¹Zvino Jefuta muGiriyadhi, wakange ari munhu ane simba noumhare, asi wakange ari mwanakomana wechifeve; Giriyadhi ndiye wakabereka Jefuta.

¹Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.

²Mukadzi waGiriyadhi akamuberekera vanakomana; zvino vanakomana vomukadzi wake vakati vakura, vakadzinga Jefuta, vakati kwaari, Haungadyi nhaka mumba mababa vedu, nekuti uri mwanakomana womumwe mukadzi.

²And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

³Ipapo Jefuta akatiza vanin'ina vake, akandogara panyika yeTobhi; varume vakaipa vakaunganira kuna Jefuta, vakasibuda naye kundorwa.

³Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

⁴Zvino nguva yakati yapfuura, vana vaAmoni vakandorwa navalsiraeri,

⁴And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

⁵Zvino vana vaAmoni vakati vorwa navaIsiraeri, vakuru veGiriyadhi vakandotora Jefuta panyika yeTobhi.

⁵And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

⁶Vakati kuna Jefuta, Uya, uve ishe wedu, kuti tindorwa navana vaAmoni.

⁶And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

⁷Jefuta akati kuvakuru veGiriyadhi, Hamuna kundivenga mukandidzinga mumba mababa vangu here? Zvino mauyireiko kwandiri, zvamava munjodzi?

⁷And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

⁸Vakuru veGiriyadhi vakati kuna Jefuta, Naizvozvo tadzokera kwauri, kuti uende nesu kundorwa navana vaAmoni, iwe ugova mukuru wedu nowavose vagere Giriyadhi.

⁸And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

⁹Jefuta akati kuvakuru veGiriyadhi, Kana muchindidzosa kuti ndirwe navana vaAmoni, kana Jehovha akavaisa mumaoko angu, ndichava mukuru wenyu here?

⁹And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

¹⁰Vakuru veGiriyadhi vakati kuna Jefuta, Jehovha unoteerera pakati pedu; zvirokwazvo tichaita sezvawataura iwe.

¹⁰And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

¹¹Zvino Jefuta akaenda navakuru veGiriyadhi, vanhu vakamuita mukuru nashe wavo; Jefuta akataura mashoko ake ose pamberi paJehovha paMizipa.

¹¹Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

¹²Zvino Jefuta akatuma nhume kuna mambo wavana vaAmoni, akati, Mhosva yako ndeyeiko, zvawauya kuzorwa neni nenyika yangu?

¹²And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?

¹³Mambo wavana vaAmoni akapindura nhume dzaJefuta, akati: Nekuti vaIsiraeri vakatora nyika yangu, nguva yavakabva Egipita, kubva paArinoni kusvikira paJabhoki neJoridhani, saka zvino chidzosai nyika idzo norugare.

¹³And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.

¹⁴Ipapo Jefuta akatumazve nhume kuna mambo wavana vaAmoni,

¹⁴And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:

¹⁵akati kwavari, Zvanzi naJefuta, VaIsiraeri havana kutora nyika yaMoabhu, kana nyika yavana vaAmoni;

¹⁵And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

¹⁶asi panguva yakakwira valsiraeri vachibva Egipita, vakafamba murenje kusvikira paGungwa Dzvuku, vakasvika paKadheshi,

¹⁶But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;

¹⁷vaIsiraeri vakatuma nhume kuna mambo waEdhomu, vachiti, Nditenderei henyu kupfuura napanyika yenyu; asi mambo waEdhomu wakaramba kunzwa. Saizvozvo akatumawo nhume kuna mambo waMoabhu; asi iye wakaramba; zvino vaIsiraeri vakagara paKadheshi.

¹⁷Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.

¹⁸Ipapo vakafamba nomurenje, vakapota nyika yaEdhomu nenyika yaMoabhu, vakaenda nokumabvazuva enyika yaMoabhu, vakadzika matende avo nechemhiri kwaArinoni; asi havana kudarika muganhu waMoabhu, nekuti Arinoni waiva muganhu waMoabhu.

¹⁸Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.

¹⁹Ipapo vaIsiraeri vakatuma nhume kuna Sihoni, mambo wavaAmori, mambo weHeshibhoni; vaIsiraeri vakati kwaari, Titenderei henyu kupfuura napanyika yenyu, kusvikira panzvimbo yedu.

¹⁹And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.

²⁰Asi Sihoni haana kutenda vaIsiraeri kuti vadarike muganhu wake; Sihoni akaunganidza vanhu vake vose, akandodzika matende ake paJahazi, akarwa navalsiraeri.

