Fuit illo tempore Jephte Galaadites vir fortissimus atque pugnator, filius mulieris meretricis, qui natus est de Galaad.

There was a Galaadite at this time called Jephte, who was brave and a skilful warrior; his mother was a harlot, his father bore the name of Galaad.

There was at that time Jephte the Galaadite, a most valiant man and a warrior, the son of a woman that was a harlot, and his father was Galaad.

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.

Galaad had other sons by his lawful wife; and these, when they came of age, thrust Jephte out of doors, telling him he was born out of wedlock, and could not inherit.

Now Galaad had a wife of whom he had sons: who after they were grown up, thrust out Jephte, saying: Thou canst not inherit in the house of our father, because thou art born of another mother.

Quos ille fugiens atque devitans, habitavit in terra Tob: congregatique sunt ad eum viri inopes, et latrocinantes, et quasi principem sequebantur.

So he sought refuge from their ill-will in the country of Tob, where he gathered about him a company of penniless robbers, that followed him as their chieftain.

Then he fled and avoided them and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered to him needy men, and robbers, and they followed him as their prince.

In illis diebus pugnabant filii Ammon contra Israël.

These were the days when Israel was being attacked by the Ammonites;

In those days the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

Quibus acriter instantibus perrexerunt majores natu de Galaad, ut tollerent in auxilium sui Jephte de terra Tob:

and when they found themselves hard pressed, some of the elders of Galaad went to the country of Tob to bring Jephte to their aid;

And as they pressed hard upon them, the ancients of Galaad went to fetch Jephte out of the land of Tob to help them:

dixeruntque ad eum: Veni et esto princeps noster, et pugna contra filios Ammon.

Come and be our leader, they said, fighting as our champion against the sons of Ammon.

And they said to him: Come thou and be our prince, and fight against the children of Ammon.

Quibus ille respondit: Nonne vos estis, qui odistis me, et ejecistis de domo patris mei? et nunc venistis ad me necessitate compulsi.

Why, said he, are you not the very men that have used me ill, and thrust me out of my father’s house? You must be hard driven by your need, that you should come to me now.

And he answered them: Are not you the men that hated me, and cast me out of my father’s house, and now you are come to me constrained by necessity?

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.

So the elders of Galaad told him what was the meaning of their errand; if he would go with them and fight against the Ammonites, he should become ruler of all that dwelt in Galaad.

And the princes of Galaad said to Jephte: For this cause we are now come to thee, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be head over all the inhabitants of Galaad.

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?

And you have come here, answered Jephte, meaning in all honesty to make me your ruler, if I fight against Ammon for you and the Lord grants me victory?

Jephte also said to them: If you be come to me sincerely, that I should fight for you against the children of Ammon, and the Lord shall deliver them into my hand, shall I be your prince?

Qui responderunt ei: Dominus, qui hæc audit, ipse mediator ac testis est quod nostra promissa faciemus.

The Lord, said they, is listening to us as we speak, let him be the arbiter between us; let him be the witness of our pledged word.

They answered him: The Lord who heareth these things, he himself is mediator and witness that we will do as we have promised.

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

So Jephte accompanied the elders, and the whole people acclaimed him as their leader; there at Maspha in the Lord’s presence, he came to terms with them.

Jephte therefore went with the princes of Galaad, and all the people made him their prince. And Jephte spoke all his words before the Lord in Maspha.

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?

And next, he sent messengers to ask the king of Ammon, in his name, What interfering ways are these, that thou comest here to plunder my land?

And he sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, to say in his name, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me, to waste my land?

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.

His answer was, Why, when the Israelites removed from Egypt, they robbed me of the land that was once mine, the land that is bounded by Arnon, Jaboc and Jordan; give it back to me now, and all shall be well between us.

And he answered them: Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the confines of the Arnon unto the Jaboc and the Jordan: now therefore restore the same peaceably to me.

Per quos rursum mandavit Jephte, et imperavit eis ut dicerent regi Ammon:

By the same messengers, Jephte sent back word to the king of Ammon:

And Jephte again sent word by them, and commanded them to say to the king of Ammon:

Hæc dicit Jephte: Non tulit Israël terram Moab, nec terram filiorum Ammon:

Jephte thus answers thee. Neither Moab nor Ammon did Israel rob of any lands that belonged to them.

