Judges 11
1 Then Gilead begate Iphtah, and Iphtah the Gileadite was a valiant man, but the sonne of an harlot.
And so in that tyme Jepte, a man of Galaad, was a ful strong man, and fiytere, the sone of a womman hoore, which Jepte was borun of Galaad.
2 And Gileads wife bare him sonnes, and when the womans children were come to age, they thrust out Iphtah, and sayd vnto him, Thou shalt not inherite in our fathers house: for thou art the sonne of a strange woman.
Forsothe Galaad hadde a wijf, of which he hadde sones, whiche aftir that thei encressiden, castiden out Jepte, and seiden, Thou maist not be eir in the hows of oure fadir, for thou art born of a modir auoutresse.
3 Then Iphtah fledde from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there gathered idle fellowes to Iphtah, and went out with him.
`Whiche britheren he fledde, and eschewide, and dwellide in the lond of Tob; and pore men and `doynge thefte weren gaderid to hym, and sueden as a prince.
4 And in processe of time the children of Ammon made warre with Israel.
In tho daies the sones of Amon fouyten ayens Israel;
5 And when the children of Ammon fought with Israel, the Elders of Gilead went to fet Iphtah out of the land of Tob.
and whanne thei contynueden scharpli, the grettere men in birthe of Galaad, yeden to take in to `the help of hem silf Jepte fro the lond of Tob;
6 And they saide vnto Iphtah, Come and be our captaine, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
and thei seiden to hym, Come thou, and be oure prince, and fiyte ayens the sones of Amon.
7 Iphtah then answered the Elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expell me out of my fathers house? how then come you vnto me now in time of your tribulation?
To whiche he answeride, Whethir not ye it ben, that haten me, and castiden me out of the hows of mi fadir, and now ye camen to me, and weren compellid bi nede?
8 Then the Elders of Gilead saide vnto Iphtah, Therefore we turne againe to thee now, that thou mayest goe with vs, and fight against the children of Ammon, and bee our head ouer all the inhabitants of Gilead.
And the princes of Galaad seiden to Jepte, Therfor for this cause we camen now to thee, that thou go with vs, and fiyt ayens the sones of Amon; and that thou be the duyk of alle men that dwellen in Galaad.
9 And Iphtah said vnto the Elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home againe to fight against the children of Ammon, if the Lord giue them before me, shall I be your head?
And Jepte seide to hem, Whether ye camen verili to me, that Y fiyte for you ayens the sones of Amon, and if the Lord schal bitake hem in to myn hondis, schal Y be youre prince?
10 And the Elders of Gilead saide to Iphtah, The Lord be witnesse betweene vs, if we doe not according to thy wordes.
Whiche answeriden to hym, The Lord hym silf, that herith these thingis, is mediatour and witnesse, that we schulen do oure biheestis.
11 Then Iphtah went with the Elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captaine ouer them: and Iphtah rehearsed all his wordes before the Lord in Mizpeh.
And so Jepte wente with the princes of Galaad, and al the puple made hym her prince; and Jepte spak alle hise wordis bifor the Lord in Maspha.
12 Then Iphtah sent messengers vnto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to doe with me, that thou art come against me, to fight in my lande?
And he sente messangeris to the kyng of the sones of Amon, whiche messangeris schulden seie `of his persoone, What is to me and to thee, for thou hast come `ayens me to waaste my lond?
13 And the King of the children of Ammon answered vnto the messengers of Iphtah, Because Israel tooke my lande, when they came vp from Egypt, from Arnon vnto Iabbok, and vnto Iorden: now therefore restore those lands quietly.
To whiche the kyng answeride, For Israel whanne he stiede fro Egipt took awei my lond, fro the coostis of Arnon `til to Jaboch and to Jordan, now therfor yeelde it to me with pees.
