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

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. Gilead was Jephthah’s father.

2 G ilead’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.”

And Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when his wife’s sons grew up, they thrust Jephthah out and said to him, You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.

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

Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men gathered around Jephthah and went on raids with him.

4 A fter a while, the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

And after a time, the Ammonites made war against Israel.

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

And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah out of the land of Tob;

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

And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the Ammonites.

7 J ephthah 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?”

But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?

8 T he 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.”

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, This is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight the Ammonites and be our head over all the citizens of Gilead.

9 J ephthah 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?”

Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head.

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

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, The Lord is witness between us, if we do not do as you have said.

11 T hen 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.

So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah repeated all he had promised before the Lord at Mizpah.

12 J ephthah 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?”

And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, What have you to do with me, that you have come against me to fight in my land?

13 T he 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.”

The Ammonites’ king replied to the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.

14 J ephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon;

And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the Ammonites

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

And said to him, Thus says Jephthah, Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.

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

But when came up from Egypt, walked through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.

17 t hen 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.

Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Let us, we pray, pass through your land, but the king of Edom would not listen. Also they sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.

18 T hen 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.

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 camped on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.

19 I srael 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.’

Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, Let us pass, we pray you, through your land to our country.

20 B ut 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.

But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.

21 Y ahweh, 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.

And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

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

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

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

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

24 W on’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.

Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all the Lord our God dispossessed before us, we will possess.

25 N ow 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?

Now are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel or did he ever go to war with them?

26 W hile 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?

While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon for 300 years, why did you not recover during that time?

27 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.”

So I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong to war against me. The Lord, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.

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

But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the message Jephthah sent him.

29 T hen 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.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.

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

And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, If You will indeed give the Ammonites into my hand,

31 t hen 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.”

Then whatever or whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it or him up as a burnt offering.

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

Then Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord gave them into his hand.

33 H e 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.

And from Aroer to Minnith he smote them, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-cheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.

34 J ephthah 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.

Then Jephthah came to Mizpah to his home, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances! And she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 W hen 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.”

And when he saw her, he rent his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.

36 S he 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.”

And she said to him, My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what you have vowed, since the Lord has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, the Ammonites.

37 S he 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.”

And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go and wander upon the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.

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

And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months, and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

39 A t 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

At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She never mated with a man. This became a custom in Israel—

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

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