Judges Chapter 11

Jephthah

1. Jephthah wey be from Gilead na strong man wey sabi fight. Hin papa na Gilead. Hin mama na ahsawo.
2. Gilead wife born baby-boys for am, and wen dem don big, dem pursue Jephthah komot. Dem tell am sey, “You no go get any share inside awa family, becos you be anoda woman pikin.”
3. So Jephthah run from hin brodas, con settle down for di land of Tob, where some group of jaguda pipo gada round am, con dey follow am.
4. Lata-lata, wen di pipo of Ammon con dey fight war wit Israel,
5. Wen di pipo of Ammon start to fight di pipo of Israel, di senior-men of Gilead con carry Jephthah come from di land of Tob.
6. Dem con tell am sey, “Gilead come, make you con be awa captain, so dat we go fit fight di pipo of Ammon.”
7. So Jephthah tell dem sey, “Abi una no hate me, con pursue me komot from my papa house? Why una dey come meet me now wen kasala don burst for una?”
8. Di senior-men of Gilead con tell Jephthah sey, “Nahin make us come meet you, carry us go fight di pipo of Ammon, and make you be di leader of Gilead.”
9. So Jephthah ansa dem, “If una call me back to fight di pipo of Ammon and Baba-God put dem for my hand—I go true-true be una leader?”
10. Naso di senior-men of Gilead ansa am, “Na Baba-God be awa witness; we go surely do wetin you tell us to do.”
11. So Jephthah follow di senior-men of Gilead, and di pipo make am dia leader and captain of di army. For Mizpah, for Baba-God front, Jepthah repeat wetin he tell di senior-men.
12. Naso Jephthah send messengers go meet di king of di pipo of Ammon, con as dis question: “Wetin you get against us sote you come attack my land?”
13. Di king of di Ammonite con ansa Jephthah messenger sey, “Wen Israel dey komot from Egypt, dem take my land from Arnon go reach Jabbok, go reach di River Jordan. Now make una give me back di land wit peace.”
14. Jephthah send messengers again to di king of di pipo of Ammon,
15. He tok sey, “Dis na wetin Jephthah tok: Israel no collect Moab land or di land of di pipo of Ammon.
16. But wen Israel dey komot from Egypt, Israel pass tru di desert go di Red Sea con reach Kadesh,
17. Naso Israel send messengers go meet di king of Edom sey, ‘Abeg allow us pass tru your land,’ but di king of Edom no gree. Israel still send message go meet di king of Moab—but he no gree. So Israel stay for Kadesh.
18. “Afta dat, Israel travel round Edom plus Moab—tru di desert. Dem travel for di east side of Moab border, com camp for di oda side of Arnon River. But dem no cross di Arnon River enta Moab, becos na Arnon be di boder of Moab.
19. Naso Israel send messengers go Sihon wey be di king of di Amorites, wey dey rule Heshbon, con tell am sey, ‘Allow us pass tru your kontri go awa place.’
20. But Sihon no trust Israel to pass tru hin territory. He gada all hin men, con camp for Jahaz, and he fight wit Israel.
21. “Naso Baba-God, di Oga of Israel put Sihon and hin men for Israel hand, and Israel win am for fight. Naso Israel take-over all di land of di pipo of Ammon wey dey live for dat kontri.
22. Dem take-over di whole land from Arnon go reach Jabbok, and from di desert go reach Jordan.
23. “Now since Baba-God—di God of Israel don pursue di Amorite komot from front of hin pipo Israel, which right you get to come collect am?
24. Abi you no go take wetin your god Chesmosh give you? Naso e be sef, any pesin wey Baba-God awa Oga pursue from awa front—we go claim dia land.
25. Abi you beta pass Balak wey be di son of Zippor—king of Moab? Abi he ever kwanta wit Israel or fight wit dem?
26. For three-hundred years nahin Israel don dey for Heshbon and e villages, Aroer and e villages, di villages wey dey around, and all di cities wey dey along River Arnon. Why you no claim those land dat time?
27. I neva do any wrong tin to you, but you dey do wrong tin to me by trying to fight me. Make Baba-God di judge—judge between Israel and di pipo of Ammon today.”
28. But di king of Ammon no gree listen to di message wey Jephthah send am.

Jephthah Promise To Baba-God Plus Hin Victory

29. Naso Baba-God Spirit enta Jephthah. He cross Gilead and Manasseh, he pass Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he carry-go attack di pipo of Ammon.

30. And Jephthah make promise to Baba-God, he tok sey: “If you give me Ammon for my hand,

31. Anytin wey come out of di door of my house to meet me wen I dey come back from di victory of Ammon nahin I go give Baba-God—I go sacrifice am as burnt offering.”

32. Naso Jephthah go fight di pipo of Ammon, and Baba-God put dem for hin hand.

33. He win twenty cities, from Aroer to di area of Minnith—he even kill dem well-well reach Abel-Keramim. Naso di pipo of Israel take beat di pipo of Ammon.

Jephthah Daughter

34. Wen Jephthah go back to hin house for Mizpah, naso hin daughter come out to meet am as she dey dance to di sound of sheke-sheke! Na she be di only pikin. Jephthah no get any oda pikin apart from her.

35. Wen Jephthah see her, he tear hin clothes, con tok sey, “Chai! My daughter! You don finish me kpatakpata, you don make me sad, becos I don make promise to Baba-God wey I no fit break.”

36. So she ansa am, “My papa, you don give Baba-God your word. Do me wetin you promise Baba-God, now wey Baba-God don revenge for your enemies di Ammonites.

37. But do dis one tin for me. Give me two months to waka for di mountains, con cry wit all my padi, becos I no go ever marry.”

38. So he tell her sey, “Make you dey go. And he let her go for two months. She and di girls waka go di mountains, con dey cry becos she no go ever marry.

39. Afta di two months she come back and her papa do her wetin he promise Baba-God. And she be virgin. E con turn to tradition for Israel sey—

40. Four days for everi year, di young babes of Israel go go out—to cry for di daughter of Jephthah from Gilead and to remember her.