1 Jephthah, a brave soldier from Gilead, was the son of a prostitute. His father Gilead 2 had other sons by his wife, and when they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home. They told him, “You will not inherit anything from our father; you are the son of another woman.” 3 Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. There he attracted a group of worthless men, and they went around with him.
4 It was some time later that the Ammonites went to war against Israel. 5 When this happened, the leaders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah back from the land of Tob. 6 They told him, “Come and lead us, so that we can fight the Ammonites.”
7 But Jephthah answered, “You hated me so much that you forced me to leave my father's house. Why come to me now that you're in trouble?”
8 They said to Jephthah, “We are turning to you now because we want you to go with us and fight the Ammonites and lead all the people of Gilead.”
9 Jephthah said to them, “If you take me back home to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives me victory, I will be your ruler.”
10 They replied, “We agree. The Lord is our witness.” 11 So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead, and the people made him their ruler and leader. Jephthah stated his terms at Mizpah in the presence of the Lord.
12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon to say, “What is your quarrel with us? Why have you invaded our country?”
13 The king of Ammon answered Jephthah's messengers, “When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River and the Jordan River. Now you must give it back peacefully.”
14 Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon 15 with this answer: “It is not true that Israel took away the land of Moab or the land of Ammon. 16 This is what happened: when the Israelites left Egypt, they went through the desert to the Gulf of Aqaba and came to Kadesh. 17 Then they sent messengers to the king of Edom to ask permission to go through his land. But the king of Edom would not let them. They also asked the king of Moab, but neither would he let them go through his land. So the Israelites stayed at Kadesh. 18 Then they went on through the desert, going around the land of Edom and the land of Moab until they came to the east side of Moab, on the other side of the Arnon River. They camped there, but they did not cross the Arnon because it was the boundary of Moab. 19 Then the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, the Amorite king of Heshbon, and asked him for permission to go through his country to their own land. 20 But Sihon would not let Israel do it. He brought his whole army together, camped at Jahaz, and attacked Israel. 21 But the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the Israelites victory over Sihon and his army. So the Israelites took possession of all the territory of the Amorites who lived in that country. 22 They occupied all the Amorite territory from the Arnon in the south to the Jabbok in the north and from the desert on the east to the Jordan on the west. 23 So it was the Lord, the God of Israel, who drove out the Amorites for his people, the Israelites. 24 Are you going to try to take it back? You can keep whatever your god Chemosh has given you. But we are going to keep everything that the Lord, our God, has taken for us. 25 Do you think you are any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? He never challenged Israel, did he? Did he ever go to war against us? 26 For three hundred years Israel has occupied Heshbon and Aroer, and the towns around them, and all the cities on the banks of the Arnon River. Why haven't you taken them back in all this time? 27 No, I have not done you any wrong. You are doing wrong by making war on me. The Lord is the judge. He will decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.” 28 But the king of Ammon paid no attention to this message from Jephthah.
29 Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He went through Gilead and Manasseh and returned to Mizpah in Gilead and went on to Ammon. 30 Jephthah promised the Lord: “If you will give me victory over the Ammonites, 31 I will burn as an offering the first person that comes out of my house to meet me, when I come back from the victory. I will offer that person to you as a sacrifice.”
32 So Jephthah crossed the river to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave him victory. 33 He struck at them from Aroer to the area around Minnith, twenty cities in all, and as far as Abel Keramim. There was a great slaughter, and the Ammonites were defeated by Israel.
Jephthah's Daughter
34 When Jephthah went back home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him, dancing and playing the tambourine. She was his only child. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes in sorrow and said, “Oh, my daughter! You are breaking my heart! Why must it be you that causes me pain? I have made a solemn promise to the Lord, and I cannot take it back!”
