Judges 11
New English Translation
11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father.[a] 2 Gilead’s wife also gave[b] him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they made Jephthah leave and said to him, “You are not going to inherit any of our father’s wealth,[c] because you are another woman’s son.” 3 So Jephthah left[d] his half brothers[e] and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him.[f]
4 It was some time after this when the Ammonites fought with Israel. 5 When the Ammonites attacked,[g] the leaders[h] of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back[i] from the land of Tob. 6 They said,[j] “Come, be our commander, so we can fight with the Ammonites.” 7 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “But you hated me and made me leave[k] my father’s house. Why do you come to me now, when you are in trouble?” 8 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That may be true,[l] but now we pledge to you our loyalty.[m] Come with us and fight with the Ammonites. Then you will become the leader[n] of all who live in Gilead.”[o] 9 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “All right.[p] If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me,[q] I will be your leader.”[r] 10 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will judge any grievance you have against us,[s] if we do not do as you say.”[t] 11 So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement[u] before the Lord in Mizpah.
Jephthah Gives a History Lesson
12 Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, “Why have[v] you come against me to attack my land?” 13 The Ammonite king said to Jephthah’s messengers, “Because Israel stole[w] my land when they[x] came up from Egypt—from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan.[y] Now return it[z] peaceably!”
14 Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king 15 and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal[aa] the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites. 16 When they left[ab] Egypt, Israel traveled[ac] through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh. 17 Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please allow us[ad] to pass through your land.” But the king of Edom rejected the request.[ae] Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate.[af] So Israel stayed at Kadesh. 18 Then Israel[ag] went through the wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River;[ah] they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border). 19 Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, “Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.”[ai] 20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He[aj] assembled his whole army,[ak] camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel. 21 The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel and they defeated them. Israel took[al] all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land. 22 They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west.[am] 23 Since[an] the Lord God of Israel has driven out[ao] the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them?[ap] 24 You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us.[aq] 25 Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them?[ar] 26 Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for 300 years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time? 27 I have not done you wrong,[as] but you are doing wrong[at] by attacking me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’” 28 But the Ammonite king disregarded[au] the message sent by Jephthah.[av]
A Foolish Vow Spells Death for a Daughter
29 The Lord’s Spirit empowered[aw] Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went[ax] to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites.[ay] 30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, 31 then whoever is the first to come through[az] the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites—he[ba] will belong to the Lord and[bb] I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.” 32 Jephthah approached[bc] the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him. 33 He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith—twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim. He wiped them out![bd] The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites.[be]
34 When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out[bf] to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines.[bg] She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter. 35 When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me![bh] You have brought me disaster![bi] I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.”[bj] 36 She said to him, “My father, since[bk] you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised.[bl] After all, the Lord vindicated you before[bm] your enemies, the Ammonites.” 37 She then said to her father, “Please grant me this one wish.[bn] For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.”[bo] 38 He said, “You may go.” He permitted her to leave[bp] for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills.[bq] 39 After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin.[br] Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel.[bs] 40 Every year[bt] Israelite women commemorate[bu] the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.[bv]
Footnotes
- Judges 11:1 tn Heb “Now he was the son of a woman, a prostitute, and Gilead fathered Jephthah.”
- Judges 11:2 tn Heb “bore.”
- Judges 11:2 tn Heb “in the house of our father.”
- Judges 11:3 tn Or “fled from.”
- Judges 11:3 tn Heb “brothers.”
- Judges 11:3 tn Heb “Empty men joined themselves to Jephthah and went out with him.”
- Judges 11:5 tn Heb “When the Ammonites fought with Israel.”
- Judges 11:5 tn Or “elders.”
- Judges 11:5 tn Heb “went to take Jephthah.”
- Judges 11:6 tn Heb “to Jephthah.”
- Judges 11:7 tn Heb “Did you not hate me and make me leave?”
- Judges 11:8 tn Heb “therefore”; “even so.” For MT לָכֵן (lakhen, “therefore”) the LXX has an opposite reading, “not so,” which seems to be based on the Hebrew words לֹא כֵן (loʾ khen).
- Judges 11:8 tn Heb “we have returned to you.” For another example of שׁוּב אֶל (shuv ʾel) in the sense of “give allegiance to,” see 1 Kgs 12:27b.
