Judges 11:1-33

1Now JephthahH3316 the GileaditeH1569 wasH1961 a mightyH1368 manH1368 of valour, and he wasH1961 the sonH1121 of a harlot; and GileadH1568 had begotten JephthahH3316.

2And Gilead's wifeH802 boreH3205 him sonsH1121; and when his wife's sonsH1121 were grownH1431, they expelled JephthahH3316, and saidH559 to him, Thou shalt not inheritH5157 in our father's houseH1004; for thou art the sonH1121 of another womanH802.

3Then JephthahH3316 fledH1272 from his brethren, and dweltH3427 in the landH776 of TobH2897. And vain menH376 were gatheredH3950 to JephthahH3316, and they made expeditions with him.

4And it came to pass after some time, that the children of AmmonH5983 foughtH3898 with IsraelH3478.

5And 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 to JephthahH3316, Come, and beH1961 our captain, that we may fightH3898 against the children of AmmonH5983.

7And JephthahH3316 saidH559 to the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, Did not ye hateH8130 me, and expel me out of my father's houseH1004? and whyH4069 are ye comeH935 to me nowH6258 whenH834 ye are in trouble?

8And the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 saidH559 to JephthahH3316, ThereforeH3651 we have returnedH7725 to thee nowH6258, that thou mayest goH1980 with us, and fightH3898 against the children of AmmonH5983, and beH1961 headH7218 over all of us the inhabitantsH3427 of GileadH1568.

9And JephthahH3316 saidH559 to the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, If ye take me backH7725 to fightH3898 against the children of AmmonH5983, and Jehovah giveH5414 them up before me, shall I beH1961 your headH7218?

10And the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 saidH559 unto JephthahH3316, Jehovah beH1961 witness between us, if we do not soH3651 according to thy wordsH1697!

11Then JephthahH3316 went with the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, and the peopleH5971 madeH7760 him headH7218 and captain over them; and JephthahH3316 uttered all his wordsH1697 before Jehovah in MizpahH4709.

12And JephthahH3316 sentH7971 messengersH4397 to the kingH4428 of the children of AmmonH5983, sayingH559, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art comeH935 against me to fightH3898 against my landH776?

13And the kingH4428 of the children of AmmonH5983 saidH559 to the messengersH4397 of JephthahH3316, Because IsraelH3478 tookH3947 awayH7725 my landH776, when they cameH5927 up out of EgyptH4714, from the ArnonH769 even unto the JabbokH2999 and unto the JordanH3383; and nowH6258 restoreH7725 it peaceably.

14And JephthahH3316 sentH7971 messengersH4397 againH5750 to the kingH4428 of the children of AmmonH5983,

15and saidH559 to 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, then IsraelH3478 walked through the wildernessH4057 as far as the Red seaH3220, and cameH935 to KadeshH6946.

17And IsraelH3478 sentH7971 messengersH4397 to the kingH4428 of EdomH123, sayingH559, Let me, I pray thee, passH5674 through thy landH776; but the kingH4428 of EdomH123 wouldH14 not hearken. And they alsoH1571 sentH7971 to the kingH4428 of MoabH4124; and he wouldH14 not. And IsraelH3478 abode in KadeshH6946.

18And they walked through the wildernessH4057, and wentH935 roundH5437 the landH776 of EdomH123 and the landH776 of MoabH4124, and cameH935 by the eastH4217 of the landH776 of MoabH4124, and encampedH2583 beyond the ArnonH769, but cameH935 not within the borderH1366 of MoabH4124, for the ArnonH769 is the borderH1366 of MoabH4124.

19And IsraelH3478 sentH7971 messengersH4397 to SihonH5511 kingH4428 of the AmoritesH567, the kingH4428 of HeshbonH2809, and IsraelH3478 saidH559 to him, Let us passH5674, we pray thee, through thy landH776 unto my placeH4725.

20But SihonH5511 trustedH539 not IsraelH3478, to let him passH5674 through his borderH1366, and SihonH5511 gatheredH622 all his peopleH5971, and they encampedH2583 in Jahzah; and he foughtH3898 with IsraelH3478.

21And Jehovah the 1GodH430 of IsraelH3478 gaveH5414 SihonH5511 and all his peopleH5971 into the handH3027 of IsraelH3478, and they smote them; and IsraelH3478 tookH3423 possessionH3423 of the whole landH776 of the AmoritesH567, who dweltH3427 in that country.

22And they possessedH3423 all the bordersH1366 of the AmoritesH567, from the ArnonH769 unto the JabbokH2999, and from the wildernessH4057 unto the JordanH3383.

23And nowH6258 Jehovah the 2GodH430 of IsraelH3478 has dispossessedH3423 the AmoritesH567 from before his peopleH5971 IsraelH3478, and shouldest thou takeH3423 possessionH3423 of it?

24Dost not thou possessH3423 what ChemoshH3645 thy 3godH430 puts thee in possessionH3423 of? and whatever Jehovah our 4GodH430 has dispossessedH3423 before us, that will we possessH3423.

25And nowH6258 art thou indeed betterH2896 than BalakH1111 the sonH1121 of ZipporH6834, kingH4428 of MoabH4124? did he ever strive with IsraelH3478? did he ever fightH3898 against them?

26While IsraelH3478 dweltH3427 in HeshbonH2809 and its dependent villages, and in AroerH6177 and its dependent villages, and in all the citiesH5892 that are along the banks of the ArnonH769, threeH7969 hundredH3967 yearsH8141 — whyH4069 did ye not recover [them] within that timeH6256?

27So I have not sinnedH2398 against thee, but it is thou who doest me wrong in makingH6213 war against me. Jehovah, the JudgeH8199, be judgeH8199 this dayH3117 between the children of IsraelH3478 and the children of AmmonH5983!

28But the kingH4428 of the children of AmmonH5983 hearkened not to the wordsH1697 of JephthahH3316 that he had sentH7971 him.

29Then the SpiritH7307 of Jehovah came upon JephthahH3316, and he passedH5674 through GileadH1568 and ManassehH4519, and passedH5674 to Mizpeh of GileadH1568, and from Mizpeh of GileadH1568 he passedH5674 over to the children of AmmonH5983.

30And JephthahH3316 vowedH5087 a vowH5088 to Jehovah, and saidH559, If thou wilt without fail giveH5414 the children of AmmonH5983 into my handH3027,

31then shall that which cometh forthH3318 from the doorH1817 of my houseH1004 to meet me, when I returnH7725 in peaceH7965 from the children of AmmonH5983, beH1961 Jehovah's, and I will offerH5927 it up for a burnt-offering.

32And JephthahH3316 passedH5674 over to the children of AmmonH5983 to fightH3898 against them; and Jehovah gaveH5414 them into his handH3027.

33And he smote them from AroerH6177 until thou comeH935 to MinnithH4511, twentyH6242 citiesH5892, even unto Abel-Cheramim, with a veryH3966 greatH1419 slaughterH4347; and the children of AmmonH5983 were subduedH3665 before the children of IsraelH3478.