Liber Iudicum, 11

1. Fuit Iephte Galaadites vir fortissimus, filius meretricis mulieris, quem genuit Galaad.

1. Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. Gilead was the father of Jephthah.

2. Habuit autem Galaad uxorem, de qua suscepit filios, qui, postquam creverant, eiecerunt Iephte dicentes: “Heres in domo patris nostri esse non poteris, quia de altera matre generatus es”.

2. And Gilead's wife also bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they thrust Jephthah out, and said to him, "You shall not inherit in our father's house; for you are the son of another woman."

3. Quos ille fugiens atque devitans habitavit in terra Tob; congregatique sunt ad eum viri inopes et exierunt cum eo.

3. Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless fellows collected round Jephthah, and went raiding with him.

4. In illis diebus pugnabant filii Ammon contra Israel.

4. After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel.

5. Quibus acriter instantibus, perrexerunt maiores natu de Galaad, ut tollerent in auxilium sui Iephte de terra Tob.

5. And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob;

6. Dixeruntque ad eum: “Veni et esto princeps noster, et pugnemus contra filios Ammon”.

6. and they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the Ammonites."

7. Quibus ille respondit: “Nonne vos estis, qui odistis me et eiecistis de domo patris mei? Et nunc venistis ad me necessitate compulsi”.

7. But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me, and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?"

8. Dixeruntque principes Galaad ad Iephte: “Ob hanc igitur causam nunc ad te venimus, ut proficiscaris nobiscum et pugnes contra filios Ammon sisque dux omnium, qui habitant in Galaad”.

8. And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight with the Ammonites, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

9. Iephte quoque dixit eis: “Si revocatis me, ut pugnem pro vobis contra filios Ammon, tradideritque eos Dominus in manus meas, ego ero princeps vester”.

9. Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight with the Ammonites, and the LORD gives them over to me, I will be your head."

10. Qui responderunt ei: “Dominus, qui haec audit, ipse mediator ac testis est quod secundum verbum tuum faciemus”.

10. And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD will be witness between us; we will surely do as you say."

11. Abiit itaque Iephte cum principibus Galaad, fecitque eum omnis populus principem sui. Locutusque est Iephte omnes sermones suos coram Domino in Maspha.

11. So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD at Mizpah.

12. Et misit Iephte nuntios ad regem filiorum Ammon, qui ex persona sua dicerent: “Quid mihi et tibi est, quia venisti contra me, ut invaderes terram meam?”.

12. Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, "What have you against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?"

13. Quibus ille respondit: “Quia tulit Israel terram meam, quando ascendit de Aegypto, a finibus Arnon usque Iaboc atque Iordanem; nunc igitur cum pace redde mihi eam”.

13. And the king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel on coming from Egypt took away my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore restore it peaceably."

14. Rursumque Iephte nuntios misit et imperavit eis, ut dicerent regi Ammon:

14. And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the Ammonites

15. “Haec dicit Iephte: Non tulit Israel terram Moab nec terram filiorum Ammon.

15. and said to him, "Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites,

16. Sed, quando de Aegypto conscenderunt, ambulavit Israel per solitudinem usque ad mare Rubrum et venit in Cades;

16. but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.

17. misitque nuntios ad regem Edom dicens: “Dimitte, ut transeam per terram tuam”. Qui noluit acquiescere precibus eius. Misit quoque et ad regem Moab, qui et ipse transitum praebere contempsit. Mansit itaque Israel in Cades

17. Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, `Let us pass, we pray, through your land'; but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.

18. et pertransiens desertum circuivit ex latere terram Edom et terram Moab venitque contra orientalem plagam terrae Moab et castrametatus est trans Arnon nec voluit intrare terminos Moab; Arnon quippe confinium est terrae Moab.

18. Then they journeyed through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and arrived on the east side of the land of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.

19. Misit itaque Israel nuntios ad Sehon regem Amorraeorum, regem Hesebon, et dixit ei: “Dimitte, ut transeam per terram tuam usque ad locum meum”.

19. Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, `Let us pass, we pray, through your land to our country.'

20. Qui et ipse Israel verbis diffidens non dimisit eum transire per terminos suos, sed, omni populo suo congregato, egressus est contra eum in Iasa et fortiter resistebat.