- Judges 11:8 sn Then you will become the leader. The leaders of Gilead now use the word רֹאשׁ (roʾsh, “head, leader”), the same term that appeared in their original, general offer (see 10:18). In their initial offer to Jephthah they had simply invited him to be their קָצִין (qatsin, “commander”; v. 6). When he resists they must offer him a more attractive reward—rulership over the region. See R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 198.
- Judges 11:8 tn Heb “leader of us and all who live in Gilead.”
- Judges 11:9 tn “All right” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 11:9 tn Heb “places them before me.”
- Judges 11:9 tn Some translate the final statement as a question, “will I really be your leader?” An affirmative sentence is preferable. Jephthah is repeating the terms of the agreement in an official manner. In v. 10 the leaders legally agree to these terms.
- Judges 11:10 tn Heb “The Lord will be the one who hears between us.” For the idiom שָׁמַע בַּיִן (shamaʿ bayin, “to hear between”), see Deut 1:16.
- Judges 11:10 sn The Lord will judge…if we do not do as you say. The statement by the leaders of Gilead takes the form of a legally binding oath, which obligates them to the terms of the agreement.
- Judges 11:11 tn Heb “spoke all his words.” This probably refers to the “words” recorded in v. 9. Jephthah repeats the terms of the agreement at the Lord’s sanctuary, perhaps to ratify the contract or to emphasize the Gileadites’ obligation to keep their part of the bargain. Another option is to translate, “Jephthah conducted business before the Lord in Mizpah.” In this case, the statement is a general reference to the way Jephthah ruled. He recognized the Lord’s authority and made his decisions before the Lord.
- Judges 11:12 tn Heb “What to me and to you that…?”
- Judges 11:13 tn Or “took”; or “seized.”
- Judges 11:13 tn Heb “he” (a collective singular).
- Judges 11:13 tn Heb “from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan.” The word “River” has been supplied in the translation with “Arnon” and “Jabbok,” because these are less familiar to modern readers than the Jordan.
- Judges 11:13 tc The translation assumes a singular suffix (“[return] it”); the Hebrew text has a plural suffix (“[return] them”), which, if retained, might refer to the cities of the land.
- Judges 11:15 tn Or “take”; or “seize.”
- Judges 11:16 tn Heb “For when they went up from.”
- Judges 11:16 tn Or “went.”
- Judges 11:17 tn Heb “me.” (Collective Israel is the speaker.)
- Judges 11:17 tn Heb “did not listen.”
- Judges 11:17 tn Heb “Also to the king of Moab he sent, but he was unwilling.”
- Judges 11:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Israel; the pronoun in the Hebrew text represents a collective singular) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Judges 11:18 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Judges 11:19 tn Heb “to my place.”
- Judges 11:20 tn Heb “Sihon.” The proper name (“Sihon”) has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) because of English style; a repetition of the proper name here would be redundant in English.
- Judges 11:20 tn Heb “all his people” (also in the following verse).
- Judges 11:21 tn That is, took as its own possession.
- Judges 11:22 tn Heb “from the Arnon to the Jabbok, and from the desert to the Jordan.” The word “River” has been supplied in the translation with “Arnon” and “Jabbok,” because these are less familiar to modern readers than the Jordan.
- Judges 11:23 tn Heb “Now.”
- Judges 11:23 tn Or “dispossessed.”
- Judges 11:23 tn Heb “will you dispossess him [i.e., Israel; or possibly “it,” i.e., the territory]?” There is no interrogative marker in the Hebrew text.
- Judges 11:24 tn Heb “Is it not so that what Chemosh your god causes you to possess, you possess, and all whom the Lord our God dispossesses before us we will possess?” Jephthah speaks of Chemosh as if he is on a par with the Lord God of Israel. This does not necessarily mean that Jephthah is polytheistic or that he recognizes the Lord as only a local deity. He may simply be assuming the Ammonite king’s perspective for the sake of argument. Other texts, as well as the extrabiblical Mesha inscription, associate Chemosh with Moab, while Milcom is identified as the god of the Ammonites. Why then does Jephthah refer to Chemosh as the Ammonite god? Ammon had likely conquered Moab and the Ammonite king probably regarded himself as heir of all territory formerly held by Moab. Originally Moab had owned the disputed territory (cf. Num 21:26-29), meaning that Chemosh was regarded as the god of the region (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 203-4). Jephthah argues that Chemosh had long ago relinquished claim to the area (by allowing Sihon to conquer it), while the Lord had long ago established jurisdiction over it (by taking it from Sihon and giving it to Israel). Both sides should abide by the decisions of the gods which had stood firm for 300 years.
