Judges 11

Jephthah, the Ninth Judge

1Now 1JephthahH3316 the GileaditeH1569 was a 2valiantH2428 warriorH1368, but he was the sonH1121 of a prostituteH2181. And GileadH1568 had fatheredH3205 JephthahH3316. 2Gilead’sH1568 wifeH802 boreH3205 him sonsH1121; and when his wife’sH802 sonsH1121 grewH1431 upH1431, they droveH1644 JephthahH3316 outH1644 and saidH559 to him, “You shall not haveH5157 anH5157 inheritanceH5157 in our father’sH1 houseH1004, for you are the sonH1121 of anotherH312 womanH802.” 3So JephthahH3316 fledH1272 from his brothersH251 and livedH3427 in the landH776 of 3TobH2897; and worthlessH7386 menH376 gatheredH3950 4aroundH413 JephthahH3316, and they wentH3318 5wherever he did.

4Now it cameH1961 aboutH1961, afterH4480 a whileH3117, that 6the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983 foughtH3898 againstH5973 IsraelH3478. 5WhenH3512 the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983 foughtH3898 againstH5973 IsraelH3478, the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 wentH1980 to getH3947 JephthahH3316 from the landH776 of TobH2897; 6and they saidH559 to JephthahH3316, “ComeH1980 and be our leaderH7101, that we may fightH3898 against the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983.” 7But JephthahH3316 saidH559 to the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, “7Did you not hateH8130 me and driveH1644 me from my father’sH1 houseH1004? So whyH4069 have you comeH935 to me nowH6258 whenH3512 you areH6887 inH6887 troubleH6887?” 8The eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 saidH559 to JephthahH3316, “For thisH3651 reasonH3651 we have nowH6258 returnedH7725 to you, that you may goH1980 with us and fightH3898 the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983, and 8becomeH1961 our headH7218 over allH3605 the inhabitantsH3427 of GileadH1568.” 9So JephthahH3316 saidH559 to the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, “IfH518 you bringH7725 me backH7725 to fightH3898 against the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983 and the LordH3068 givesH5414 them upH5414 9to me, will I becomeH1961 your headH7218?” 10And the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568 saidH559 to JephthahH3316, “10The LordH3068 is 11witnessH8085 betweenH996 us; be assuredH518H3808 we will doH6213 12as you have saidH1697.” 11Then JephthahH3316 wentH1980 with the eldersH2205 of GileadH1568, and the peopleH5971 madeH7760 him headH7218 and leaderH7101 overH5921 them; and JephthahH3316 spokeH1696 allH3605 his wordsH1697 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 at 13MizpahH4709.

12So JephthahH3316 sentH7971 messengersH4397 to the kingH4428 of the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983, sayingH559, “WhatH4100 conflict do you and I have, that you have comeH935 to me to fightH3898 against my landH776?” 13And the kingH4428 of the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983 saidH559 to the messengersH4397 of JephthahH3316, “It is becauseH3588 IsraelH3478 14tookH3947 my landH776 when they cameH5927 upH5927 from EgyptH4714, from the ArnonH769 as farH5704 as the 15JabbokH2999 and the JordanH3383; so returnH7725 them peaceablyH7965 nowH6258.” 14But JephthahH3316 sentH7971 messengersH4397 onceH5750 againH3254 to the kingH4428 of the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983, 15and they saidH559 to him, “ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 JephthahH3316 saysH559: ‘IsraelH3478 did not takeH3947 the landH776 of MoabH4124 norH3808 the landH776 of the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983. 16For when they cameH5927 upH5927 from EgyptH4714, and IsraelH3478 16wentH1980 through the wildernessH4057 to the 17RedH5488 SeaH3220, and 18cameH935 to KadeshH6946, 17then IsraelH3478 19sentH7971 messengersH4397 to the kingH4428 of EdomH112, sayingH559, “PleaseH4994 let us passH5674 through your landH776”; but the kingH4428 of EdomH112 would not listenH8085. 20And they alsoH1571 sentH7971 messengers to the kingH4428 of MoabH4124, but he would not consentH14. So IsraelH3478 remainedH3427 at KadeshH6946. 18Then they wentH1980 through the wildernessH4057 and 21aroundH5437 the landH776 of EdomH112 and the landH776 of MoabH4124, and cameH935 to the eastH4217H8121 sideH4217H8121 of the landH776 of MoabH4124, and they campedH2583 beyondH5676 the ArnonH769; but they 22did not enterH935 the territoryH1366 of MoabH4124, for the ArnonH769 was the borderH1366 of MoabH4124. 19And IsraelH3478 sentH7971 23messengersH4397 to SihonH5511 kingH4428 of the AmoritesH567, the kingH4428 of HeshbonH2809; and IsraelH3478 saidH559 to him, “PleaseH4994 let us passH5674 through your landH776 to our placeH4725.” 20But SihonH5511 did not trustH539 IsraelH3478 to passH5674 through his territoryH1366; so SihonH5511 gatheredH622 allH3605 his peopleH5971 and campedH2583 in JahazH3096, and foughtH3898 with IsraelH3478. 21And the LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, handedH5414H3027 SihonH5511 and allH3605 his peopleH5971 overH5414 to IsraelH3478, and they 2425defeatedH5221 them; so IsraelH3478 tookH3423 possessionH3423 of allH3605 the landH776 of the AmoritesH567, the inhabitantsH3427 of that countryH776. 2226So they possessedH3423 allH3605 the territoryH1366 of the AmoritesH567, from the ArnonH769 as farH5704 as the JabbokH2999, and from the wildernessH4057 as farH5704 as the JordanH3383. 23And nowH6258 the LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, has drivenH3423 outH3423 the AmoritesH567 from His peopleH5971 IsraelH3478; so should you possessH3423 it? 24Do you not possessH3423 whatH834 27ChemoshH3645 your godH430 givesH3423 you toH3423 possessH3423? So whateverH3605H834 the LordH3068 our GodH430 has dispossessedH3423 beforeH4480H6440 us, we will possessH3423 it. 25NowH6258 then, are you anyH2895 betterH2895 thanH4480 28BalakH1111 the sonH1121 of ZipporH6834, kingH4428 of MoabH4124? Did he everH7378 contendH7378 with IsraelH3478, orH518 did he everH3898 fightH3898 against them? 2629While IsraelH3478 was livingH3427 in HeshbonH2809 and its villagesH1323, and in AroerH6177 and its villagesH1323, and in allH3605 the citiesH5892 that are on the banksH3027 of the ArnonH769, threeH7969 hundredH3967 yearsH8141, whyH4069 did you not recoverH5337 them within that timeH6256? 27So I have not sinnedH2398 against you, but you are doingH6213 me wrongH7463 by makingH3898 warH3898 against me. 30May the LordH3068, the JudgeH8199, judgeH8199 todayH3117 betweenH996 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 and the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983.’” 28But the kingH4428 of the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983 31disregardedH3808H8085 the messageH1697 whichH834 JephthahH3316 sentH7971 him.

