Judges 11
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.
Now Yiphthach the Gil'adite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gil'ad had begotten Yiphthach.
2 And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”
And the wife of Gil'ad 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 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.
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 Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel
And it came to pass after some time, that the children of 'Ammon made war against Israel.
5 and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
And it was so, when the children of 'Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gil'ad went to fetch Yiphthach out of the land of Tob.
6 “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.”
And they said unto Yiphthach, Come, and become a leader unto us, that we may fight with the children of 'Ammon.
7 Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?”
And Yiphthach said unto the elders of Gil'ad, Did ye not hate me, and drive me away out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now, when ye are in distress?
8 They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.”
And the elders of Gil'ad 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 Gil'ad.
9 But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?”
And Yiphthach said unto the elders of Gil'ad, 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 Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.”
And the elders of Gil'ad said unto Yiphthach, The Lord shall be a hearer between us, if we do not so according to thy word.
11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.
Then went Yiphthach with the elders of Gil'ad, and the people appointed him over them as head and as leader; and Yiphthach spoke all his words before the Lord in Mitzpah.
12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against my land?”
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 The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and all the way to the Jordan. Now, therefore, restore it peaceably.”
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 Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites
And Yiphthach again sent messengers unto the king of the children of 'Ammon;
15 to tell him, “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or of the Ammonites.
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 But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.
For when they came up out of Egypt, Israel walked through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;
17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.
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 Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.
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 to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’
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 Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
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 Then the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, who defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who inhabited that country,
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 seizing all the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
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 Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, should you now possess it?
So now the Lord the God of Israel hath dispossessed the Emorites from before his people Israel, and shouldst thou possess it?
24 Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us.
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 Are you now so much better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them?
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 For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, as well as all the cities along the banks of the Arnon. Why did you not take them back during that time?
[And] while Israel hath dwelt in Cheshbon and in its towns, and in 'Ar'or 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 I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
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 But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him.
Nevertheless the king of the children of 'Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Yiphthach which he had sent to him.
29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
Then came upon Yiphthach the spirit of the Lord, and he passed through Gil'ad and Menasseh, and passed through Mitzpeh of Gil'ad, and from Mitzpeh of Gil'ad he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
30 Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,
And Yiphthach made a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of 'Ammon into my hand,
31 then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
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 burnt-offering.
32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand.
So Yiphthach passed over unto the children of 'Ammon to fight against them: and the Lord delivered them into his hand.
33 With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.
And he smote them from 'Aro'er, even till thou comest to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto Abel-keramin, with a very great defeat; and the children of 'Ammon were humbled before the children of Israel.
34 And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
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 As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”
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 “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.”
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 She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander for two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.”
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 “Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains.
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 After two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she had never had relations with a man. So it has become a custom in Israel
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 each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
That the daughters of Israel went from year to year to lament for the daughter of Yiphthach the Gil'adite four days in the year.
