Judges 11:7-19

7But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “1Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?” 8The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “For this reason we have now returned to you, that you may go with us and fight the sons of Ammon, and 2become our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the Lord gives them up 3to me, will I become your head?” 10And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “4The Lord is 5witness between us; be assured we will do 6as you have said.” 11Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at 7Mizpah.

12So Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, “What conflict do you and I have, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” 13And the king of the sons of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, “It is because Israel 8took my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the 9Jabbok and the Jordan; so return them peaceably now.” 14But Jephthah sent messengers once again to the king of the sons of Ammon, 15and they said to him, “This is what Jephthah says: ‘Israel did not take the land of Moab nor the land of the sons of Ammon. 16For when they came up from Egypt, and Israel 10went through the wilderness to the 11Red Sea, and 12came to Kadesh, 17then Israel 13sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let us pass through your land”; but the king of Edom would not listen. 14And they also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh. 18Then they went through the wilderness and 15around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came to the east side of the land of Moab, and they camped beyond the Arnon; but they 16did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19And Israel sent 17messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, “Please let us pass through your land to our place.”