20. But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped at Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

21. Tradiditque eum Dominus in manu Israel cum omni exercitu suo, qui percussit eum et possedit omnem terram Amorraei habitatoris regionis illius,

21. And the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country.

22. universos fines eius de Arnon usque Iaboc et de solitudine usque ad Iordanem.

22. And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

23. Dominus ergo, Deus Israel, subvertit Amorraeum coram populo suo Israel; et tu nunc vis possidere terram eius?

23. So then the LORD, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them?

24. Nonne ea, quae tibi Chamos deus tuus in possessionem dat, tibi iure debentur? Quae autem Dominus Deus noster victor obtinuit, in nostram cedunt possessionem.

24. Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all that the LORD our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess.

25. Num quid melior es Balac filio Sephor rege Moab? Numquid iurgatus est contra Israel et pugnavit contra eum?

25. Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them?

26. Quando habitabat in Hesebon et viculis eius et in Aroer et villis illius et in cunctis civitatibus iuxta Arnon per trecentos annos, quare tanto tempore nihil super hac repetitione tentastis?

26. While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aro'er and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time?

27. Igitur non ego pecco in te, sed tu contra me male agis indicens mihi bella non iusta. Iudicet Dominus arbiter huius diei inter filios Israel et inter filios Ammon”.

27. I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me; the LORD, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon."

28. Noluitque acquiescere rex filiorum Ammon verbis Iephte, quae per nuntios mandaverat.

28. But the king of the Ammonites did not heed the message of Jephthah which he sent to him.

29. Factus est ergo super Iephte spiritus Domini, et pertransiens Galaad et Manasse venit in Maspha Galaad et inde ad filios Ammon.

29. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manas'seh, and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.

30. Votum autem vovit Domino dicens: “Si tradideris filios Ammon in manus meas,

30. And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If thou wilt give the Ammonites into my hand,

31. quicumque primus fuerit egressus de foribus domus meae mihique occurrerit revertenti cum pace a filiis Ammon, eum holocaustum offeram Domino”.

31. then whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the LORD's, and I will offer him up for a burnt offering."

32. Transivitque Iephte ad filios Ammon, ut pugnaret contra eos; quos tradidit Dominus in manus eius.

32. So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them; and the LORD gave them into his hand.

33. Percussitque eos ab Aroer usque dum venias in Mennith viginti civitates et usque ad Abelcharmim plaga magna nimis; humiliatique sunt filii Ammon a filiis Israel.

33. And he smote them from Aro'er to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a very great slaughter. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel.

34. Revertenti autem Iephte in Maspha domum suam occurrit unigenita filia cum tympanis et choris: non enim habebat alios liberos.

34. Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

35. Qua visa, scidit vestimenta sua et ait: “Heu, filia mi, incurvans incurvasti me! Et tu es in eis, qui me perturbant! Aperui enim os meum ad Dominum et aliud facere non potero”.

35. And when he saw her, he rent his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow."

36. Cui illa respondit: “Pater mi, si aperuisti os tuum ad Dominum, fac mihi, quodcumque pollicitus es, concessa tibi a Domino ultione atque victoria de hostibus tuis filiis Ammon”.

36. And she said to him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone forth from your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites."

37. Dixitque ad patrem: “Hoc solum mihi praesta, quod deprecor: Dimitte me, ut duobus mensibus circumeam montes et plangam virginitatem meam cum sodalibus meis”.

37. And she said to her father, "Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions."

38. Cui ille respondit: “Vade!”. Et dimisit eam duobus mensibus. Cumque abisset cum sodalibus suis, flebat virginitatem suam in montibus.

38. And he said, "Go." And he sent her away for two months; and she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

39. Expletisque duobus mensibus, reversa est ad patrem suum; et fecit ei, sicut voverat, quae non cognoverat virum. Exinde mos increbuit in Israel, et consuetudo servata est,

39. And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had made. She had never known a man. And it became a custom in Israel

40. ut post anni circulum conveniant in unum filiae Israel et plangant filiam Iephte Galaaditae diebus quattuor.

40. that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.