Thus saith Jephte: Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

sed quando de Ægypto conscenderunt, ambulavit per solitudinem usque ad mare Rubrum, et venit in Cades.

When they left Egypt, and had crossed the desert that reaches down to the Red Sea, the Israelites found themselves in Cades.

But when they came up out of Egypt, he walked through the desert to the Red Sea, and came into Cades.

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,

Here they sent out envoys to ask the king of Edom for passage through his land, but he would not listen to them; and also to the king of Moab, but he too refused. So they halted on their journey at Cades,

And he sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying: Suffer me to pass through thy land. But he would not condescend to his request. He sent also to the king of Moab, who likewise refused to give him passage. He abode therefore in Cades,

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.)

and then passed round Edom and Moab, keeping to the east of them and encamping on the further side of Arnon, which was its frontier, so as not to trespass on Moabite territory.

And went round the land of Edom at the side, and the land of Moab: and came over against the east coast of the land of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon: and he would not enter the bounds of Moab.

Misit itaque Israël nuntios ad Sehon regem Amorrhæorum, qui habitabat in Hesebon, et dixerunt ei: Dimitte ut transeam per terram tuam usque ad fluvium.

And now they must needs send envoys to Sehon, the Amorrhite king that ruled in Hesebon, and ask leave to pass through his land on their way to the Jordan.

So Israel sent messengers to Sehon king of the Amorrhites, who dwelt in Hesebon, and they said to him: Suffer me to pass through thy land to the river.

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.

He too refused their request, and would not let them cross his frontier; he mustered a great army and met them at Jasa to bar their passage.

But he also despising the words of Israel, suffered him not to pass through his borders: but gathering an infinite multitude, went out against him to Jasa, and made strong opposition.

Tradiditque eum Dominus in manus Israël cum omni exercitu suo: qui percussit eum, et possedit omnem terram Amorrhæi habitatoris regionis illius,

Over this king, over this army, the Lord granted Israel victory; and it was through that victory that they occupied the lands which the Amorrhites had occupied before them,

And the Lord delivered him with all his army into the hands of Israel, and he slew him, and possessed all the land of the Amorrhite the inhabitant of that country,

et universos fines ejus, de Arnon usque Jaboc, et de solitudine usque ad Jordanem.

the whole territory that is bounded by Arnon and Jaboc, by the desert and Jordan.

And all the coasts thereof from the Arnon to the Jaboc, and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

Dominus ergo Deus Israël subvertit Amorrhæum, pugnante contra illum populo suo Israël, et tu nunc vis possidere terram ejus?

It was the Amorrhites the God of Israel overthrew, in battle against his chosen people; it is Amorrhite land thou art now claiming for thy own.

So the Lord the God of Israel destroyed the Amorrhite, his people of Israel fighting against him, and wilt thou now possess this land?

nonne ea quæ possidet Chamos deus tuus, tibi jure debentur? quæ autem Dominus Deus noster victor obtinuit, in nostram cedent possessionem:

For thee, all the lands thy god Chamos has won for himself; the conquests of the Lord who is our God become ours by right.

Are not those things which thy god Chamos possesseth, due to thee by right? But what the Lord our God hath obtained by conquest, shall be our possession:

nisi forte melior es Balac filio Sephor rege Moab; aut docere potes, quod jurgatus sit contra Israël, et pugnaverit contra eum,

What, dost thou rate thyself higher than Balac son of Sephor, the king of Moab? Prove, if thou canst, that Balac came to an issue with our people, or fought against them,

Unless perhaps thou art better than Balac the son of Sephor king of Moab: or canst shew that he strove against Israel and fought against him,

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?

although for three hundred years they occupied Hesebon and Aroer with all their townships, and all the cities this side of Jordan. And all these long years you have not lifted a hand to claim them.

Whereas he hath dwelt in Hesebon, and the villages thereof, and in Aroer, and its villages, and in all the cities near the Jordan, for three hundred years. Why have you for so long a time attempted nothing about this claim?

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.

No, I am not doing thee a wrong, it is I that have a complaint against thee, for levying war against me unjustly. May the Lord defend the right this day between Israel’s claim and Ammon’s.

Therefore I do not trespass against thee, but thou wrongest me by declaring an unjust war against me. The Lord be judge and decide this day between Israel and the children of Ammon.

Noluitque acquiescere rex filiorum Ammon verbis Jephte, quæ per nuntios mandaverat.

