Judges 11

Jephthah Delivers Israel

1Now JephthahH3316 the GileaditeH1569 wasH1961 a mighty manH1368 of valorH2428; heH1931 was the sonH1121H802 of a prostituteH2181, and GileadH1568 was hisH3316 fatherH3205. 2And Gilead’sH1568 wifeH802 bore himH3205 sonsH1121 whoH1121H802 grew upH1431, drove JephthahH3316 outH1644, and saidH559 to him, “You shall have noH3808 inheritanceH5157 in our father’sH1 houseH1004, becauseH3588 youH859 are the sonH1121 of anotherH312 womanH802.”

3So JephthahH3316 fledH1272 fromH6440 his brothersH251 and settledH3427 in the landH776 of TobH2897, where worthless menH7386 gathered aroundH3950H413 him and traveledH3318 with himH5973.

4Some time laterH1961H3117, when the AmmonitesH1121H5983 foughtH3898 againstH5973 IsraelH3478 5andH1961 made warH3898 withH5973 them, the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 wentH1980 to getH3947 JephthahH3316 from the landH776 of TobH2897. 6“ComeH1980,” they saidH559, “beH1961 our commanderH7101, so that we can fightH3898 against the AmmonitesH1121H5983.”

7JephthahH3316 repliedH559 to the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, “Did youH859 notH3808 hateH8130 meH853 and expel meH1644 from my father’sH1 houseH1004? WhyH4069 then have you comeH935 to meH413 nowH6258, whenH834 you are in distressH6862?”

8TheyH2205H1568 answeredH559 JephthahH3316, “This is whyH3651 we nowH6258 turnH7725H413 to youH413, that you may goH1980 with usH5973, fightH3898 the AmmonitesH1121H5983, and becomeH1961 leaderH7218 over allH3605 of us who liveH3427 in GileadH1568.”

9But JephthahH3316 askedH559 them, “IfH518 youH859 take me backH7725 to fightH3898 the AmmonitesH1121H5983 and the LORDH3068 gives themH5414 to meH6440, will IH595 really beH1961 your leaderH7218?”

10And the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 saidH559 toH413 JephthahH3316, “The LORDH3068 isH1961 our witnessH8085H996 ifH518 we do notH3808 doH6213 as you sayH1697H3651.”

11So JephthahH3316 wentH1980 withH5973 the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, and the peopleH5971 made himH7760 theirH5921 leaderH7218 and commanderH7101. And JephthahH3316 repeatedH1696 allH3605 his termsH1697 in the presenceH6440 of the LORDH3068 at MizpahH4709.

12Then JephthahH3316 sentH7971 messengersH4397 toH413 the kingH4428 of the AmmonitesH1121H5983, sayingH559, “WhatH4100 do you have against me thatH3588 you have comeH935 to fightH3898 againstH413 my landH776?”

13The kingH4428 of the AmmonitesH1121H5983 answeredH559 Jephthah’sH3316H3588 messengersH4397, “When IsraelH3478 came upH5927 out of EgyptH4714, they seizedH3947 my landH776, from the ArnonH769 toH5704 the JabbokH2999 and all the wayH5704 to the JordanH3383. Now, thereforeH6258, restoreH7725 itH853 peaceablyH7965.”

14JephthahH3316 againH3254H5750 sentH7971 messengersH4397 toH413 the kingH4428 of the AmmonitesH1121H5983 15to tellH559 him, “This is whatH3541 JephthahH3316 saysH559: IsraelH3478 did notH3808 take awayH3947 the landH776 of MoabH4124 or of the AmmonitesH5983. 16ButH3588 when Israel came upH5927 out of EgyptH4714, they traveledH1980 through the wildernessH4057 toH5704 the RedH5488 SeaH32201 and cameH935 to KadeshH6946. 17Then IsraelH3478 sentH7971 messengersH4397 toH413 the kingH4428 of EdomH123, sayingH559, ‘PleaseH4994 let us passH5674 through your landH776,’ but the kingH4428 of EdomH123 would notH3808 listenH8085. They alsoH1571 sentH7971 messengers toH413 the kingH4428 of MoabH4124, but he would notH3808 consentH14. So IsraelH3478 stayedH3427 in KadeshH6946.

18Then Israel traveledH1980 through the wildernessH4057 and bypassedH5437 the landsH776 of EdomH123 andH853 MoabH4124. They cameH935 toH4217 the east sideH8121 of the landH776 of MoabH4124 and campedH2583 on the other sideH5676 of the ArnonH769. But they did notH3808 enterH935 the territoryH1366 of MoabH4124, sinceH3588 the ArnonH769 was its borderH1366.

19And IsraelH3478 sentH7971 messengersH4397 toH413 SihonH5511 kingH4428 of the AmoritesH567, who ruledH4428 in HeshbonH2809, and saidH559 to him, ‘PleaseH4994 let us passH5674 through your landH776 intoH5704 our own placeH4725.’ 20But SihonH5511 would notH3808 trustH539 IsraelH3478 to passH5674 through his territoryH1366. SoH5511 he gatheredH622 allH3605 his peopleH5971, encampedH2583 in JahazH3096, and foughtH3898 withH5973 IsraelH3478.

