Iudicum 11

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Fuit illo tempore Jephte Galaadites vir fortissimus atque pugnator, filius mulieris meretricis, qui natus est de Galaad.	1 There was a chieftain, the Gileadite Jephthah, born to Gilead of a harlot.
2 Habuit autem Galaad uxorem, de qua suscepit filios : qui postquam creverant, ejecerunt Jephte, dicentes : Hæres in domo patris nostri esse non poteris, quia de altera matre natus es.	2 Gilead's wife had also borne him sons, and on growing up the sons of the wife had driven Jephthah away, saying to him, "You shall inherit nothing in our family, 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 latrocinantes, et quasi principem sequebantur.	3 So Jephthah had fled from his brothers and had taken up residence in the land of Tob. A rabble had joined company with him, and went out with him on raids.
4 In illis diebus pugnabant filii Ammon contra Israël.	4 Some time later, the Ammonites warred on Israel.
5 Quibus acriter instantibus perrexerunt majores natu de Galaad, ut tollerent in auxilium sui Jephte de terra Tob :	5 When this occurred the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6 dixeruntque ad eum : Veni et esto princeps noster, et pugna contra filios Ammon.	6 "Come," they said to Jephthah, "be our commander that we may be able to fight the Ammonites."
7 Quibus ille respondit : Nonne vos estis, qui odistis me, et ejecistis de domo patris mei ? et nunc venistis ad me necessitate compulsi.	7 "Are you not the ones who hated me and drove me from my father's house?" Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead. "Why do you come to me now, when you are in distress?"
8 Dixeruntque principes Galaad ad Jephte : Ob hanc igitur causam nunc ad te venimus, ut proficiscaris nobiscum, et pugnes contra filios Ammon, sisque dux omnium qui habitant in Galaad.	8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "In any case, we have now come back to you; if you go with us to fight against the Ammonites, you shall be the leader of all of us who dwell in Gilead."
9 Jephte quoque dixit eis : Si vere venistis ad me, ut pugnem pro vobis contra filios Ammon, tradideritque eos Dominus in manus meas, ego ero vester princeps ?	9 Jephthah answered the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight against the Ammonites and the LORD delivers them up to me, I shall be your leader."
10 Qui responderunt ei : Dominus, qui hæc audit, ipse mediator ac testis est quod nostra promissa faciemus.	10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD is witness between us that we will do as you say."
11 Abiit itaque Jephte cum principibus Galaad, fecitque eum omnis populus principem sui. Locutusque est Jephte omnes sermones suos coram Domino in Maspha.	11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. In Mizpah, Jephthah settled all his affairs before the LORD.
12 Et misit nuntios ad regem filiorum Ammon, qui ex persona sua dicerent : Quid mihi et tibi est, quia venisti contra me, ut vastares terram meam ?	12 Then he sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites to say, "What have you against me that you come to fight with me in my land?"
13 Quibus ille respondit : Quia tulit Israël terram meam, quando ascendit de Ægypto, a finibus Arnon usque Jaboc atque Jordanem : nunc ergo cum pace redde mihi eam.	13 He answered the messengers of Jephthah, "Israel took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and the Jordan when they came up from Egypt. Now restore the same peaceably."
14 Per quos rursum mandavit Jephte, et imperavit eis ut dicerent regi Ammon :	14 Again Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites,
15 Hæc dicit Jephte : Non tulit Israël terram Moab, nec terram filiorum Ammon :	15 saying to him, "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.
16 sed quando de Ægypto conscenderunt, ambulavit per solitudinem usque ad mare Rubrum, et venit in Cades.	16 For when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the desert to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.
17 Misitque nuntios ad regem Edom, dicens : Dimitte me ut transeam per terram tuam. Qui noluit acquiescere precibus ejus. Misit quoque ad regem Moab, qui et ipse transitum præbere contempsit. Mansit itaque in Cades,	17 Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom saying, 'Let me pass through your land.' But the king of Edom did not give consent. They also sent to the king of Moab, but he too was unwilling. So Israel remained in Kadesh.
18 et circuivit ex latere terram Edom et terram Moab : venitque contra orientalem plagam terræ Moab, et castrametatus est trans Arnon : nec voluit intrare terminos Moab. (Arnon quippe confinium est terræ Moab.)	18 Then they went through the desert, and by-passing the land of Edom and the land of Moab, went east of the land of Moab and encamped across the Arnon. Thus they did not go through the territory of Moab, for the Arnon is the boundary of Moab.
19 Misit itaque Israël nuntios ad Sehon regem Amorrhæorum, qui habitabat in Hesebon, et dixerunt ei : Dimitte ut transeam per terram tuam usque ad fluvium.	19 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon. Israel said to him, 'Let me pass through your land to my own place.'
20 Qui et ipse Israël verba despiciens, non dimisit eum transire per terminos suos : sed infinita multitudine congregata, egressus est contra eum in Jasa, et fortiter resistebat.	20 But Sihon refused to let Israel pass through his territory. On the contrary, he gathered all his soldiers, who encamped at Jahaz and fought Israel.
