv tseem thov cov Mau-am tus vajntxwv ib yam nkaus, tiamsis nws kuj tsis kam li thiab. Yog li ntawd, cov Yixalayees thiaj los nyob rau hauv Kades.
18Ces lawv thiaj los hla tiaj suabpuam, lug kev ncig lub tebchaws Edoos thiab lub tebchaws Mau-am, mus txog thaum lawv los txog rau ntawm tebchaws Mau-am sab hnubtuaj uas nyob ntawm tus dej Alenoos sab tid. Lawv thiaj tsuam yeej nyob rau qhov ntawd, tiamsis lawv tsis tau hla tus dej Alenoos rau qhov yog cov Mau-am tus ciamteb.
19Cov Yixalayees tso xov rau Xihoos uas yog cov Amaules tus vajntxwv uas kav lub nroog Hesenpoos hais tias, ‘Thov koj tso cai rau peb taug kev hauv koj lub tebchaws mus rau hauv peb lub tebchaws.’
20Tiamsis Xihoos tsis kam cov Yixalayees taug kev hauv nws lub tebchaws mus. Nws thiaj txhij tagnrho nws cov tubrog mus tsuam yeej rau hauv Yahaxes thiab tua cov Yixalayees.
21Tiamsis tus TSWV uas yog cov Yixalayees tus Vajtswv tau pab cov Yixalayees tua yeej Xihoos thiab nws cov tubrog. Ces cov Yixalayees thiaj txeeb tau tagnrho lub tebchaws uas cov Amaules nyob ntawd.
22Lawv kav tagnrho cov Amaules lub tebchaws txij ntua ntawm tus dej Alenoos sab qabteb mus txog ntua ntawm tus dej Yanpaus sab qaumteb thiab txij ntua ntawm tiaj suabpuam sab hnubtuaj mus txog ntua ntawm tus dej Yauladees sab hnubpoob.
23Twb yog tus TSWV uas yog cov Yixalayees tus Vajtswv muab cov Amaules ntiab tawm thiab cia rau nws haivneeg Yixalayees los nyob.
24Koj tseem xav txeeb lub tebchaws no rov qab thiab los? Koj cia li kav tej uas koj tus vajtswv Khemaus muab rau koj lawm xwb. Tiamsis peb yuav kav tej uas tus TSWV uas yog peb tus Vajtswv muab pub rau peb lawm.
25Koj xav hais tias koj tseem txawj ntaus rog tshaj cov Mau-am tus vajntxwv Xipaules tus tub Npalaj thiab no los? Nws yeej ibtxwm tsis tau nrog cov Yixalayees sib cav dua li los? Nws yeej ibtxwm tsis tau nrog peb ua rog li los?
26Cov Yixalayees twb kav lub nroog Hesenpoos thiab Alu-es, thiab tej zos me uas nyob ibncig ob lub nroog no, thiab tagnrho tej nroog uas nyob raws tus ntug dej Alenoos tau peb puas xyoo lawm. Yog li cas koj tsis txeeb rov qab thaum lub sijhawm ntawd?
27Kuv tsis tau ua txhaum rau koj qhov twg li, tsuas yog koj thiaj ua txhaum rau kuv uas yog tuaj tua kuv lub tebchaws. Tus TSWV yog tus txiav txim. Hnub no nws yuav txiav txim rau cov Yixalayees thiab rau cov Amoos.”
28Tiamsis cov Amoos tus vajntxwv tsis quavntsej Yefethas tej lus ntawd li.
29Ces tus TSWV tus ntsujplig txawm los kav hlo Yefethas. Nws thiaj mus ncig thoob plaws Nkile-as thiab Manaxes rov los rau hauv Mixepas hauv cheebtsam Nkile-as thiab mus rau ntawm cov Amoos.
30Yefethas coglus rau tus TSWV li no hais tias: “Yog koj pub kuv tua yeej cov Amoos,
31thaum kuv ntaus yeej rog rov qab los, yog leejtwg xub tawm hauv kuv lub tsev tuaj tos kuv, mas kuv yuav muab tus ntawd tua hlawv fij rau koj.”
32Yog li ntawd, Yefethas thiaj hla dej mus tua cov Amoos, thiab tus TSWV tau pab nws tua yeej lawm tiag.
33Nws pib tua cov Amoos ntawm Alu-es mus txog ntua ntawm cheebtsam uas nyob ibncig lub nroog Meenithas, tagnrho muaj nees nkaum lub nroog, thiab mus txog ntua ntawm Anpees Kelamees. Cov Amoos raug tua tuag coob kawg nkaus li, thiab ua rau cov Amoos swb cov Yixalayees lawm.
Yefethas tus Ntxhais
34Thaum Yefethas rov qab los txog tsev hauv Mixepas, nws tus ntxhais txawm npuaj nruas dhia seevcev tawm tuaj tos nws. Yefethas muaj tib tug ntxhais ntawd xwb.
35Thaum Yefethas pom dheev nws tus ntxhais, Yefethas dua rhe Yefethas lub tsho thiab hais tias, “Kuv tus me ntxhais! Koj ua rau kuv nyuaj siab kawg nkaus li! Vim li cas koj ua rau kuv mob siab tas npaum li no? Kuv tau coglus ruaj heev rau tus TSWV lawm, kuv yuav thim tsis tau kuv tej lus ntawd li!”
36Yefethas tus ntxhais hais rau Yefethas hais tias, “Yog koj tau coglus rau tus TSWV lawm tiag, koj cia li ua rau kuv raws li koj tau coglus tseg, rau qhov tus TSWV twb ua pauj rau koj cov yeebncuab uas yog cov Amoos lawm.”
37Tiamsis nws thov nws txiv hais tias, “Thov koj cia kuv ua li no. Thov cia kuv nyob ywj siab ob lub hlis, kom kuv tau nrog kuv tej phoojywg mus ncig ua si saum tej roob thiab quaj nyiav qhov uas kuv yuav tuag thaum kuv tseem yog nkaujxwb.”
38Yefethas thiaj cia nws mus ua si tau ob lub hlis. Nws thiab nws tej phoojywg nce mus rau pem tej ncov roob thiab mus quaj nyiav qhov uas nws yuav tuag thaum nws tsis tau yuav txiv thiab tsis tau muaj menyuam.
39Tom qab ob lub hlis lawm, nws rov los cuag nws txiv. Ces Yefethas txawm ua raws li nws tau coglus rau tus TSWV lawm, nws tus ntxhais thiaj tuag thaum tseem yog nkaujxwb.
Qhov no thiaj chiv ua ib txojkev quaj rau cov Yixalayees,
40mas txhua lub xyoos, cov Yixalayees tej pojniam thiaj muab plaub hnub mus quaj nyiav Yefethas tus ntxhais uas yog neeg Nkile-as.