1Now Jephthah3316 the Gileadite1569 was a mighty man1368 of valour2428, and he was the son1121 of an harlot802 2181: and Gilead1568 begat3205 Jephthah3316.
2And Gilead's1568 wife802 bare3205 him sons1121; and his wife's802 sons1121 grew up1431, and they thrust out1644 Jephthah3316, and said559 unto him, Thou shalt not inherit5157 in our father's1 house1004; for thou art the son1121 of a strange312 woman802.
3Then Jephthah3316 fled1272 from6440 his brethren251, and dwelt3427 in the land776 of Tob2897: and there were gathered3950 vain7386 men582 to Jephthah3316, and went out3318 with him.
4And it came to pass in process of time3117, that the children1121 of Ammon5983 made war3898 against Israel3478.
5And it was so, that when the children1121 of Ammon5983 made war3898 against Israel3478, the elders2205 of Gilead1568 went3212 to fetch3947 Jephthah3316 out of the land776 of Tob2897:
6And they said559 unto Jephthah3316, Come3212, and be our captain7101, that we may fight3898 with the children1121 of Ammon5983.
7And Jephthah3316 said559 unto the elders2205 of Gilead1568, Did not ye hate8130 me, and expel1644 me out of my father's1 house1004? and why are ye come935 unto me now when ye are in distress6887?
8And the elders2205 of Gilead1568 said559 unto Jephthah3316, Therefore we turn again7725 to thee now, that thou mayest go1980 with us, and fight3898 against the children1121 of Ammon5983, and be our head7218 over all the inhabitants3427 of Gilead1568.
9And Jephthah3316 said559 unto the elders2205 of Gilead1568, If ye bring me home again7725 to fight3898 against the children1121 of Ammon5983, and the LORD3068 deliver5414 them before6440 me, shall I be your head7218?
10And the elders2205 of Gilead1568 said559 unto Jephthah3316, The LORD3068 be witness8085 between us, if we do6213 not so according to thy words1697.
11Then Jephthah3316 went3212 with the elders2205 of Gilead1568, and the people5971 made7760 him head7218 and captain7101 over them: and Jephthah3316 uttered1696 all his words1697 before6440 the LORD3068 in Mizpeh4709.
12And Jephthah3316 sent7971 messengers4397 unto the king4428 of the children1121 of Ammon5983, saying559, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come935 against me to fight3898 in my land776?
13And the king4428 of the children1121 of Ammon5983 answered559 unto the messengers4397 of Jephthah3316, Because Israel3478 took away3947 my land776, when they came up5927 out of Egypt4714, from Arnon769 even unto Jabbok2999, and unto Jordan3383: now therefore restore those lands again7725 peaceably7965.
14And Jephthah3316 sent7971 messengers4397 again3254 unto the king4428 of the children1121 of Ammon5983:
15And said559 unto him, Thus saith559 Jephthah3316, Israel3478 took not away3947 the land776 of Moab4124, nor the land776 of the children1121 of Ammon5983:
16But when Israel3478 came up5927 from Egypt4714, and walked3212 through the wilderness4057 unto the Red5488 sea3220, and came935 to Kadesh6946;
17Then Israel3478 sent7971 messengers4397 unto the king4428 of Edom123, saying559, Let me, I pray thee, pass through5674 thy land776: but the king4428 of Edom123 would not hearken8085 thereto. And in like manner they sent7971 unto the king4428 of Moab4124: but he would14 not consent: and Israel3478 abode3427 in Kadesh6946.
18Then they went along3212 through the wilderness4057, and compassed5437 the land776 of Edom123, and the land776 of Moab4124, and came935 by the east side4217 8121 of the land776 of Moab4124, and pitched2583 on the other side5676 of Arnon769, but came935 not within the border1366 of Moab4124: for Arnon769 was the border1366 of Moab4124.
19And Israel3478 sent7971 messengers4397 unto Sihon5511 king4428 of the Amorites567, the king4428 of Heshbon2809; and Israel3478 said559 unto him, Let us pass5674, we pray thee, through thy land776 into5704 my place4725.
20But Sihon5511 trusted539 not Israel3478 to pass5674 through his coast1366: but Sihon5511 gathered622 all his people5971 together622, and pitched2583 in Jahaz3096, and fought3898 against Israel3478.
21And the LORD3068 God430 of Israel3478 delivered5414 Sihon5511 and all his people5971 into the hand3027 of Israel3478, and they smote5221 them: so Israel3478 possessed3423 all the land776 of the Amorites567, the inhabitants3427 of that country776.
