1 Jefté, o galaadita, era. um valente guerreiro, filho de Galaad e duma meretriz.2 A mulher de Galaad deu-lhe filhos, e estes, tendo crescido, expulsaram Jefté, dizendo: Tu não herdarás nada na casa de nosso pai, porque és um bastardo.3 Jefté afastou-se de seus irmãos e fixou-se na terra de Tob. Alguns homens miseráveis reuniram-se a ele e tomaram parte em suas incursões.4 Algum tempo depois, os amonitas entraram em luta contra Israel.5 Os habitantes de Galaad, vendo-se assim atacados, foram em busca de Jefté na terra de Tob6 e disseram-lhe: Vem: serás o nosso chefe, e combateremos os amonitas.7 Jefté, porém, respondeu: Vós, que sois meus inimigos, tendo-me expulsado da casa de meu pai, por que vindes a mim agora que estais em aperto?8 Os anciãos de Galaad disseram-lhe: Foi {precisamente} por isso que viemos agora ter contigo, para que venhas conosco e combatas contra os filhos de Amon, e sejas o nosso chefe, o chefe de todo o povo de Galaad.9 Jefté disse-lhes: Se vós me conduzirdes para lutar contra os amonitas, e o Senhor mos entregar nas mãos, serei o vosso chefe.10 Os anciãos responderam-lhe: O Senhor seja testemunha entre nós de que faremos tudo o que disseste!11 E Jefté partiu com os anciãos de Galaad. O povo proclamou-o seu chefe e general, e Jefté repetiu diante do Senhor, em Masfa, tudo o que acabara de dizer.12 Jefté enviou mensageiros ao rei dos amonitas para lhe dizer: Que tens tu contra mim para que me venhas combater em minha terra?13 O rei respondeu-lhes: Israel, vindo do Egito, tomou a minha terra desde o Arnon até Jaboc e até o Jordão. Devolve-mo agora, pois, pacificamente.14 Jefté mandou nova embaixada ao rei dos amonitas,15 dizendo-lhe: Assim fala Jefté: Israel não se apoderou nem do território de Moab, nem da terra dos filhos de Amon.16 Quando saiu do Egito, Israel marchou pelo deserto até o mar Vermelho, e chegou a Cades.17 Mandou então mensageiros ao rei de Edom, pedindo-lhe a permissão de passar pela sua terra; mas o rei de Edom não o consentiu. Fez o mesmo pedido ao rei de Moab, que tampouco lhe deu passagem. Israel deteve-se, pois, em Cades.18 Retomou em seguida sua marcha pelo deserto, e contornou as terras de Edom e de Moab; chegando à parte oriental da terra de Moab, acampou na outra banda do Arnon, sem contudo penetrar na terra de Moab, cuja fronteira é o Arnon.19 Dali, Israel mandou ainda mensageiros a Seon, rei dos amorreus, em Hesebon pedindo-lhe que os deixasse passar pela sua terra, para que chegassem à deles.20 Seon, porém, não teve bastante confiança em Israel para deixá-lo atravessar o seu território; antes, ajuntando todas as suas tropas, acampou em Jasa, e atacou Israel.21 O Senhor, Deus de Israel, entregou-o com todo o seu povo nas mãos de Israel, que o derrotou, e conquistou todas as terras dos amorreus que habitavam naquela região;22 tomou toda a terra dos amorreus, desde o Arnon até Jaboc, e desde o deserto até o Jordão.23 Agora que o Senhor, Deus de Israel, expulsou os amorreus diante de seu povo de Israel, tu pretendes possuir a sua terra?24 Porventura não tens a posse do que te deu a conquistar o teu deus Camos? E nós, por que não possuiríamos tudo aquilo que o Senhor, nosso Deus, expulsou diante de nós?25 Serias tu melhor do que Balac, filho de Sefor, rei de Moab? Porventura disputou ele com os israelitas, ou combateu contra eles?26 Eis já trezentos anos que Israel habita em Hesebon e em suas aldeias, em Aroer e em suas aldeias, e em todas as cidades banhadas pelo Arnon. Por que não lhe tiraste estas terras durante todo esse tempo?27 Não sou eu, pois, que te faço dano, mas és tu mesmo que te prejudicas, declarando-me guerra. Que o Senhor, o Juiz, se pronuncie hoje entre os israelitas e os amonitas!28 Mas o rei dos amonitas não quis ouvir nada do que Jefté lhe mandara dizer.29 O Espírito do Senhor desceu sobre Jefté, e ele, atravessando Galaad e Manassés, passou dali até Masfa de Galaad, de onde marchou contra os amonitas.30 Jetfé fez ao Senhor este voto:31 Se me entregardes nas mãos os amonitas, aquele que sair das portas de minha casa ao meu encontro, quando eu voltar vitorioso dos filhos de Amon, será consagrado ao Senhor, e eu o oferecerei em holocausto.32 Jefté marchou contra os amonitas, e o Senhor lhos entregou.33 Ele os derrotou desde Aroer até as proximidades de Menit, e até Abel-Queramim, tomando-lhes vinte aldeias. E os amonitas, com este terrível golpe, foram humilhados perante Israel.34 Ora, voltando Jefté para a sua casa em Masfa, eis que sua filha saiu-lhe ao encontro com tamborins e danças. Era a sua única filha, porque, afora ela, não tinha filho nem filha.35 Quando a viu, rasgou as suas vestes: Ah, minha filha, exclamou ele, tu me acabrunhas de dor, e estás no número daqueles que causam a minha infelicidade! Fiz ao Senhor um voto que não posso revogar.36 Meu pai, disse ela, se fizeste um voto ao Senhor, trata-me segundo o que prometeste, agora que o Senhor te vingou de teus inimigos, os amonitas.37 E ajuntou: Concede-me somente isto: Deixa-me que vá sobre as colinas durante dois meses, para chorar a minha virgindade com as minhas amigas.38 Vai, disse-lhe ele. E deu-lhe dois meses de liberdade. Ela foi com as suas companheiras, e chorou a sua virgindade sobre as colinas.39 Passado o prazo, voltou para seu pai, e ele cumpriu o voto que tinha feito. Ela não tinha conhecido varão.40 Daqui veio este costume, em Israel, que todos os anos as jovens israelitas reúnem-se para chorar durante quatro dias a filha de Jefté, o galaadita.
