Judges 11

1Now JephthahH3316 the GileaditeH1569 wasH1961 a mightyH1368 manH1368 of valor, and he wasH1961 the sonH1121 of a harlot: and GileadH1568 begat JephthahH3316. 2And Gilead’s wifeH802 bare him sonsH1121; and when his wife’sH802 sonsH1121 grewH1431 up, they droveH1644 out JephthahH3316, and saidH559 unto him, Thou shalt not inheritH5157 in our father’sH1 houseH1004; for thou art the sonH1121 of another womanH802. 3Then JephthahH3316 fledH1272 from his brethren, and dweltH3427 in the landH776 of TobH2897: and there were gatheredH3950 vain fellows to JephthahH3316, and they wentH3318 out with him.

4And it came to pass after a while, that the children of AmmonH5983 made war against IsraelH3478. 5And it wasH1961 so, that, when the children of AmmonH5983 made war against IsraelH3478, the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 went to fetch JephthahH3316 out of the landH776 of TobH2897; 6and they saidH559 unto JephthahH3316, Come and beH1961 our chief, that we may fightH3898 with the children of AmmonH5983. 7And JephthahH3316 saidH559 unto the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, Did not ye hateH8130 me, and driveH1644 me out of my father’sH1 houseH1004? and whyH4069 are ye comeH935 unto me nowH6258 whenH834 ye are in distressH6862? 8And the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 saidH559 unto JephthahH3316, ThereforeH3651 are we turnedH7725 again to thee nowH6258, that thou mayest goH1980 with us, and fightH3898 with the children of AmmonH5983; and thou shalt beH1961 our headH7218 over all the inhabitantsH3427 of GileadH1568. 9And JephthahH3316 saidH559 unto the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, If ye bringH7725 me home again to fightH3898 with the children of AmmonH5983, and Jehovah deliver them before me, shall I beH1961 your headH7218? 10And the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 saidH559 unto JephthahH3316, Jehovah shall beH1961 witness between us; surely according to thy wordH1697 soH3651 will we do. 11Then JephthahH3316 went with the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, and the peopleH5971 madeH7760 him headH7218 and chiefH7218 over them: and JephthahH3316 spake all his wordsH1697 before Jehovah in MizpahH4709.

12And JephthahH3316 sentH7971 messengersH4397 unto the kingH4428 of the children of AmmonH5983, sayingH559, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art comeH935 unto me to fightH3898 against my landH776? 13And the kingH4428 of the children of AmmonH5983 answered unto the messengersH4397 of JephthahH3316, Because IsraelH3478 tookH3947 awayH7725 my landH776, when he cameH5927 up out of EgyptH4714, from the ArnonH769 even unto the JabbokH2999, and unto the JordanH3383: nowH6258 thereforeH6258 restoreH7725 those landsH776 again peaceably. 14And JephthahH3316 sentH7971 messengersH4397 againH5750 unto the kingH4428 of the children of AmmonH5983; 15and he saidH559 unto him, ThusH3541 saith JephthahH3316: IsraelH3478 tookH3947 not awayH3947 the landH776 of MoabH4124, nor the landH776 of the children of AmmonH5983; 16but when they cameH935 up from EgyptH4714, and IsraelH3478 wentH935 through the wildernessH4057 unto the Red SeaH3220, and cameH935 to KadeshH6946; 17then IsraelH3478 sentH7971 messengersH4397 unto the kingH4428 of EdomH123, sayingH559, Let me, I pray thee, passH5674 through thy landH776; but the kingH4428 of EdomH123 hearkened not. And in like manner he sentH7971 unto the kingH4428 of MoabH4124; but he wouldH14 not: and IsraelH3478 abode in KadeshH6946. 18Then they wentH935 through the wildernessH4057, and wentH935 around the landH776 of EdomH123, and the landH776 of MoabH4124, and cameH935 by the eastH4217 sideH5676 of the landH776 of MoabH4124, and they encampedH2583 on the otherH5676 sideH5676 of the ArnonH769; but they cameH935 not within the borderH1366 of MoabH4124, for the ArnonH769 was the borderH1366 of MoabH4124. 19And IsraelH3478 sentH7971 messengersH4397 unto SihonH5511 kingH4428 of the AmoritesH567, the kingH4428 of HeshbonH2809; and IsraelH3478 saidH559 unto him, Let us passH5674, we pray thee, through thy landH776 unto my placeH4725. 20But SihonH5511 trustedH539 not IsraelH3478 to passH5674 through his borderH1366; but SihonH5511 gatheredH622 all his peopleH5971 together, and encampedH2583 in JahazH3096, and foughtH3898 against IsraelH3478. 21And Jehovah, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, delivered SihonH5511 and all his peopleH5971 into the handH3027 of IsraelH3478, and they smote them: so IsraelH3478 possessedH3423 all the landH776 of the AmoritesH567, the inhabitantsH3427 of that country. 22And they possessedH3423 all the borderH1366 of the AmoritesH567, from the ArnonH769 even unto the JabbokH2999, and from the wildernessH4057 even unto the JordanH3383. 23So nowH6258 Jehovah, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, hath dispossessedH3423 the AmoritesH567 from before his peopleH5971 IsraelH3478, and shouldest thou possessH3423 them? 24Wilt not thou possessH3423 that which ChemoshH3645 thy godH430 giveth thee to possessH3423? So whomsoever Jehovah our GodH430 hath dispossessedH3423 from before us, them will we possessH3423. 25And nowH6258 art thou anything betterH2896 than BalakH1111 the sonH1121 of ZipporH6834, kingH4428 of MoabH4124? did he ever strive against IsraelH3478, or did he ever fightH3898 against them? 26While IsraelH3478 dweltH3427 in HeshbonH2809 and its towns, and in AroerH6177 and its towns, and in all the citiesH5892 that are along by the side of the ArnonH769, threeH7969 hundredH3967 yearsH8141; wherefore did ye not recover them within that timeH6256? 27I therefore have not sinnedH2398 against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: Jehovah, the JudgeH8199, be judgeH8199 this dayH3117 between the children of IsraelH3478 and the children of AmmonH5983. 28Howbeit the kingH4428 of the children of AmmonH5983 hearkened not unto the wordsH1697 of JephthahH3316 which he sentH7971 him.