14 Yet Iphtah sent messengers againe vnto the King of the children of Ammon,
Bi whiche massangeris Jepte sente eft, and comaundide to hem, that thei schulden seie to the kyng of Amon,
15 And said vnto him, Thus saith Iphtah, Israel tooke not the lande of Moab, nor the lande of the children of Ammon.
Jepte seith these thingis, Israel took not the lond of Moab, nether the lond of the sones of Amon;
16 But when Israel came vp from Egypt, and walked through the wildernesse vnto the redde Sea, then they came to Kadesh.
but whanne thei stieden fro Egipt, `he yede bi the wildirnesse `til to the Reed See, and cam in to Cades;
17 And Israel sent messengers vnto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, goe thorowe thy lande: but the King of Edom woulde not consent: and also they sent vnto the King of Moab, but he would not: therefore Israel abode in Kadesh.
and he sente messangeris to the kyng of Edom, and seide, Suffre thou me, that Y go thoruy thi lond; which kyng nolde assente to his preyeres. Also Israel sente to the kyng of Moab, and he dispiside to yyue passage;
18 Then they went through the wildernesse, and compassed the lande of Edom, and the lande of Moab, and came by the Eastside of the lande of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, and came not within the coast of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
and so Israel dwellyde in Cades, and cumpasside bi the side the lond of Edom, and the lond of Moab; and he cam to the eest coost of the lond of Moab, and settide tentis biyende Arnon, nether he wolde entre in to the termes of Moab; for Arnon is the ende of the lond of Moab.
19 Also Israel sent messengers vnto Sihon, King of the Amorites, the King of Heshbon, and Israel said vnto him, Let vs passe, we pray thee, by thy lande vnto our place.
And so Israel sente messangeris to Seon, kyng of Ammorreis, that dwellide in Esebon; and thei seiden to hym, Suffre thou, that Y passe thorouy thi lond `til to the ryuer.
20 But Sihon consented not to Israel, that he shoulde goe through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Iahaz, and fought with Israel.
And he dispiside the wordis of Israel, and suffride not hym passe bi hise termes, but with a multitude with out noumbre gaderid to gidere he yede out ayens Israel, and ayenstood strongli.
21 And the Lord God of Israel gaue Sihon and all his folke into the handes of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the lande of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that countrey:
And the Lord bitook hym with al his oost in to the hondis of Israel; and Israel smoot hym, and hadde in possessioun al the lond of Ammorrey,
22 And they possessed all the coast of the Amorites, from Arnon vnto Iabbok, and from the wildernesse euen vnto Iorden.
dwellere of that cuntrey, and al the coostis therof fro Arnon `til to Jaboch, and fro the wildirnesse `til to Jordan.
23 Nowe therefore the Lord God of Israel hath cast out the Amorites before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possesse it?
Therfor the Lord God of Israel distriede Ammorrey, fiytynge ayens hym for his puple Israel. And wolt thou now haue in possessioun `his lond? Whether not tho thingis whiche Chamos, thi god, hadde in possessioun, ben due to thee bi riyt?
24 Wouldest not thou possesse that which Chemosh thy god giueth thee to possesse? So whomesoeuer the Lord our God driueth out before vs, them will we possesse.
Forsothe tho thingis whiche `oure Lord God ouercomere gat, schulen falle in to oure possessioun;
25 And art thou nowe farre better then Balak the sonne of Zippor King of Moab? did he not striue with Israel and fight against them,
no but in hap thou art betere than Balach, the sone of Sephor, kyng of Moab, ether thou maist preue, that he stryuede ayens Israel, and fauyt ayens hym,
26 When Israel dwelt in Heshbon and in her townes, and in Aroer and in her townes, and in all the cities that are by the coastes of Arnon, three hundreth yeeres? why did ye not then recouer them in that space?
whanne he dwellide in Esebon, and in townes therof, and in Aroer, and in townes therof, and in alle citees biyende Jordan, bi thre hundrid yeer. Whi in so myche time assaieden ye no thing on this axyng ayen?
27 Wherefore, I haue not offended thee: but thou doest me wrong to warre against me. The Lord the Iudge be iudge this day betweene the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon.
Therfor not Y do synne ayens thee, but thou doist yuel ayens me, and bryngist in batels not iust to me; the Lord, iuge of this dai, deme bitwixe the sones of Israel and bitwixe the sones of Amon.