36 She told him, “If you have made a promise to the Lord, do what you said you would do to me, since the Lord has given you revenge on your enemies, the Ammonites.” 37 But she asked her father, “Do this one thing for me. Leave me alone for two months, so that I can go with my friends to wander in the mountains and grieve that I must die a virgin.” 38 He told her to go and sent her away for two months. She and her friends went up into the mountains and grieved because she was going to die unmarried and childless. 39 After two months she came back to her father. He did what he had promised the Lord, and she died still a virgin.
This was the origin of the custom in Israel 40 that the Israelite women would go out for four days every year to grieve for the daughter of Jephthah of Gilead.
1 Jeftab ge ǁkhoaǂgaoxa toroǃkhamaob Gileadi dib di îs ge ǀai-ao ge isa. ǁÎb di îb Gileadi 2 ge ǀnî ǀgôaga taras âb tawa ge ūhâ i, tsî gu ge ǁnā ǀgôaga kai gu geo, Jeftaba ge ǃhaebē. ǁÎgu ge ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Sats ge ǀgui xū-i tsîna sige îba xu ǀumi tide; sats ge ǀkhara taras di ôatsa.” 3 Jeftab ge ǃgâsagu âba xu ǃhū tsî Tobǃhūb ǃnâ sī ge ǁan. ǁNāpa gu ge xūtama khoega ǁîb tawa ǀhaoǀhaosen tsî ǁîb ǀkha gere ǃgûma.
4 ǁAe-i khaoǃgân ge Amonǁîna Israelǁîn ǃoagu ge torodī. 5 Nē ǃkhais ge ī, o gu ge Gileadi di ǂgaeǂgui-aoga Jeftaba gu sī nî ūse Tobǃhūb ǁga ge ǃgû. 6 Tsî gu ge ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Satsa hā ǂgaeǂgui ge re, î ge Amonǁîn ǃoagu sī ǃkham ǁkhā.”
7 Xaweb ge Jeftaba ge ǃeream: “Sago ge tita ǁnātikōse ge ǁkhan tsî ti îb di omsa xu ge ǃhaebē. Tare xū-i ǃaroma go nēsi ǂōǂōsib ǃnâ du go ǂgâo, tita ǃoa ra hā?”
8 O gu ge ǁîga Jeftab ǃoa ge mî: “Sige ge nēsi satsa ǃoa go hā, sige ǀkha ǃgû tsîts Amonǁîn ǃoagu sī ǃkham tsî Gileadi di khoen hoana nî ǂgaeǂguisa ge ra ǂgao amaga.”
9 Ob ge Jeftaba ǁîgu ǃoa ge mî: “Tita go ga oa-ū Amonǁîn ǃoagu ta nî ǃkhamse tsîb ga ǃKhūba dansa a mā te, o ta ge nî sadu di ǂgaeǂgui-ao kai.”
10 O gu ge ge ǃeream: “ǁNāti i ge nî ī. ǃKhūb ge a sage di ǃkhō-amao.” 11 Tsîb ge Jeftaba Gileadi ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ǀkha ge ǃgû, tsîs ge ǁaesa ǁîba ǁîn dana tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aose ge mâi. Jeftab ge ǁîb di mî xūn hoana Mispas tawa ǃKhūb aiǃâ ge ǁguiǃā.
12 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Jeftaba sîsabega Amonǁîn di gao-aob ǁga ge sî, ǁîba gu nî dîse: “Tare-i ǃaromats sida ǃoagu ra torodī? Tare-i ǃaromats sida ǃhūba ǁnāǂam?”
13 Ob ge Amonǁîn di gao-aoba Jeftab di sîsabega ge ǃeream: “Israelǁîn ge Egipteba xun ge hāo, ti ǃhūba ge ū, Arnonǃāba xu Jabokǃāb tsî Jordanni tsîkha kōse. ǁÎba nēsi ǂkhîb ǃnâ mā-oa te re.”