²⁰But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

²¹Zvino Jehovha Mwari wavaIsiraeri akaisa Sihoni navanhu vake vose mumaoko avaIsiraeri vakavauraya; naizvozvo vaIsiraeri vakatora nyika yose yavaAmori, vakanga vagere munyika ivo, ikava yavo.

²¹And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

²²Nyika yose yavaAmori ikava yavo, kubva paArinoni kusvikira paJabhoki, kubva kurenje, kusvikira paJoridhani.

²²And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.

²³Saka zvino Jehovha Mwari wavaIsiraeri ndiye wakatorera vaAmori nyika yavo pamberi pavanhu vake vaIsiraeri, zvino imwi moda kuvatorerazve here?

²³So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?

²⁴Ko imwi hamungatori izvo zvamunopiwa namwari wenyu Kemoshi here, nesuwo titore nyika yavose vanodzingwa pamberi pedu naJehovha Mwari wedu?

²⁴Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.

²⁵Ko zvino imwi makanaka kupfuura Bharaki mwanakomana waZipori, mambo waMoabhu here? Iye wakatongopopotera vaIsiraeri, kana kurwa navo here?

²⁵And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

²⁶Nguva yakagara vaIsiraeri paHeshibhoni nemisha yaro, napaAroeri nemisha yaro, napamaguta ose ari parutivi rwaArinoni, makore ana mazana matatu, makaregereiko kuvatorera nyika iyo nenguva iyo?

²⁶While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

²⁷Naizvozvo ini handina kukutadzira, asi ndiwe unondiitira zvakaipa, uchida kurwa neni; Jehovha, iye Mutongi, ngaatonge nhasi pakati pavana vaIsiraeri navana vaAmoni.

²⁷Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

²⁸Asi mambo wavana vaAmoni haana kuteerera mashoko aJefuta, aakatuma kwaari.

²⁸Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

²⁹Zvino Mweya waJehovha wakauya pamusoro paJefuta, akapfuura kunyika yaGiriyadhi neyaManase, akapfuurawo napaMizipa paGiriyadhi, akabva paMizipa paGiriyadhi, akapfuura kuvana vaAmoni.

²⁹Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

³⁰Jefuta akapikira Jehovha mhiko, akati, Kana mukaisa vana vaAmoni mumaoko angu,

³⁰And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

³¹ipapo ani naani unobuda pamikova yeimba yangu kuzosongana neni, musi wandinodzoka norugare ndichibva kuvana vaAmoni, uchava waJehovha; ndichauya naye, chive chipiriso chinopiswa.

³¹Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

³²Ipapo Jefuta akapfuurira kuvana vaAmoni, akandorwa navo; Jehovha akavaisa mumaoko ake.

³²So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

³³Akavaparadza nokuparadza kukuru kwazvo, kubva paAroeri kusvikira paMiniti, maguta anamakumi maviri, nokusvikira paAbherikeramimi. Vana vaAmoni vakakundwa saizvozvo pamberi pavana vaIsiraeri.

³³And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

³⁴Jefuta akasvika paMizipa paimba yake, zvino tarira, mukunda wake akabuda kuzosangana naye namakandira, nokupembera. Iye wakange ari mwana wake mumwe chete, wakange asina mumwe mwana kunze kwake, kana mwanakomana, kana mwanasikana.

³⁴And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

³⁵Zvino wakati achimuona, akabvarura nguvo dzake, akati, Haiwa! Mukunda wangu! Iwe wandionesa nhamo kwazvo, iwe uri pakati pavanondiisa panjodzi; nekuti ndakashamisa muromo wangu kuna Jehovha, handingagoni kudzoka.

³⁵And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.

³⁶Iye akati, Baba vangu, makashamisa muromo wenyu kuna Jehovha; ndiitirei henyu sezvamakataura, nekuti Jehovha wakakutsivirai kwazvo vavengi venyu, ivo vana vaAmoni.

³⁶And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

³⁷Akati kuna baba vake, Nditenderei henyu chinhu ichi: Nditenderei mwedzi miviri, ndiende, ndiburukire kumakomo, ndicheme umhandara hwangu, ini neshamwari dzangu.

³⁷And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.

³⁸Ivo vakati, Chienda hako. Akamutendera mwedzi miviri; akaenda, iye neshamwari dzake, akandochema umhandara hwake kumakomo.

³⁸And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

³⁹Zvino mwedzi miviri yakati yapera, akadzokera kuna baba vake, ivo vakamuitira sezvavakanga vapika; wakange asina kuziva murume. Ikazova tsika pakati pavaIsiraeri,

³⁹And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

⁴⁰kuti vakunda vaIsiraeri vaende makore ose mazuva mana pagore kundochema mukunda waJefuta muGiriyadhi.

⁴⁰That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.