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

¹And Jephthah the Gileadite hath been a mighty man of valour, and he [is] son of a woman, a harlot; and Gilead begetteth 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 the wife of Gilead beareth to him sons, and the wife`s sons grow up and cast out Jephthah, and say to him, `Thou dost not inherit in the house of our father; for son of another woman [art] thou.`

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

³And Jephthah fleeth from the face of his brethren, and dwelleth in the land of Tob; and vain men gather themselves together unto Jephthah, and they go out with him.

⁴Zvino nguva yakati yapfuura, vana vaAmoni vakandorwa navalsiraeri,

⁴And it cometh to pass, after a time, that the Bene-Ammon fight with Israel,

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

⁵and it cometh to pass, when the Bene-Ammon have fought with Israel, that the elders of Gilead go to take Jephthah from the land of Tob;

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

⁶and they say unto Jephthah, `Come, and thou hast been to us for captain, and we fight against the Bene-Ammon.`

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

⁷And Jephthah saith to the elders of Gilead, `Have not ye hated me? and ye cast me out from the house of my father, and wherefore have 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 say unto Jephthah, `Therefore, now, we have turned back unto thee; and thou hast gone with us, and fought against the Bene-Ammon, and thou hast been to us for head — to 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 saith unto the elders of Gilead, `If ye are taking me back to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and Jehovah hath given them before me — I, am I to you for a head?`

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

¹⁰And the elders of Gilead say unto Jephthah, `Jehovah is hearkening between us — if according to thy word we do not so.`

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

¹¹And Jephthah goeth with the elders of Gilead, and the people set him over them for head and for captain, and Jephthah speaketh all his words before Jehovah in Mizpeh.

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

¹²And Jephthah sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon, saying, `What — to me and to thee, that thou hast come in unto 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 Bene-Ammon saith unto the messengers of Jephthah, `Because Israel took my land in his coming up out of Egypt, from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan; and now, restore them in peace.`

¹⁴Ipapo Jefuta akatumazve nhume kuna mambo wavana vaAmoni,

¹⁴And Jephthah addeth yet and sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon,

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

¹⁵and saith to him, `Thus said Jephthah, Israel took not the land of Moab, and the land of the Bene-Ammon,

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

¹⁶for in their coming up out of Egypt, Israel goeth in the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and cometh in 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.

¹⁷and Israel sendeth messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me pass over, I pray thee, through thy land, and the king of Edom hearkened not; and also unto the king of Moab hath [Israel] sent, and he hath not been willing; and Israel abideth 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.

¹⁸and he goeth through the wilderness, and compasseth the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and cometh in at the rising of the sun of the land of Moab, and they encamp beyond Arnon, and have not come into the border of Moab, for Arnon [is] 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.

¹⁹`And Israel sendeth messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and Israel saith to him, Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land, unto my place,

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

²⁰and Sihon hath not trusted Israel to pass over through his border, and Sihon gathereth all his people, and they encamp in Jahaz, and fight with 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 Jehovah, God of Israel, giveth Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smite them, and Israel possesseth all the land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that land,

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

²²and they possess all the border of the Amorite from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness, and unto the Jordan.

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

²³`And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, hath dispossessed the Amorite from the presence of His people Israel, and thou wouldst possess it!

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

²⁴That which Chemosh thy god causeth thee to possess — dost thou not possess it? and all that which Jehovah our God hath dispossessed from our presence, — it we do possess.

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

²⁵`And now, [art] thou at all better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he at all strive with Israel? did he at all 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?

²⁶In Israel`s dwelling in Heshbon and in its towns, and in Aroer and in its towns, and in all the cities which [are] by the sides of Arnon three hundred years — and wherefore have ye not delivered them in that time?

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

²⁷And I — I have not sinned against thee, and thou art doing with me evil — to fight against me. Jehovah, the Judge, doth judge to-day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.`

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

²⁸And the king of the Bene-Ammon hath not hearkened unto the words of Jephthah which he sent unto him,

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

²⁹and the Spirit of Jehovah is on Jephthah, and he passeth over Gilead and Manasseh, and passeth over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he hath passed over to the Bene-Ammon.

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

³⁰And Jephthah voweth a vow to Jehovah, and saith, `If Thou dost at all give the Bene-Ammon into my hand —

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

³¹then it hath been, that which at all cometh out from the doors of my house to meet me in my turning back in peace from the Bene-Ammon — it hath been to Jehovah, or I have offered up for it — a burnt-offering.`

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

³²And Jephthah passeth over unto the Bene-Ammon to fight against them, and Jehovah giveth them into his hand,

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

³³and he smiteth them from Aroer, and unto thy going in to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto the meadow of the vineyards — a very great smiting; and the Bene-Ammon are humbled at the presence of the sons 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 cometh into Mizpeh, unto his house, and lo, his daughter is coming out to meet him with timbrels, and with choruses, and save her alone, he hath none, son or 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 cometh to pass, when he seeth her, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, `Alas, my daughter, thou hast caused me greatly to bend, and thou hast been among those troubling me; and I — I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I am not able to turn back.`

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

³⁶And she saith unto him, `My father — thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah, do to me as it hath gone out from thy mouth, after that Jehovah hath done for thee vengeance on thine enemies, on the Bene-Ammon.`

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

³⁷And she saith unto her father, `Let this thing be done to me; desist from me two months, and I go on, and have gone down on the hills, and I weep for my virginity — I and my friends.`

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

³⁸And he saith, `Go;` and he sendeth her away two months, and she goeth, she and her friends, and she weepeth for her virginity on the hills;

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

³⁹and it cometh to pass at the end of two months that she turneth back unto her father, and he doth to her his vow which he hath vowed, and she knew not a man; and it is a statute in Israel:

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

⁴⁰from time to time the daughters of Israel go to talk to the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in a year.