21Then the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, deliveredH5414 SihonH5511 and allH3605 his peopleH5971 into the handH3027 of IsraelH3478, who defeated themH5221. So IsraelH3478 took possession ofH3423 allH3605 the landH776 of the AmoritesH567 who inhabitedH3427 thatH1931 countryH776, 22seizingH3423 allH3605 the landH1366H567 fromH4480 the ArnonH769 toH5704 the JabbokH2999 and from the wildernessH4057 toH5704 the JordanH3383.

23Now sinceH6258 the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, has driven outH3423 the AmoritesH567 from beforeH6440 His peopleH5971 IsraelH3478, should you nowH859 possess itH3423? 24Do you notH3808 possessH3423 whateverH834 your godH430 ChemoshH3645 grants youH3423? So alsoH853, we possessH3423 whateverH3605 the LORDH3068 our GodH430 has grantedH3423 usH6440. 25Are youH859 nowH6258 so much betterH2895 than BalakH1111 sonH1121 of ZipporH6834, kingH4428 of MoabH4124? Did he ever contendH7378 withH5973 IsraelH3478 orH518 fightH3898 against them?

26For threeH7969 hundredH3967 yearsH8141 IsraelH3478 has livedH3427 in HeshbonH2809, AroerH6177, and their villagesH1323, as well as allH3605 the citiesH5892 alongH5921 the banksH3027 of the ArnonH769. WhyH4069 did you notH3808 take them backH5337 during thatH1931 timeH6256? 27IH595 have notH3808 sinnedH2398 against you, but youH859 have doneH6213 meH854 wrongH7451 by waging warH3898 against me. May the LORDH3068, the JudgeH8199, decideH8199 todayH3117 betweenH996 the IsraelitesH1121H3478H996 and the AmmonitesH1121H5983.”

28But the kingH4428 of the AmmonitesH1121H5983 paid noH3808 heedH8085 toH413 the messageH1697 JephthahH3316 sentH7971 himH413.

Jephthah’s Tragic Vow

29Then the SpiritH7307 of the LORDH3068 cameH1961 uponH5921 JephthahH3316, and he passed throughH5674 GileadH1568 andH853 ManassehH4519, then throughH5674 MizpahH4708 of GileadH1568. And fromH4708H1568 there he advancedH5674 against the AmmonitesH1121H5983.

30JephthahH3316 madeH5087 this vowH5088 to the LORDH3068H559: “IfH518 indeedH5414 You will deliverH5414 the AmmonitesH1121H5983 into my handH3027, 31thenH1961 whateverH834H3318 comes outH3318 the doorH1817 of my houseH1004 to greet meH7122 on my triumphantH7965 returnH7725 from the AmmonitesH1121H5983 will belong toH1961 the LORDH3068, and I will offer it upH5927 as a burnt offeringH5930.”

32So JephthahH3316 crossed overH5674 toH413 the AmmonitesH1121H5983 to fightH3898 against them, and the LORDH3068 delivered themH5414 into his handH3027. 33With a greatH1419H3966 blowH4347 he devastatedH5221 twentyH6242 citiesH5892 from AroerH6177 toH5704 the vicinityH935 of MinnithH4511, as far asH5704 Abel-keramimH64. So the AmmonitesH1121H5983 were subduedH3665 beforeH6440 the IsraelitesH1121H3478.

34And when JephthahH3316 returnedH935 homeH1004 to MizpahH4709, thereH2009 was his daughterH1323 coming outH3318 to meet himH7122 with tambourinesH8596 and dancingH4246H7535! SheH1931 was his only childH3173; he had noH369 sonH1121 orH176 daughterH1323 besides herH4480.

35As soon asH1961 Jephthah sawH7200 herH853, he toreH7167 his clothesH899 and saidH559, “NoH162! Not my daughterH1323! You have brought me to my kneesH3766! YouH859H1961 have brought great misery upon meH5916, for IH595 have given my wordH6475H6310 toH413 the LORDH3068 and cannotH3808H3201 take it backH7725.”

36“My fatherH1,” she repliedH559, “you have given your wordH6475 toH413 the LORDH3068. DoH6213 to me asH834 you have saidH3318H6310, forH310 the LORDH3068 hasH6213 avengedH5360 you of your enemiesH341, the AmmonitesH1121H5983.” 37She also saidH559 toH413 her fatherH1, “Let me doH6213 thisH2088H7503H4480 one thingH1697: Let me wanderH1980H3381 for twoH8147 monthsH2320 throughH5921 the mountainsH2022H595 with my friendsH7464 and mournH1058H5921 my virginityH1331.”

38“GoH1980,” he saidH559. And he sent her awayH7971 for twoH8147 monthsH2320.

So sheH1931 leftH1980 with her friendsH7464 and mournedH1058 her virginityH1331 uponH5921 the mountainsH2022. 39AfterH7093 twoH8147 monthsH2320, she returnedH7725 toH413 her fatherH1, and he didH6213 to her as he had vowedH5088H834H5087. And sheH1931 had neverH3808 had relationsH3045 with a manH376.

So it has becomeH1961 a customH2706 in IsraelH3478 40that eachH3117 yearH8141 the young womenH1323 of IsraelH3478 go outH1980 for fourH702 daysH3117 to lamentH8567 the daughterH1323 of JephthahH3316 the GileaditeH1569.