1 N ow Jephthah the Gileadite was a powerful soldier. But he was the son of a woman who sold the use of her body. Jephthah’s father was Gilead.

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead became the father of Jephthah.

2 G ilead’s wife gave birth to his sons. And when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah away. They told him, “You will not have any share in our father’s house. For you are the son of another woman.”

Gilead’s wife bore him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You will not inherit in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”

3 S o Jephthah ran away from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Men of no worth gathered around Jephthah and went fighting and stealing with him.

Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and lived in the land of Tob. Outlaws joined up with Jephthah, and they went out with him.

4 T he time came when the men of Ammon fought against Israel.

After a while, the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

5 W hen the men of Ammon fought against Israel, the leaders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.

When the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah out of the land of Tob.

6 T hey said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, so we may fight against the men of Ammon.”

They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.”

7 J ephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?”

Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”

8 T he leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have returned to you now. So you may go with us and fight the men of Ammon. You will be the head of all the people of Gilead.”

The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us, and fight with the children of Ammon. You will be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

9 J ephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight the men of Ammon and the Lord gives them to me, will I become your head?”

Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Yahweh delivers them before me, will I be your head?”

10 T he leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord is listening to what we say. For sure we will do as you have said.”

The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Yahweh will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.”

11 S o Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. And the people made him head and leader over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.

Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh in Mizpah.

12 T hen Jephthah sent men to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, “What do you have against me? Why have you come to fight against my land?”

Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What have you to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?”

13 T he king of the people of Ammon said to these men of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when they came from Egypt. They took my land from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan. So I ask you to return this land to me in peace.”

The king of the children of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore that territory again peaceably.”

14 B ut Jephthah sent men to the king of the people of Ammon again,

Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon;

15 s aying, “Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the people of Ammon.

and he said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel didn’t take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon,

16 I srael came out of Egypt, went through the desert to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh.

but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;

17 T hen Israel sent men to the king of Edom, saying, “We ask you to let us pass through your land.” But the king of Edom would not listen. They asked the king of Moab also. But he would not let them pass through. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.

then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let me pass through your land;’ but the king of Edom didn’t listen. In the same way, he sent to the king of Moab; but he would not: and Israel stayed in Kadesh.

18 ’ Then Israel went through the desert and around the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab. There they set up their tents on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not go into the land of Moab. For the Arnon flowed along the side of Moab.

Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they didn’t come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

19 I srael sent men to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, saying, “We ask you to let us pass through your land to our place.”

Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to my place.’

20 B ut Sihon did not trust Israel. He would not let them pass through his land. Sihon gathered all his people together. They set up their tents in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

But Sihon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

21 T he Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel. They won the war against Sihon. So Israel took all the land of the Amorites, the people of that country.

Yahweh, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

22 T hey took all the land of the Amorites, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the desert as far as the Jordan.

They possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.

23 ’ So the Lord, the God of Israel, drove the Amorites away from His people Israel. Now are you to take the land for your own?

So now Yahweh, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess them?

24 D o you not keep for your own what your god Chemosh gives you? We will keep the land of the people the Lord our God drove away for us.

Won’t you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever Yahweh our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.

25 A re you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever fight with Israel? Did he ever go to war against them?

Now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?

26 W hile Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns and Aroer and its towns and in all the cities beside the Arnon for 300 years, why did you not take them again during that time?

While Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Arnon, three hundred years; why didn’t you recover them within that time?

27 I have not sinned against you. But you are doing wrong to me by making war against me. The Lord is the judge. May He decide today between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.’”

I therefore have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me. May Yahweh the Judge be judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.”

28 B ut the king of the people of Ammon would not listen to what Jephthah said

However the king of the children of Ammon didn’t listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

29 T he Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. So he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and through Mizpah of Gilead. He went from Mizpah of Gilead to the people of Ammon.

Then Yahweh’s Spirit came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.

30 J ephthah made a promise to the Lord and said, “You give the people of Ammon into my hand.

Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,

31 A nd I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the people of Ammon. I will give it to the Lord as a burnt gift.”

then it shall be, that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Yahweh’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”

32 T hen Jephthah crossed over to fight against the people of Ammon. And the Lord gave them into his hand.

So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Yahweh delivered them into his hand.

33 H e killed many of them from Aroer to Minnith, through twenty cities, as far as Abelkeramin. The people of Ammon were destroyed in front of the people of Israel. Jephthah’s Daughter

He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

34 T hen Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. His daughter came out to meet him with music and dancing. She was his one and only child. He had no other sons or daughters.

Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 W hen he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “It is bad, my daughter! You have made me very sad. You have brought much trouble to me. For I have made a promise to the Lord, and I must keep it.”

When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I can’t go back.”

36 S he said to him, “My father, you have made a promise to the Lord. Do to me what you have promised you would do. Because the Lord has punished the people of Ammon, who fought against you.

She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because Yahweh has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.”

37 B ut do this for me. Let me alone for two months. So I and my friends may go to the mountains and cry because I will never have a man.”

She said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me. Leave me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.”

38 J ephthah said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months with her friends. And they cried on the mountains because she would never have a man.

He said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months: and she departed, she and her companions, and mourned her virginity on the mountains.

39 S he returned to her father after two months. And he did what he promised the Lord and she died without having a man. So it became the way in Israel

At the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She was a virgin. It was a custom in Israel

40 t hat the daughters of Israel went to have sorrow for the daughter of Jephthah for four days each year.

that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.