Di Vow Wey Jephthah Make

One army wey win battle dey come back house. From one house door, one girl run come out, dey dance, tambourine for her hand, she happy well well to see her papa. And di moment wey e see her, e tear im clothes for sorrow. Dis na one of di hardest stories for di Bible.

Jephthah grow up for Gilead, for east of Jordan. E be strong and brave man. But im mama na prostitute, she no be im papa wife, and when im half-brothers grow up, dem drive am comot. You no go get any share for our family inheritance. You be son of another woman. So Jephthah go live for di land of Tob, and one group of rough men wey no get rest gather round am. E become dia leader, one outsider wey no get anything to lose.

Then di Ammonites go war against Israel, and di leaders of Gilead no know wetin dem go do again. Dem go Tob, dey beg. Come be our commander. Jephthah look dem. No be una hate me and drive me comot from my papa house? Why una come meet me now wey trouble dey una hand? Dem no get good answer. Dem promise to make am head over all Gilead. And so di outsider come back house, and e make im agreement before Di Lord for Mizpah.

Jephthah try to talk before e fight. E send messengers go meet di king of Ammon. Di king claim say na im own di land be. Jephthah send one long, careful answer back: di history of how Israel take reach there, which lands dem take and which ones dem leave, and how for three hundred years nobody challenge am. I no do you wrong. Make Di Lord, di Judge, decide today between Israel and Ammon. But di king no gree listen.

Then di Spirit of Di Lord come upon Jephthah, and e march go face di Ammonites. And for road, Jephthah make one vow. Nobody ask am to do am. God no request am. E just talk am.

If you go give di Ammonites enter my hand, then anything wey first comot from di door of my house come meet me when I return in peace go be for Di Lord, and I go offer am as burnt offering.

Di Lord give am victory. Dem take twenty towns, and Ammon fall under dem. Jephthah come back house for Mizpah. And di first person wey comot from di door, with tambourine and dancing, na im daughter. Im only child. E no get any other son or daughter. E tear im clothes. Ah, my daughter. You don bring me down well well. I don open my mouth to Di Lord, and I no fit take am back. And she answer with courage wey almost too heavy to hear. My papa, if you don make promise to Di Lord, do me wetin you promise, since Di Lord don give you victory over your enemies. Only give me two months make I go di hills with my friends, and cry because I no go ever marry.

So she go, with her friends, enter di hills for two months. Then she come back to her papa, and e do her as e don vow. Di Bible tell am with few words, and na so we go do too. She never marry. And e become custom for Israel say every year, di young women of Israel go go out for four days to remember Jephthah daughter.

People wey dey read dis story don struggle with dis ending for very long time. God law condemn am strong strong to offer children as sacrifice, and nowhere for dis chapter God ask for di vow or approve am. Many readers, old and new, understand say Jephthah really sacrifice im daughter, one terrible thing for one dark time for Israel history. Others, including some Jewish teachers for di Middle Ages, talk say instead, dem give her to Di Lord for her whole life and she no marry. Wetin everybody agree on be say di vow na quick promise wey e no think well, and people remember im daughter and mourn her, every year.

Di vow wey Jephthah make. You go find am for Judges chapter eleven. God don already give Jephthah im Spirit. E no need to bargain. But im careless words cost di one person wey love am pass. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where you dey tempted to make big promise or quick deal with God, when wetin e want na your trust?