Jephthah’s Tragic Vow

29Now 32the SpiritH7307 of the LordH3068 cameH1961 upon JephthahH3316, and he passedH5674 throughH5674 GileadH1568 and ManassehH4519; then he passedH5674 throughH5674 MizpahH4708 of GileadH1568, and from MizpahH4708 of GileadH1568 he wentH5674 onH5674 to the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983. 30And JephthahH3316 madeH5087 a vowH5088 to the LordH3068 and saidH559, “IfH518 You will indeedH5414 handH5414H3027 overH5414 to me the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983, 31then whateverH834 comesH3318 outH3318 the doorsH1817 of my houseH1004 to meetH7122 me when I returnH7725 33safelyH7965 from the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983, it shall be the Lord’sH3068, and I will offerH5927 it upH5927 as a burntH5930 offeringH5930.” 32So JephthahH3316 crossedH5674 overH5674 to the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983 to fightH3898 against them; and the LordH3068 handedH5414H3027 them overH5414 to him. 33He 34inflictedH5221 a veryH3966 greatH1419 defeatH4347 on them from AroerH6177 35to the entranceH935 of 36MinnithH4511, twentyH6242 citiesH5892, and as farH5704 as Abel-keramimH64. So the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983 were subduedH3665 beforeH4480H6440 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478.

34But JephthahH3316 cameH935 to his houseH1004 at 37MizpahH4709, and beholdH2009, his daughterH1323 was comingH3318 outH3318 to meetH7122 him 38with tambourinesH8596 and with dancingH4246. And she was his oneH7534 and onlyH3173 childH3173; besidesH4480 her he hadH369 noH369 sonH1121 orH176 daughterH1323. 35So when he sawH7200 her, he toreH7167 his clothesH899 and saidH559, “OhH162, my daughterH1323! You have broughtH3766 me disasterH3766, and you are among those who troubleH5916 me; for I have 39givenH6475 my wordH6310 to the LordH3068, and 40I cannotH3201H3808 takeH7725 it backH7725.” 36So she saidH559 to him, “My fatherH1, you have 41givenH6475 your wordH6310 to the LordH3068; 42doH6213 to me justH3512 asH3512 43you have saidH3318H4480H6310, sinceH310H834 the LordH3068 has broughtH6213 you vengeanceH5360 on your enemiesH340, the sonsH1121 of AmmonH5983.” 37And she saidH559 to her fatherH1, “Let thisH2088 thingH1697 be doneH6213 for me; allowH7503H4480 me twoH8147 monthsH2320, so that I may 44goH1980H3381 to the mountainsH2022 and weepH1058 becauseH5921 of 45my virginityH1331, I and my friendsH7464.” 38Then he saidH559, “GoH1980.” So he letH7971 her goH7971 for twoH8147 monthsH2320; and she leftH1980 with her friendsH7464, and weptH1058 on the mountainsH2022 becauseH5921 of her virginityH1331. 39And at the endH7093 of twoH8147 monthsH2320 she returnedH7725 to her fatherH1, who didH6213 to her 46whatH5088 he had vowedH5087; and she 47hadH3045 noH3808 relationsH3045 with a manH376. And it becameH1961 a customH2706 in IsraelH3478, 40that the 48daughtersH1323 of IsraelH3478 wentH1980 annuallyH3117H4480 to 49commemorateH8567 the daughterH1323 of JephthahH3316 the GileaditeH1569 for fourH702 daysH3117 in the yearH8141.