14 Jeftab ge ǁkhawa sîsabega Amonǁîn di gao-aoba ǃoa ge sî, 15 î gu sī mî: “Israelǁîn ge Moabǁîn di ǃhūb kas, Amonǁîn di ǃhūb kas hoasa ū tama hâ. 16 Israelǁîn ge Egipteba xun ge doeǂoao, ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ-u ǀApahurib kōse ǃgû tsî Kades tawa ge sī. 17 Tsîn ge sîsabega Edommi di gao-aob ǁga ge sî, ǁîb di ǃhūb ǃnâ-u ǃkharusan nî mā-amhega; xaweb ge Edommi di gao-aoba ǁîna mā-am ǂgao tama ge i. ǁÎn ge ǁkhāti Moab di gao-aob tsîn ai ge ǂgan, xaweb ge ǁîb tsîna ǁîb di ǃhūb ǃnâ-u ǃkharusa ǁîna mā-am tama ge i. On ge Israelǁîna Kades tawa ge hâ. 18 ǁNāpa xun ge ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ-u ge doe, Edommi di ǃhūb tsî Moab di ǃhūb tsîkha xōǀkhā, Moab di aiǂoasǀkhāb ain ge Arnonǃāb nauǃani a sīs kōse. Tsîn ge ǁnāpa hâǃkhaiba ge dībasen, xawen ge Arnonna ǃgâu tama ge i, ǁîb ge Moab di ǃhūǀgora i xui-ao. 19 On ge Israelǁîna sîsabega Amorǁîn di gao-aob Sihonni, Hesbons dib ǃoa sî tsî ǁîba ge ǂgan în ǁîb di ǃhūb ǃnâ-u ǁîn di ǃhūb ǃoa ǃkharusa mā-amhe. 20 Xaweb ge Sihonna Israelǁîna ǁnāsa mā-am tama ge i. ǁÎb ge ǁîb di toroǂnubis hoaragasa ǀhaoǀhao, Jahas tawa hâǃkhaiba ǂnaumâi tsî Israelǁîna ge ǁnāǂam. 21 Xaweb ge ǃKhūb, Israelǁîn di Eloba Israelǁîna Sihonni tsî ǁîb di toroǂnubis ǂama dansa ge mā. ǁNātin ge Israelǁîna Amorǁîn ǁnāpa ge ǁan hâ in di ǃhūb hoaragaba ge ū. 22 ǁÎn ge Amorǁîn di ǀkharib hoaragaba ge ū, Arnonni ǃkhawagas ǃnâ ǁgoeba xu Jaboki ǀapas ǃnâ ǁgoeb kōse, tsî ǃgaroǃhūb huriǂoas ǃnâ ǁgoeba xu Jordanni aiǂoas ǃnâ ǁgoeb kōse. 23 ǁNātib ge ǃKhūb, Israelǁîn di Eloba, ǁîb di khoen Israelǁîn ǃaroma Amorǁîna ǃhūb âna xu ge doeǁgaǂui. 24 ǁÎba du nēsi ra ū-oa ǂgao? Sadu elob Kemosi ge mā duba du ge a ūhâbasen ǁkhā, xawe sida ge ǃKhūb sida Elob ge mā dan hoana nî ūǀgarabasen. 25 Sipori di ôab Balaki, Moab di gao-aob xats a ama-ai tits ra ǂâi? ǁÎba Israeli ǃoagu ǂkhawa-i tamas ka io toro-e dīb ge? 26 ǃNonakaidisi kurigan ge Israelǁîna Hesbons tsî Aroers tsî ǁîra ǂnamipe ǁgoe ǃārodi, tsî hoaraga ǃādi Arnonǃāb amǃgâ ǁgoedi ǃnâ ge ǁan. Tare xū-i ǃaromats ge ǁîde ǁnā ǁaeb ǃnâ ū tama hâ i? 27 Tita ge tsū xū-e dī tsi tama hâ. Sats ge tita ǃoaguts toroba dīs ǀkha tita ra tsūdī. ǃKhūb ge a ǀgoraǃgâ-ao. ǁÎb ge nētsē Israelǁîn tsî Amonǁîn tsîn ǁaegu nî mîǁgui.” 28 Xaweb ge Amonǁîn di gao-aoba Jeftab di haisisa ǃgâ ǂgao tama ge i.