But to the king of Ammon the word of Jephte’s messengers brought no content.

And the king of the children of Ammon would not hearken to the words of Jephte, which he sent him by the messengers.

Factus est ergo super Jephte spiritus Domini, et circuiens Galaad et Manasse, Maspha quoque Galaad, et inde transiens ad filios Ammon,

And now the spirit of the Lord was with Jephte wherever he went, as he journeyed through Galaad and Manasses, and came to Maspha of Galaad, and marched thence against the Ammonites.

Therefore the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephte, and going round Galaad, and Manasses, and Maspha of Galaad, and passing over from thence to the children of Ammon,

votum vovit Domino, dicens: Si tradideris filios Ammon in manus meas,

And this was a vow of his, that he made to the Lord, If thou wilt grant me victory over Ammon,

He made a vow to the Lord, saying: If thou wilt deliver the children of Ammon into my hands,

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

what living creature first leaves my doors, to greet my safe returning, shall be offered up in burnt-sacrifice.

Whosoever shall first come forth out of the doors of my house, and shall meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, the same will I offer a holocaust to the Lord.

Transivitque Jephte ad filios Ammon, ut pugnaret contra eos: quos tradidit Dominus in manus ejus.

Thus Jephte offered battle to the sons of Ammon, and the Lord gave him the mastery over them,

And Jephte passed over to the children of Ammon, to fight against them: and the Lord delivered them into his hands.

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.

so that he drove them out of twenty cities, from Aroer to Mennith, and as far as Abel, out among the vineyards. A great victory was this, that brought Ammon down to the dust.

And he smote them from Aroer till you come to Mennith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel, which is set with vineyards, with a very great slaughter: and the children of Ammon were humbled by the children of Israel.

Revertente autem Jephte in Maspha domum suam, occurrit ei unigenita filia sua cum tympanis et choris: non enim habebat alios liberos.

Then Jephte went back to his house at Maspha. He had no children except one daughter, and she it was who came out, with music and dance, to welcome him.

And when Jephte returned into Maspha to his house, his only daughter met him with timbrels and with dances: for he had no other children.

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.

And at the sight he tore his garments; Alas, daughter, he said, thou hast undone me, and art thyself undone; the vow that hast once left my lips I must needs fulfil.

And when he saw her, he rent his garments, and said: Alas! my daughter, thou hast deceived me, and thou thyself art deceived: for I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I can do no other thing.

Cui illa respondit: Pater mi, si aperuisti os tuum ad Dominum, fac mihi quodcumque pollicitus es, concessa tibi ultione atque victoria de hostibus tuis.

Why, father, she answered, if thou hast uttered a vow to the Lord, carry out thy promise; I am well content, now that thou hast won redress, and victory over thy enemies.

And she answered him: My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to the Lord, do unto me whatsoever thou hast promised, since the victory hath been granted to thee, and revenge of thy enemies.

Dixitque ad patrem: Hoc solum mihi præsta quod deprecor: dimitte me ut duobus mensibus circumeam montes, et plangam virginitatem meam cum sodalibus meis.

But, father, grant me this one request. Let me go away and spend two months with my fellow-maidens, out among the hills, bewailing my ill fortune, that I must die unwed.

And she said to her father: Grant me only this which I desire: Let me go, that I may go about the mountains for two months, and may bewail my virginity with my companions.

Cui ille respondit: Vade. Et dimisit eam duobus mensibus. Cumque abiisset cum sociis ac sodalibus suis, flebat virginitatem suam in montibus.

So he bade her begone for two months; and she went out among the hills with the maids that were her friends and fellows, to weep a maiden’s tears.

And he answered her: Go. And he sent her away for two months. And when she was gone with her comrades and companions, she mourned her virginity in the mountains.

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,

And when the two months were over, she came back to her father; and he fulfilled his promise, and she died unwed. That is why the custom grew up in Israel which has been kept ever afterwards,

And the two months being expired, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed, and she knew no man. From thence came a fashion in Israel, and a custom has been kept:

ut post anni circulum conveniant in unum filiæ Israël, et plangant filiam Jephte Galaaditæ diebus quatuor.

that for four days in every year the maidens of Israel should gather, and make lament for the daughter of Jephte the Galaadite.

That from year to year the daughters of Israel assemble together, and lament the daughter of Jephte the Galaadite for four days.