Chapter 11

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he [was] the son of an harlot: ^{2181 6} and Gilead begat⁵⁵ Jephthah.

And Gilead's wife bare⁴ him sons; and his wife's sons grew up,⁴ and they thrust out¹⁷ Jephthah, and said⁴ unto him, Thou shalt not inherit⁴ in our father's house; for thou [art] the son of a strange woman.

Then Jephthah fled⁴ from his brethren, and dwelt⁴ in the land of Tob: and there were gathered¹⁰¹ vain men to Jephthah, and went out⁴ with him.

And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war¹¹ against Israel.

And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war⁸ against Israel, the elders of Gilead went⁴ to fetch² Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

And they said⁴ unto Jephthah, Come,³ and be our captain, that we may fight¹¹ with the children of Ammon.

And Jephthah said⁴ unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate¹ me, and expel¹⁷ me out of my father's house? and why are ye come¹ unto me now when ye are in distress?¹

And the elders of Gilead said⁴ unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn¹ again to thee now, that thou mayest go¹ with us, and fight⁸ against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants⁶ of Gilead.

And Jephthah said⁴ unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again⁵⁶ to fight⁹ against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver¹ them before me, shall I be your head?

And the elders of Gilead said⁴ unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness⁶ between us, if we do⁴ not so according to thy words.

Then Jephthah went⁴ with the elders of Gilead, and the people made⁴ him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered¹⁷ all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

And Jephthah sent⁴ messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying,² What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come¹ against me to fight⁹ in my land?

And the king of the children of Ammon answered⁴ unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took¹ away my land, when they came up² out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those [lands] again⁵⁴ peaceably.

And Jephthah sent⁴ messengers again⁵⁵ unto the king of the children of Ammon:

And said⁴ unto him, Thus saith¹ Jephthah, Israel took¹ not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

But when Israel came up² from Egypt, and walked⁴ through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came⁴ to Kadesh;

Then Israel sent⁴ messengers unto the king of Edom, saying,² Let me, I pray thee, pass⁴ through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken¹ [thereto]. And in like manner they sent¹ unto the king of Moab: but he would¹ not [consent]: and Israel abode⁴ in Kadesh.

Then they went⁴ along through the wilderness, and compassed⁴ the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came⁴ by the east side ⁸¹²¹ of the land of Moab, and pitched⁴ on the other side of Arnon, but came¹ not within the border of Moab: for Arnon [was] the border of Moab.

And Israel sent⁴ messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said⁴ unto him, Let us pass,⁴ we pray thee, through thy land into my place.

But Sihon trusted⁵² not Israel to pass² through his coast: but Sihon gathered⁴ all his people together, and pitched⁴ in Jahaz, and fought¹¹ against Israel.

And the LORD God of Israel delivered⁴ Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote⁵⁵ them: so Israel possessed⁴ all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants⁶ of that country.

And they possessed⁴ all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.

So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed⁵² the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess⁴ it?

Wilt not thou possess⁴ that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess?⁵⁵ So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out⁵² from before us, them will we possess.⁴

And now [art] thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever² strive¹ against Israel, or did he ever⁹ fight⁸ against them,

While Israel dwelt² in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that [be] along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover⁵² [them] within that time?

Wherefore I have not sinned¹ against thee, but thou doest⁶ me wrong to war⁹ against me: the LORD the Judge⁶ be judge⁴ this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened¹ not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent¹ him.

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over⁴ Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over⁴ Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over¹ [unto] the children of Ammon.

And Jephthah vowed⁴ a vow unto the LORD, and said,⁴ If thou shalt without fail² deliver⁴ the children of Ammon into mine hands,

Then it shall be, that whatsoever⁶ cometh forth⁴ of the doors of my house to meet² me, when I return² in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up⁵² for a burnt offering.

So Jephthah passed over⁴ unto the children of Ammon to fight⁹ against them; and the LORD delivered⁴ them into his hands.

And he smote⁵⁵ them from Aroer, even till thou come² to Minnith, [even] twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, ⁶⁴ with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued¹¹ before the children of Israel.

And Jephthah came⁴ to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out⁶ to meet² him with timbrels and with dances: and she [was his] only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

And it came to pass, when he saw² her, that he rent⁴ his clothes, and said,⁴ Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very⁵³ low,⁵² and thou art one of them that trouble⁶ me: for I have opened¹ my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot ^{3201 4} go back.²

And she said⁴ unto him, My father, [if] thou hast opened¹ thy mouth unto the LORD, do³ to me according to that which hath proceeded¹ out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken¹ vengeance for thee of thine enemies,⁶ [even] of the children of Ammon.

And she said⁴ unto her father, Let this thing be done¹¹ for me: let me alone⁵⁴ two months, that I may go⁴ up and down¹ upon the mountains, and bewail⁴ my virginity, I and my fellows. ⁷⁴⁷⁴

And he said,⁴ Go.³ And he sent her away⁴ [for] two months: and she went⁴ with her companions, and bewailed⁴ her virginity upon the mountains.

And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned⁴ unto her father, who did⁴ with her [according] to his vow which he had vowed:¹ and she knew¹ no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

[That] the daughters of Israel went⁴ yearly ³¹¹⁷ to lament¹⁵ the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.