LESSON 36

Jephthah’s Promise

Jephthah’s Promise

The Israelites again abandoned Jehovah and began to worship false gods. When the Ammonites attacked and fought the Israelites, those false gods did nothing to help them. For many years, the Israelites suffered. Finally they said to Jehovah: ‘We have sinned. Please save us from our enemies.’ The Israelites destroyed their idols and began to worship Jehovah again. Jehovah did not want to see them continue to suffer.

A warrior named Jephthah was chosen to lead the people in battle against the Ammonites. He said to Jehovah: ‘If you help us win this battle, I promise that when I return home, I will give you the first person who comes out of my house to meet me.’  Jehovah listened to Jephthah’s prayer and helped him win the battle.

When Jephthah returned home, the first person to come out to meet him was his daughter, his only child. She was dancing and playing the tambourine. What would Jephthah do? He remembered his promise and said: ‘Oh no, my daughter! You have broken my heart. I made a promise to Jehovah. To keep it, I must send you to serve at the tabernacle in Shiloh.’ But his daughter said to him: ‘Father, if you made a promise to Jehovah, you must keep it. All I ask is that I can spend two months in the mountains with my female friends. Then I will go.’ Jephthah’s daughter served faithfully at the tabernacle for the rest of her life. Every year, her friends went to Shiloh to visit her.

“Whoever has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me.”​—Matthew 10:37

 IRUẸMWI 36

Eyan Ne Jẹfta Ru

Eyan Ne Jẹfta Ru

Ivbi Izrẹl keghi werriegbe suẹn gha ga ẹbọ. Vbe ẹghẹ ne Ivbi Amọn ghi ya mu okuo gie Ivbi Izrẹl, ẹbọ ne Ivbi Izrẹl ga ma sẹtin miẹn iran fan. Ọwara ukpo nibun ẹre Ivbi Izrẹl ya rrioya. Vbe okiekie, iran na ghi rinmwia e Jehova, iran na gha kha wẹẹ: ‘Ma wa ru orukhọ daa ruẹ nẹ. Lahọ miẹn ima fan vbe obọ eghian ima.’ Ivbi Izrẹl keghi guọghọ avbe ẹbọ ọghe iran hia, iran na ghi werriegbe suẹn gha ga e Jehova. E Jehova ma ghi hoo ne Ivbi Izrẹl gha rrioya.

Ọ ghaa mwẹ ovbi iyokuo ọkpa na tie ẹre Jẹfta, ne Ivbi Izrẹl zẹ nọ gha re ọkaolotu ọghe ivbi iyokuo nọ khian gu Ivbi Amọn khọn. E Jẹfta keghi tama e Jehova wẹẹ: ‘Adeghẹ u na mudia ne ima, ne ima ya khọn miotọ, ọmwa nọ ka ladian vbe owa mwẹ do gbe  ọbokhian mẹ, I gha yae fiohan nuẹ.’ E Jehova keghi họn erhunmwu ọghe Jẹfta, ọ na ru iyobọ nẹ nọ ya khọn miotọ.

Vbe Jẹfta ghi sẹ owa, ovbi ẹre nokhuo, nọ re ukpọmọkpa nọ mwẹ, ẹre ọ ka ladian do gbe ọbokhian nẹ. Ọ na gha gbe, ọ na gha kpee ukusẹ. De emwi ne Jẹfta khian ghi ru? Ọ keghi yerre wẹẹ irẹn ru eyan ma e Jehova, ẹre ọ na ghi kha wẹẹ: ‘Eo, ovbimwẹ! U gbe mwẹ rua. I ru eyan ma e Jehova nẹ. Adeghẹ I gha mu eyan na sẹ, ọni nọ wẹẹ te u khian gha rrie ibọkpọ nọ rre Siailo ne u ya gha ga Osanobua vba.’ Ovbi ẹre keghi kha wẹẹ: ‘Adeghẹ u ru eyan ma e Jehova, te ọ khẹke ne u muẹn sẹ. Lahọ rhie ẹghẹ kherhe mẹ, ne I viọ avbe ọse mwẹ nikhuo lele egbe gha rrie uhunmwu oke, ne ima ya gbe uki eva vba. Iyeke ọni, I ghi do gha khian.’ Ẹdẹ agbọn rẹn hia ẹre ovbi e Jẹfta nokhuo ya ga e Jehova vbe ibọkpọ ọghe ugamwẹ. Ukpo ukpo ẹre avbe ọsiọre ya gha mu otuẹ giẹ.

“Ọmwa ne ọ vbe hoẹmwẹ ovbiẹre nokpia ra nokhuo sẹ mwẹ, ọ ma ke vbe ọghomwẹ.”—Matiu 10:37