21 Tradiditque eum Dominus in manus Israël cum omni exercitu suo : qui percussit eum, et possedit omnem terram Amorrhæi habitatoris regionis illius,	21 But the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his men into the power of Israel, who defeated them and occupied all the land of the Amorites dwelling in that region,
22 et universos fines ejus, de Arnon usque Jaboc, et de solitudine usque ad Jordanem.	22 the whole territory from the Arnon to the Jabbok, from the desert to the Jordan.
23 Dominus ergo Deus Israël subvertit Amorrhæum, pugnante contra illum populo suo Israël, et tu nunc vis possidere terram ejus ?	23 If now the LORD, the God of Israel, has cleared the Amorites out of the way of his people, are you to dislodge Israel?
24 nonne ea quæ possidet Chamos deus tuus, tibi jure debentur ? quæ autem Dominus Deus noster victor obtinuit, in nostram cedent possessionem :	24 Should you not possess that which your god Chemosh gave you to possess, and should we not possess all that the LORD, our God, has cleared out for us?
25 nisi forte melior es Balac filio Sephor rege Moab ; aut docere potes, quod jurgatus sit contra Israël, et pugnaverit contra eum,	25 Again, are you any better than Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel, or did he war against them
26 quando habitavit in Hesebon et viculis ejus, et in Aroër et villis illius, vel in cunctis civitatibus juxta Jordanem, per trecentos annos. Quare tanto tempore nihil super hac repetitione tentastis ?	26 when Israel occupied Heshbon and its villages, Aroer and its villages, and all the cities on the banks of the Arnon? Three hundred years have passed; why did you not recover them during that time?
27 Igitur non ego pecco in te, sed tu contra me male agis, indicens mihi bella non justa. Judicet Dominus arbiter hujus diei inter Israël, et inter filios Ammon.	27 I have not sinned against you, but you wrong me by warring against me. Let the LORD, who is judge, decide this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!"
28 Noluitque acquiescere rex filiorum Ammon verbis Jephte, quæ per nuntios mandaverat.	28 But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him.
29 Factus est ergo super Jephte spiritus Domini, et circuiens Galaad et Manasse, Maspha quoque Galaad, et inde transiens ad filios Ammon,	29 The spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and through Mizpah-Gilead as well, and from there he went on to the Ammonites.
30 votum vovit Domino, dicens : Si tradideris filios Ammon in manus meas,	30 Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. "If you deliver the Ammonites into my power," he said,
31 quicumque primus fuerit egressus de foribus domus meæ, mihique occurrerit revertenti cum pace a filiis Ammon, eum holocaustum offeram Domino.	31 "whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a holocaust."
32 Transivitque Jephte ad filios Ammon, ut pugnaret contra eos : quos tradidit Dominus in manus ejus.	32 Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his power,
33 Percussitque ab Aroër usque dum venias in Mennith, viginti civitates, et usque ad Abel, quæ est vineis consita, plaga magna nimis : humiliatique sunt filii Ammon a filiis Israël.	33 so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them, from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all) and as far as Abel-keramin. Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection by the Israelites.
34 Revertente autem Jephte in Maspha domum suam, occurrit ei unigenita filia sua cum tympanis et choris : non enim habebat alios liberos.	34 When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her.
35 Qua visa, scidit vestimenta sua, et ait : Heu me, filia mea ! decepisti me, et ipsa decepta es : aperui enim os meum ad Dominum, et aliud facere non potero.	35 When he saw her, he rent his garments and said, "Alas, daughter, you have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract."
36 Cui illa respondit : Pater mi, si aperuisti os tuum ad Dominum, fac mihi quodcumque pollicitus es, concessa tibi ultione atque victoria de hostibus tuis.	36 "Father," she replied, "you have made a vow to the LORD. Do with me as you have vowed, because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you on your enemies the Ammonites."
37 Dixitque ad patrem : Hoc solum mihi præsta quod deprecor : dimitte me ut duobus mensibus circumeam montes, et plangam virginitatem meam cum sodalibus meis.	37 Then she said to her father, "Let me have this favor. Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains to mourn my virginity with my companions."
38 Cui ille respondit : Vade. Et dimisit eam duobus mensibus. Cumque abiisset cum sociis ac sodalibus suis, flebat virginitatem suam in montibus.	38 "Go," he replied, and sent her away for two months. So she departed with her companions and mourned her virginity on the mountains.
39 Expletisque duobus mensibus, reversa est ad patrem suum, et fecit ei sicut voverat, quæ ignorabat virum. Exinde mos increbruit in Israël, et consuetudo servata est,	39 At the end of the two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed. She had not been intimate with man. It then became a custom in Israel
40 ut post anni circulum conveniant in unum filiæ Israël, et plangant filiam Jephte Galaaditæ diebus quatuor.	40 for Israelite women to go yearly to mourn the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days of the year.