22And they possessed3423 all the coasts1366 of the Amorites567, from Arnon769 even unto Jabbok2999, and from the wilderness4057 even unto Jordan3383.
23So now the LORD3068 God430 of Israel3478 hath dispossessed3423 the Amorites567 from before6440 his people5971 Israel3478, and shouldest thou possess3423 it?
24Wilt not thou possess3423 that which Chemosh3645 thy god430 giveth thee to possess3423? So whomsoever the LORD3068 our God430 shall drive out3423 from before6440 us, them will we possess3423.
25And now art thou any thing better2896 than Balak1111 the son1121 of Zippor6834, king4428 of Moab4124? did he ever7378 strive7378 against Israel3478, or did he ever3898 fight3898 against them,
26While Israel3478 dwelt3427 in Heshbon2809 and her towns1323, and in Aroer6177 and her towns1323, and in all the cities5892 that be along by the coasts3027 of Arnon769, three7969 hundred3967 years8141? why therefore did ye not recover5337 them within that time6256?
27Wherefore I have not sinned2398 against thee, but thou doest6213 853 me wrong7451 to war3898 against me: the LORD3068 the Judge8199 be judge8199 this day3117 between the children1121 of Israel3478 and the children1121 of Ammon5983.
28Howbeit the king4428 of the children1121 of Ammon5983 hearkened8085 not unto the words1697 of Jephthah3316 which he sent7971 him.
29Then the Spirit7307 of the LORD3068 came upon Jephthah3316, and he passed over5674 Gilead1568, and Manasseh4519, and passed over5674 Mizpeh4708 of Gilead1568, and from Mizpeh4708 of Gilead1568 he passed over5674 unto the children1121 of Ammon5983.
30And Jephthah3316 vowed5087 a vow5088 unto the LORD3068, and said559, If thou shalt without fail5414 deliver5414 the children1121 of Ammon5983 into mine hands3027,
31Then it shall be, that whatsoever3318 cometh forth3318 of the doors1817 of my house1004 to meet7125 me, when I return7725 in peace7965 from the children1121 of Ammon5983, shall surely be the LORD'S3068, and I will offer it up5927 for a burnt offering5930.
32So Jephthah3316 passed over5674 unto the children1121 of Ammon5983 to fight3898 against them; and the LORD3068 delivered5414 them into his hands3027.
33And he smote5221 them from Aroer6177, even till thou come935 to Minnith4511, even twenty6242 cities5892, and unto the plain58 of the vineyards3754 64, with a very3966 great1419 slaughter4347. Thus the children1121 of Ammon5983 were subdued3665 before6440 the children1121 of Israel3478.
34And Jephthah3316 came935 to Mizpeh4709 unto his house1004, and, behold, his daughter1323 came out3318 to meet7125 him with timbrels8596 and with dances4246: and she was his only child3173; beside her he had neither son1121 nor176 daughter1323.
35And it came to pass, when he saw7200 her, that he rent7167 his clothes899, and said559, Alas162, my daughter1323! thou hast brought3766 me very3766 low3766, and thou art one of them that trouble5916 me: for I have opened6475 my mouth6310 unto the LORD3068, and I cannot3201 go back7725.
36And she said559 unto him, My father1, if thou hast opened6475 thy mouth6310 unto the LORD3068, do6213 to me according to that which834 hath proceeded3318 out of thy mouth6310; forasmuch310 as the LORD3068 hath taken6213 vengeance5360 for thee of thine enemies341, even of the children1121 of Ammon5983.
37And she said559 unto her father1, Let this thing1697 be done6213 for me: let me alone7503 two8147 months2320, that I may go up3212 and down3381 upon the mountains2022, and bewail1058 my virginity1331, I and my fellows7464 7474.
38And he said559, Go3212. And he sent her away7971 for two8147 months2320: and she went3212 with her companions7464, and bewailed1058 her virginity1331 upon the mountains2022.
39And it came to pass at the end7093 of two8147 months2320, that she returned7725 unto her father1, who did6213 with her according to his vow5088 which he had vowed5087: and she knew3045 no man376. And it was a custom2706 in Israel3478,
40That the daughters1323 of Israel3478 went3212 yearly3117 3117 to lament8567 the daughter1323 of Jephthah3316 the Gileadite1569 four702 days3117 in a year8141.