Judges
11 And now Jephʹthah wey be Gilʹe·ad person na strong man wey sabi fight; Jephʹthah na the son of one woman wey be prostitute, and Gilʹe·ad na Jephʹthah papa. 2 But the wife of Gilʹe·ad still born other sons for-am. When the sons of im wife grow, them pursue Jephʹthah comot and tell-am say: “You no go get any property for our papa house because you be the son of another woman.” 3 So Jephʹthah run from im brothers and go live for the land of Tob. And men wey no get work join Jephʹthah and them follow-am.
4 After some time, Amʹmon people fight against Israel. 5 And when Amʹmon people fight against Israel, quick-quick the elders for Gilʹe·ad go bring Jephʹthah come back from the land of Tob. 6 Them tell Jephʹthah say: “Come be our commander, so that we fit fight against Amʹmon people. 7 But Jephʹthah ask the elders of Gilʹe·ad say: “No be una hate me sotey una pursue me comot from my papa house? Why una don come meet me now wey una dey for trouble?” 8 So the elders of Gilʹe·ad tell Jephʹthah say: “Na im make we don come back to you. If you follow us go and fight against Amʹmon people, you go be our leader and you go rule all the people of Gilʹe·ad.” 9 So Jephʹthah tell the elders of Gilʹe·ad say: “If una bring me back to fight against Amʹmon people, and Jehovah win them for me, then I go be una leader true-true!” 10 The elders of Gilʹe·ad tell Jephʹthah say: “Make Jehovah be witness* between us if we no do as you talk.” 11 So Jephʹthah follow the elders of Gilʹe·ad go, and the people make-am their leader and commander. And Jephʹthah repeat everything wey e talk for Jehovah front for Mizʹpah.
12 Then Jephʹthah send messengers to go meet the king of Amʹmon people and ask-am say: “Why you de vex for me* wey make you come attack my land?” 13 So the king of Amʹmon people tell the messengers wey Jephʹthah send say: “Na because when Israel people come out from Egypt, them take my land from the Arʹnon go reach the Jabʹbok and go reach River Jordan. Now return-am make peace dey.” 14 But Jephʹthah send messengers go back go meet the king of Amʹmon people 15 to tell-am say:
“This one na wetin Jephʹthah talk: ‘Israel people no collect the land of Moʹab people and the land of Amʹmon people. 16 Because when Israel people come out from Egypt, them waka pass inside wilderness go reach the Red Sea and them come reach Kaʹdesh. 17 Then Israel people send messengers to go tell the king of Eʹdom say: “Abeg, allow us pass inside your land,” but the king of Eʹdom no gree listen. Them still send message go meet the king of Moʹab, but e no gree. So Israel people continue to live for Kaʹdesh. 18 When them waka pass inside the wilderness, them no pass inside the land of Eʹdom and the land of Moʹab. Them face the direction of the east side of the land of Moʹab and put their camp for the area wey the Arʹnon dey; them no near the boundary of Moʹab, because the Arʹnon na the boundary of Moʹab.
19 “‘After that one, Israel people send messengers go meet Siʹhon wey be king of Amʹor·ite people, king of Heshʹbon, and Israel people tell-am say: “Abeg allow us pass inside your land to go our own place.” 20 But Siʹhon no trust Israel people and e no allow them pass inside im land, so Siʹhon gather all im people together and put camp for Jaʹhaz and fight against Israel people. 21 So Jehovah the God of Israel put Siʹhon and all im people for Israel people hand, and them win them and Israel people take all that land wey Amʹor·ite people be de stay as their own. 22 Na so them collect all the area of Amʹor·ite people as their own from the Arʹnon go reach the Jabʹbok, and from the wilderness go reach River Jordan.
23 “‘Na Jehovah the God of Israel drive Amʹor·ite people comot from front of im people Israel, and now you go drive them comot? 24 No be wetin your god Cheʹmosh give you to take as your own you go take as your own? So anybody wey Jehovah our God don drive comot from our front, na that person we go drive comot. 25 Now, you better pass Baʹlak the son of Zipʹpor, wey be king of Moʹab? You hear say e ever drag with Israel people or say e ever fight against them? 26 When Israel people be de stay for Heshʹbon and the towns wey surround-am and A·roʹer and the towns wey surround-am, and for all the cities wey near the side of the Arʹnon for 300 years, why you no ever try to collect them back that time? 27 I no do you any bad thing, but na bad thing you do as you attack me. Make Jehovah the Judge, judge between the people of Israel and the people of Amʹmon today.’”
28 But the king of Amʹmon people no gree listen to the message wey Jephʹthah send to-am.
29 Jehovah spirit enter Jephʹthah body, and e pass inside Gilʹe·ad and Ma·nasʹseh to Mizʹpeh for Gilʹe·ad, and from Mizʹpeh for Gilʹe·ad e continue go reach where Amʹmon people dey.
30 Then Jephʹthah promise Jehovah say: “If you put Amʹmon people for my hand, 31 then anybody wey come out from the door of my house come meet me when I come back from Amʹmon people and nothing happen to me, that person go be Jehovah own, and I go give that person as offering wey them de burn.”
32 So Jephʹthah go fight Amʹmon people, and Jehovah put them for im hand. 33 E kill plenty of them no be small, from A·roʹer sotey e go reach Minʹnith—20 cities—and go reach Aʹbel-kerʹa·mim. So Amʹmon people come dey under Israel people.
34 At last Jephʹthah come im house for Mizʹpah, and see! im daughter de come out come meet-am, and e de play tambourine and de dance as e de come! Now na this im daughter be the only pikin wey e get. Apart from-am, e no get son or daughter. 35 When Jephʹthah see-am, e tear im cloths and talk say: “Oh, my daughter! You don finish me,* because you don be the person wey I don drive comot. Now I don open my mouth to Jehovah and I no fit change-am.”
36 But e tell-am say: “My papa, if you don open your mouth to Jehovah, do wetin you don promise about me, since Jehovah don help you punish your enemies wey be Amʹmon people.” 37 Then e tell im papa say: “Abeg just do this thing for me: Allow me make I dey alone for two months, and make I go the mountains with my female friends go cry, because I go continue to be virgin.”*
38 So e talk say: “Go!” So e send-am comot for two months and e go the mountains with im friends to cry because e go continue to be virgin. 39 For the end of two months, e go back to im papa, then im papa do wetin e don promise about-am. E no ever sleep with man. And e come be tradition* for Israel say: 40 Every year, the young women for Israel de go encourage* the daughter of Jephʹthah wey be Gilʹe·ad person, four days each year.