1 A nd Jephthah the Gileadite hath been a mighty man of valour, and he son of a woman, a harlot; and Gilead begetteth Jephthah,

Now 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.

2 a nd the wife of Gilead beareth to him sons, and the wife's sons grow up and cast out Jephthah, and say to him, `Thou dost not inherit in the house of our father; for son of another woman thou.'

Gilead’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.”

3 A nd Jephthah fleeth from the face of his brethren, and dwelleth in the land of Tob; and vain men gather themselves together unto Jephthah, and they go out with him.

So 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.

4 A nd it cometh to pass, after a time, that the Bene-Ammon fight with Israel,

The time came when the men of Ammon fought against Israel.

5 a nd it cometh to pass, when the Bene-Ammon have fought with Israel, that the elders of Gilead go to take Jephthah from the land of Tob;

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

6 a nd they say unto Jephthah, `Come, and thou hast been to us for captain, and we fight against the Bene-Ammon.'

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

7 A nd Jephthah saith to the elders of Gilead, `Have not ye hated me? and ye cast me out from the house of my father, and wherefore have ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?'

Jephthah 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?”

8 a nd the elders of Gilead say unto Jephthah, `Therefore, now, we have turned back unto thee; and thou hast gone with us, and fought against the Bene-Ammon, and thou hast been to us for head -- to all the inhabitants of Gilead.'

The 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.”

9 A nd Jephthah saith unto the elders of Gilead, `If ye are taking me back to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and Jehovah hath given them before me -- I, am I to you for a head?'

Jephthah 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?”

10 A nd the elders of Gilead say unto Jephthah, `Jehovah is hearkening between us -- if according to thy word we do not so.'

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

11 A nd Jephthah goeth with the elders of Gilead, and the people set him over them for head and for captain, and Jephthah speaketh all his words before Jehovah in Mizpeh.

So 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.

12 A nd Jephthah sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon, saying, `What -- to me and to thee, that thou hast come in unto me, to fight in my land.'

Then 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?”

13 A nd the king of the Bene-Ammon saith unto the messengers of Jephthah, `Because Israel took my land in his coming up out of Egypt, from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan; and now, restore them in peace.'

The 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.”

14 A nd Jephthah addeth yet and sendeth messengers unto the king of the Bene-Ammon,

But Jephthah sent men to the king of the people of Ammon again,

15 a nd saith to him, `Thus said Jephthah, Israel took not the land of Moab, and the land of the Bene-Ammon,

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

16 f or in their coming up out of Egypt, Israel goeth in the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and cometh in to Kadesh,

Israel came out of Egypt, went through the desert to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh.

17 a nd Israel sendeth messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me pass over, I pray thee, through thy land, and the king of Edom hearkened not; and also unto the king of Moab hath sent, and he hath not been willing; and Israel abideth in Kadesh,

Then 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.

18 a nd he goeth through the wilderness, and compasseth the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and cometh in at the rising of the sun of the land of Moab, and they encamp beyond Arnon, and have not come into the border of Moab, for Arnon the border of Moab.

’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.

19 ` And Israel sendeth messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and Israel saith to him, Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land, unto my place,

Israel 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.”

20 a nd Sihon hath not trusted Israel to pass over through his border, and Sihon gathereth all his people, and they encamp in Jahaz, and fight with Israel;

But 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.

21 a nd Jehovah, God of Israel, giveth Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smite them, and Israel possesseth all the land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that land,

The 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.

22 a nd they possess all the border of the Amorite from Arnon, and unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness, and unto the Jordan.

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

23 ` And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, hath dispossessed the Amorite from the presence of His people Israel, and thou wouldst possess it!

’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?

24 T hat which Chemosh thy god causeth thee to possess -- dost thou not possess it? and all that which Jehovah our God hath dispossessed from our presence, -- it we do possess.

Do 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.

25 ` And now, thou at all better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he at all strive with Israel? did he at all fight against them?

Are 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?

26 I n Israel's dwelling in Heshbon and in its towns, and in Aroer and in its towns, and in all the cities which by the sides of Arnon three hundred years -- and wherefore have ye not delivered them in that time?

While 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?

27 A nd I -- I have not sinned against thee, and thou art doing with me evil -- to fight against me. Jehovah, the Judge, doth judge to-day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'

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.’”

28 A nd the king of the Bene-Ammon hath not hearkened unto the words of Jephthah which he sent unto him,

But the king of the people of Ammon would not listen to what Jephthah said

29 a nd the Spirit of Jehovah is on Jephthah, and he passeth over Gilead and Manasseh, and passeth over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he hath passed over to the Bene-Ammon.

The 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.

30 A nd Jephthah voweth a vow to Jehovah, and saith, `If Thou dost at all give the Bene-Ammon into my hand --

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

31 t hen it hath been, that which at all cometh out from the doors of my house to meet me in my turning back in peace from the Bene-Ammon -- it hath been to Jehovah, or I have offered up for it -- a burnt-offering.'

And 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.”

32 A nd Jephthah passeth over unto the Bene-Ammon to fight against them, and Jehovah giveth them into his hand,

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

33 a nd he smiteth them from Aroer, and unto thy going in to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto the meadow of the vineyards -- a very great smiting; and the Bene-Ammon are humbled at the presence of the sons of Israel.

He 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

34 A nd Jephthah cometh into Mizpeh, unto his house, and lo, his daughter is coming out to meet him with timbrels, and with choruses, and save her alone, he hath none, son or daughter.

Then 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.

35 A nd it cometh to pass, when he seeth her, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, `Alas, my daughter, thou hast caused me greatly to bend, and thou hast been among those troubling me; and I -- I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I am not able to turn back.'

When 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.”

36 A nd she saith unto him, `My father -- thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah, do to me as it hath gone out from thy mouth, after that Jehovah hath done for thee vengeance on thine enemies, on the Bene-Ammon.'

She 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.

37 A nd she saith unto her father, `Let this thing be done to me; desist from me two months, and I go on, and have gone down on the hills, and I weep for my virginity -- I and my friends.'

But 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.”

38 A nd he saith, `Go;' and he sendeth her away two months, and she goeth, she and her friends, and she weepeth for her virginity on the hills;

Jephthah 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.

39 a nd it cometh to pass at the end of two months that she turneth back unto her father, and he doth to her his vow which he hath vowed, and she knew not a man; and it is a statute in Israel:

She 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

40 f rom time to time the daughters of Israel go to talk to the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in a year.

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