1. UJefta, igorha lejoni laseGiliyadi, wayengunyana wehenyukazi elithile. Uyise uGiliyadi
2. wayenabanye oonyana, bezalwa ngumkakhe; bathi bakukhula bamgxotha uJefta. Bathi kuye: “Wena awunakuzuza lifa kwindlu katata; kaloku uzalwa mfazi wumbi.”
3. Wasaba ke uJefta kubantakwabo, waya kuhlala kumhlaba waseTobhi. Apho ke kwabuthelana kuye iindlavini ezithile, zaza zaba ngamahlakani akhe.
4. Ekuhambeni kwethuba ke ama-Amon alwa namaSirayeli.
5. Kuthe ke kwakuba nje amadoda amakhulu aseGiliyadi asuka alanda uJefta eTobhi,
6. athi: “Yiba yinjengele yethu, khon' ukuze sibe nako ukulwa nama-Amon.”
7. Waphendula ke yena wathi: “Andithi na kanene nandithiya kangangokuba nada nandigxotha endlwini kabawo. Ngani ke ngoku ukuba nithi nakuba sengxakini nize kum?”
8. Ke wona azibika kuye athi: “Ewe, naxa kunjalo sibhenela kuwe ngoku, kuba sifuna uhambe nathi, ulwe nama-Amon. Uya kuba yintloko yethu sonke thina maGiliyadi.”
9. UJefta ke wathi kumadoda aseGiliyadi: “Ukuba ndithe ndabuyela kuni, ndaza ngoncedo lukaNdikhoyo ndawoyisa ama-Amon, ngaba niyavuma ngenene ukuba ndibe yintloko yenu?”