1 Now Yiphthach the Giladite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilad had begotten Yiphthach.2 And the wife of Gilad also bore him sons; and when the sons of the wife were grown up, they drove away Yiphthach, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in the house of our father: for the son of another woman art thou.3 And Yiphthach fled away from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob; and there gathered themselves to Yiphthach idle men, and they went out with him.4 And it came to pass after some time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.5 And it was so, when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilad went to fetch Yiphthach out of the land of Tob.6 And they said unto Yiphthach, Come, and become a leader unto us, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.7 And Yiphthach said unto the elders of Gilad, Did ye not hate me, and drive me away out of my fathers house? and why are ye come unto me now, when ye are in distress?8 And the elders of Gilad said unto Yiphthach, Therefore are we now come back to thee, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon; and thou shalt become unto us a head, unto all the inhabitants of Gilad.9 And Yiphthach said unto the elders of Gilad, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord give them up before me, shall I remain your head?10 And the elders of Gilad said unto Yiphthach, The Lord shall be a hearer between us, if we do not so according to thy word.11 Then went Yiphthach with the elders of Gilad, and the people appointed him over them as head and as leader; and Yiphthach spoke all his words before the Lord in Mitzpah.12 And Yiphthach sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What have I to do with thee, that thou art come unto me to fight against my land?13 And the king of the children of Ammon said unto the messengers of Yiphthach, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even unto the Yabbok, and unto the Jordan: and now restore these lands again in peace.14 And Yiphthach again sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon;15 And he said unto him, Thus hath said Yiphthach, Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon;16 For when they came up out of Egypt, Israel walked through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;17 And Israel then sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me pass, I pray thee, through thy land; but the king of Edom would not hearken; and also to the king of Moab they sent; but he would not consent: and Israel remained in Kadesh.18 Then they wandered through the wilderness, and traveled round the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came from the rising of the sun to the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon: but they came not within the border of Moab; for the Arnon is the boundary of Moab.19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sichon the king of the Emorites, the king of Cheshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land unto my place.20 But Sichon trusted not Israel to let them pass through his territory; and Sichon assembled all his people, and encamped in Yahaz, and fought against Israel.21 and the Lord the God of Israel delivered Sichon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; and Israel took possession of all the land of the Emorites, the inhabitants of that country.22 And they took possession of all the territory of the Emorites, from the Arnon even unto the Yabbok, and from the wilderness even unto the Jordan.23 So now the Lord the God of Israel hath dispossessed the Emorites from before his people Israel, and shouldst thou possess it?24 Truly! that which Kemosh thy god may give thee to possess, even that canst thou possess; but whatsoever the Lord our God hath driven out from before us, even that will we possess.25 And now art thou then any better than Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?26 And while Israel hath dwelt in Cheshbon and in its towns, and in Aror and in its towns, and in all the cities that are along the margins of the Arnon, three hundred years: why did ye not recover them within that time?27 Whereas I myself have not sinned against thee, and thou doest me wrong to war against me: may the Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.28 Nevertheless the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Yiphthach which he had sent to him.29 Then came upon Yiphthach the spirit of the Lord, and he passed through Gilad and Menasseh, and passed through Mitzpeh of Gilad, and from Mitzpeh of Gilad he passed over unto the children of Ammon.30 And Yiphthach made a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,31 Then shall it be, that whatsoever cometh forth out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall belong to the Lord, and I will offer it up for a burntoffering.32 So Yiphthach passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them: and the Lord delivered them into his hand.33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou comest to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto Abelkeramin, with a very great defeat; and the children of Ammon were humbled before the children of Israel.34 And Yiphthach came to Mizpah unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his sole child; he had beside her neither son nor daughter.35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his garments, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast bent me down very low, and thou art one of those that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me in accordance with what hath proceeded out of thy mouth; since the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee on thy enemies, on the children of Ammon.37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: Let me alone two months, that I may descend to the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I with my companions.38 And he aid, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, and he fulfilled on her his vow which he had vowed; and she knew no man; and it became a custom in Israel,40 That the daughters of Israel went from year to year to lament for the daughter of Yiphthach the Giladite four days in the year.