28 Howbeit the King of the children of Ammon hearkened not vnto the wordes of Iphtah, which he had sent him.
And the kyng of the sones of Amon nolde assente to the wordis of Jepte, whiche he sente bi messangeris.
29 Then the Spirite of the Lord came vpon Iphtah, and he passed ouer to Gilead and to Manasseh, and came to Mizpeh in Gilead, and from Mizpeh in Gilead he went vnto the children of Ammon.
Therfor the spirit of the Lord was maad on Jepte, and he cumpasside Galaad and Manasses, Maspha and Galaad; and he passide fro thennus to the sones of Amon,
30 And Iphtah vowed a vowe vnto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt deliuer the children of Ammon into mine handes,
and made a vow to the Lord, and seide, If thou schalt bitake the sones of Amon in to myn hondis,
31 Then that thing that commeth out of the doores of mine house to meete me, when I come home in peace from the children of Ammon, shall be the Lordes, and I will offer it for a burnt offering.
who euer goith out first of the dores of myn hows, and cometh ayens me turnynge ayen with pees fro the sones of Amon, Y schal offre hym brent sacrifice to the Lord.
32 And so Iphtah went vnto the children of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord deliuered them into his handes.
And Jepte yede to the sones of Amon, to fiyte ayens hem, whiche the Lord bitook in to hise hondis;
33 And he smote them from Aroer euen till thou come to Minnith, twentie cities, and so foorth to Abel of the vineyardes, with an exceeding great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were humbled before the children of Israel.
and he smoot fro Aroer `til to thou comest in to Mennyth, twenti citees, and `til to Abel, which is set aboute with vyneris, with ful greet veniaunce; and the sones of Amon weren maad low of the sones of Israel.
34 Nowe when Iphtah came to Mizpeh vnto his house, beholde, his daughter came out to meete him with timbrels and daunces, which was his onely childe: he had none other sonne, nor daughter.
Forsothe whanne Jepte turnede ayen in to Maspha, his hows, his oon gendrid douyter cam to hym with tympanys and croudis; for he hadde not othere fre children.
35 And when hee sawe her, hee rent his clothes, and saide, Alas my daughter, thou hast brought me lowe, and art of them that trouble me: for I haue opened my mouth vnto the Lord, and can not goe backe.
And whanne `sche was seyn, he to-rente his clothis, and seide, Allas! my douytir, thou hast disseyued me, and thou art disseyued; for Y openyde my mouth to the Lord, and Y may do noon other thing.
36 And she said vnto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the Lord, doe with me as thou hast promised, seeing that the Lord hath auenged thee of thine enemies the children of Ammon.
To whom sche answeride, My fadir, if thou openydist thi mouth to the Lord, do to me what euer thing thou bihiytist, while veniaunce and victorie of thin enemyes is grauntid to thee.
37 Also she saide vnto her father, Doe thus much for me: suffer me two moneths, that I may goe to the mountaines, and bewaile my virginitie, I and my fellowes.
And sche seide to the fadir, Yyue thou to me oneli this thing, which Y biseche; suffre thou me that in two monethis Y cumpasse hillis, and biweile my maidynhed with my felowis.
38 And he sayde, Goe: and he sent her away two moneths: so she went with her companions, and lamented her virginitie vpon the moutaines.
To whom he answeride, Go thou. And he sufferide hir in two monethis. And whanne sche hadde go with hir felowis and pleiferis, sche biwepte hir maydynhed in the hillis.
39 And after the ende of two moneths, she turned againe vnto her father, who did with her according to his vowe which he had vowed, and she had knowen no man. and it was a custome in Israel:
And whanne twey monethis weren fillid, sche turnede ayen to hir fadir, and he dide to hir as he avowide; and sche knew not fleischli a man. Fro thennus a custom cam in Israel,
40 The daughters of Israel went yere by yere to lament the daughter of Iphtah the Gileadite, foure dayes in a yeere.
and the custom is kept, that aftir the `ende of the yeer the douytris of Israel come togidere, and biweile `the douytir of Jepte of Galaad `foure daies.
