Judges 11

1Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior and the son of a prostitute, whom Gilead fathered.

2Gilead's wife bore him sons, and when her sons grew up they drove Jephthah out and said to him, "You will not inherit in our father's house, because you are the son of another woman."

3Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered to him and went out with him.

4Some time later, the Ammonites made war against Israel.

5When the Ammonites fought against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob.

6They said to Jephthah, "Come and be our captain, so we may fight against the sons of Ammon."

7Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and drive me out from my father's house? Why have you come to me now when distress afflicts you?"

8Gilead's elders said to Jephthah, "So now we have returned to you, that you may go with us and fight Ammon's sons, and become our leader over all who dwell in Gilead."

9Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight against the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh delivers them before me, shall I be your head?"

10The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "Yahweh be witness between us if we do not do so according to your word."

11Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people appointed him head and commander over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh in Mizpah.

12Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, "What business do you have with me, that you have come to me to fight in my land?"

13The king of the sons of Ammon said to Jephthah's messengers, "Israel took my land when coming up from Egypt, from Arnon to the Jabbok and the Jordan; now restore those lands peaceably."

14Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the sons of Ammon.

15He said to him, "Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take the land of Moab nor the land of the sons of Ammon."

16For when they ascended from Egypt, Israel journeyed through the wilderness to the Red Sea and arrived at Kadesh.

17Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, "Please let me pass through your land," but the king of Edom did not listen. He sent similarly to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling, and Israel dwelt in Kadesh.

18They went through the wilderness and circled the land of Edom and the land of Moab, arriving from the sun's rising at the land of Moab, where they encamped beyond the Arnon, but did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

19Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, "Please let us pass through your land to my place."

20Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his border, but gathered all his people—who encamped in Jahaz—and fought against Israel.

21Yahweh God of Israel gave Sihon and all his people into Israel's hand, and they struck them. Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites dwelling in that land.

22They took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

23Now Yahweh God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorite from before his people Israel—and should you possess it?

24Won’t you possess whatever Chemosh your god dispossesses for you? And we will possess all that Yahweh our God has driven out from before us.

25And now, are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or fight them?

26While Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities beside the banks of the Arnon for three hundred years—why did you not rescue them during that time?

27I have not sinned against you, but you wrong me by fighting against me; may Yahweh the Judge arbitrate today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

28But the king of the Ammonites did not heed the words of Jephthah that he sent him.

29The Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah, and he went through Gilead and Manasseh, went through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead advanced against the Ammonites.

30Jephthah vowed a vow to Yahweh and said, "If you surely deliver the sons of Ammon into my hand,

31Then whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon shall belong to Yahweh, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.

32Jephthah crossed over against the Ammonites to fight them, and Yahweh gave them into his hand.

33He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, twenty cities, and until Abel of the vineyards, with an exceedingly great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

34Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his house, and there his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and dances; she alone was his child, for he had no son or daughter besides her.

35When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Ah, my daughter! You have brought me low indeed, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I cannot turn back.”

36She said to him, "My father, you opened your mouth to Yahweh; do to me according to what came from your mouth, since Yahweh has granted you vengeance against your enemies, the sons of Ammon."

37She said to her father, "Let this matter be done for me: release me for two months, so I may go and descend upon the mountains and weep over my virginity, I and my friends."

38He said, “Go,” and sent her away for two months; she and her companions went and wept for her virginity on the mountains.

39After two months she returned to her father, and he carried out toward her the vow he had made. She had known no man, and it became a custom in Israel.

40Year by year the daughters of Israel went to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days each year.