29Then the SpiritH7307 of Jehovah came upon JephthahH3316, and he passedH5674 over GileadH1568 and ManassehH4519, and passedH5674 over Mizpeh of GileadH1568, and from Mizpeh of GileadH1568 he passedH5674 over unto the children of AmmonH5983. 30And JephthahH3316 vowedH5087 a vowH5088 unto Jehovah, and saidH559, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of AmmonH5983 into my handH3027, 31then it shall beH1961, that whatsoever cometh forthH3318 from the doorsH1817 of my houseH1004 to meet me, when I returnH7725 in peaceH7965 from the children of AmmonH5983, it shall beH1961 Jehovah’s, and I will offerH5927 it up for a burnt-offering. 32So JephthahH3316 passedH5674 over unto the children of AmmonH5983 to fightH3898 against them; and Jehovah delivered them into his handH3027. 33And he smote them from AroerH6177 until thou comeH935 to MinnithH4511, even twentyH6242 citiesH5892, and unto Abel-cheramim, with a veryH3966 greatH1419 slaughterH4347. So the children of AmmonH5983 were subduedH3665 before the children of IsraelH3478.

34And JephthahH3316 cameH935 to MizpahH4709 unto his houseH1004; and, behold, his daughterH1323 cameH935 out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his onlyH7535 child; besides her he had neither sonH1121 nor daughterH1323. 35And it came to pass, when he sawH7200 her, that he rent his clothesH899, and saidH559, AlasH162, my daughterH1323! thou hast broughtH7725 me very lowH3766, and thou art one of them that troubleH5916 me; for I have openedH6475 my mouthH6310 unto Jehovah, and I cannot goH7725 backH7725. 36And she saidH559 unto him, My fatherH1, thou hast openedH6475 thy mouthH6310 unto Jehovah; do unto me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouthH6310, forasmuch as Jehovah hath taken vengeanceH5360 for thee on thine enemiesH341, even on the children of AmmonH5983. 37And she saidH559 unto her fatherH1, Let this thingH1697 be done for me: let me alone twoH8147 monthsH2320, that I may depart and goH3381 down upon the mountainsH2022, and bewail my virginityH1331, I and my companions. 38And he saidH559, GoH7971. And he sentH7971 her awayH7971 for twoH8147 monthsH2320: and she departed, she and her companionsH7464, and bewailed her virginityH1331 upon the mountainsH2022. 39And it came to pass at the endH7093 of twoH8147 monthsH2320, that she returnedH7725 unto her fatherH1, who did with her according to his vowH5088 which he had vowedH5087: and she knewH3045 not manH376. And it wasH1961 a custom in IsraelH3478, 40that the daughtersH1323 of IsraelH3478 went yearly to celebrate the daughterH1323 of JephthahH3316 the GileaditeH1569 fourH702 daysH3117 in a yearH8141.