29 ǃKhūb di gagab ge Jeftab ai ge hā, tsîb ge ǁîba Gileadi tsî Manaseb tsîkha ǃnâ-u ǃgû tsî Mispas Gileadi dis kōse sī tsî ǁnāpa xu Amonǁîn kōse ge ǃkharu. 30 Jeftab ge ǃKhūba ge mîmâiba: “Amonǁîn ǂamats ga dansa a mā teo, 31 o ta ge Amonǁîna dan tsî ta ga oaǀkhī, o ga ǂgurose tita i nî ǃgûǃoaga omsa xu a ǂoaxa khoe-e satsa nî khaiba. ǁÎ-e ta ge khauǁguibase satsa nî ǁguiba.”
32 Jeftab ge ǃāba ǃgâu tsî Amonǁîn ǃoagu sī ge ǃkham, tsîb ge ǃKhūba dansa ge mā bi. 33 Jeftab ge ǁîna ge ǃkhamdan, Aroersa xu Minits, ǀgamdisi ǃādi ǀhûpe hâde xu Abel-Keramims kōse. Kaise kai ǃgams ge ǁnāpa ge hâ tsîn ge Amonǁîna Israelǁîn xa ge danǃarihe.
Jeftab ôas
34 Jeftab ge Mispas ǃnâ ǁîb oms tawa oasī, os ge ǁîb ôasa ǃkhomǃkharurusa ǀhuru tsî ra ǂnāse ǁîba ge ǃgûǃoa. ǁÎb ge ǁnā ǀgôas ǀguisa ge ūhâ i, tsî ǀnî hâ ǀgôa-i xare-e ge ūhâ tama hâ i. 35 Tsîb ge ǁîsab ge mûo, ǃoab xa saran âba ǀkhau tsî ge mî: “Ae, ti ôase, sas ge tita go ǃanaǂgao kai. Tare-i ǃaromas kha nî sa, ti tsûba nî ǃaromasa? Tita ge ǃKhūba nūs ǀkha go mîmâiba tsî ta ge ǁîsa a ǂgae-oa ǁoa.”
36 Os ge ǁîsa ǁîba ge ǃeream: “ǃKhūbats nî mîmâibas kao, o ǁnâi mîts ge khami dī-ū te, ǃKhūb ge sa khākhoen, Amonǁîna go ǀkhaoba tsiba xuige.” 37 Xawes ge ǁîs îba ge ǂgan: “Nē ǀgui xū-i ǀgui-e dība te re. ǀGam ǁkhâkha ǁaeba ǁnāxū te re, î ta ti ǀhōsadi ǀkha ǃhomga ǃoa ǃgû tsî oaxaese ta nî ǁō ǃkhais ǂama sī ǃoa.” 38 Ob ge ǁîsa ge ǃgû kai tsî ǀgam ǁkhâkha ǁaeba ge ǁnāxū si. O di ge ǁîs tsî ǀhōsadi âs tsîde ǃhomgu ǃoa ǃgû tsî ǁîs di oaxaesis ǂama ge ǃoa.
39 Tsîs ge ǀgam ǁkhâkha khaoǃgâ ǁgûba ǃoa ge oaǀkhī. Ob ge ǁîba ǃKhūbab ge mîmâiba hâ i khami ge dī tsîs ge oaxaese ge ǁō.
Os ge nē ǃkhaisa ǁnaetib ase Israeli ǃnâ ge tsoatsoa 40 ǂkham khoedi mâ kurib hoaba haka tsēde, Jeftab Gileadǁîb ôas ǂama di nî ǃoase ra ǃgûǂoa ǃkhaisa.