- Judges 11:25 tn The Hebrew grammatical constructions of all three rhetorical questions indicate emphasis, which “really” and “dare to” are intended to express in the translation. sn Jephthah argues that the Ammonite king should follow the example of Balak, who, once thwarted in his attempt to bring a curse on Israel, refused to attack Israel and returned home (Num 22-24).
- Judges 11:27 tn Or “sinned against you.”
- Judges 11:27 tn Or “evil.”
- Judges 11:28 tn Heb “did not listen to.”
- Judges 11:28 tn Heb “Jephthah’s words which he sent to him.”
- Judges 11:29 tn Heb “was on.”
- Judges 11:29 tn Heb “passed through.”
- Judges 11:29 tn Heb “From Mizpah in Gilead he passed through [to] the Ammonites.”
- Judges 11:31 tn Heb “the one coming out, who comes out from.” The text uses a masculine singular participle with prefixed article, followed by a relative pronoun and third masculine singular verb. The substantival masculine singular participle הַיּוֹצֵא (hayyotseʾ, “the one coming out”) is used elsewhere of inanimate objects (such as a desert [Num 21:13] or a word [Num 32:24]) or persons (Jer 5:6; 21:9; 38:2). In each case context must determine the referent. Jephthah may have envisioned an animal meeting him, since the construction of Iron Age houses would allow for an animal coming through the doors of a house (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 208). But the fact that he actually does offer up his daughter indicates the language of the vow is fluid enough to encompass human beings, including women. He probably intended such an offering from the very beginning, but he obviously did not expect his daughter to meet him first.
- Judges 11:31 tn The language is fluid enough to include women and perhaps even animals, but the translation uses the masculine pronoun because the Hebrew form is grammatically masculine.
- Judges 11:31 tn Some translate “or,” suggesting that Jephthah makes a distinction between humans and animals. According to this view, if a human comes through the door, then Jephthah will commit him/her to the Lord’s service, but if an animal comes through the doors, he will offer it up as a sacrifice. However, it is far more likely that the Hebrew construction (vav [ו] + perfect) specifies how the subject will become the Lord’s, that is, by being offered up as a sacrifice. For similar constructions, where the apodosis of a conditional sentence has at least two perfects (each with vav) in sequence, see Gen 34:15-16; Exod 18:16.
- Judges 11:32 tn Heb “passed over to.”
- Judges 11:33 tn Heb “with a very great slaughter.”
- Judges 11:33 tn Heb “The Ammonites were humbled before the Israelites.”
- Judges 11:34 tn Heb “Look! His daughter was coming out.”
- Judges 11:34 tn Heb “with tambourines and dancing.”
- Judges 11:35 tn Heb “you have brought me very low,” or “you have knocked me to my knees.” The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
- Judges 11:35 tn Heb “You are among [or “like”] those who trouble me.”
- Judges 11:35 tn Heb “I opened my mouth to the Lord and I am not able to return.”
- Judges 11:36 tn The conjunction “since” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Judges 11:36 tn Heb “you opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to [what] went out from your mouth.”
- Judges 11:36 tn Or “has given you vengeance against.”
- Judges 11:37 tn Heb “Let this thing be done for me.”
- Judges 11:37 tn Heb “Leave me alone for two months so I can go and go down on the hills and weep over my virginity—I and my friends.”
- Judges 11:38 tn Heb “he sent her.”
- Judges 11:38 tn Heb “on the hills.” The words “as she walked” are supplied.
- Judges 11:39 tn Heb “She had never known a man.” Some understand this to mean that her father committed her to a life of celibacy, but the disjunctive clause (note the vav + subject + verb pattern) more likely describes her condition at the time the vow was fulfilled. (See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 302-3; C. F. Burney, Judges, 324.) She died a virgin and never experienced the joys of marriage and motherhood.
- Judges 11:39 tn Heb “There was a custom in Israel.”
- Judges 11:40 tn Heb “From days to days,” a Hebrew idiom for “annually.”
- Judges 11:40 tn Heb “go to commemorate.” The rare Hebrew verb תָּנָה (tanah, “to tell; to repeat; to recount”) occurs only here and in 5:11.
- Judges 11:40 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in the year.” This is redundant (note “every year” at the beginning of the verse) and has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Judges 11
New King James Version
Jephthah
11 Now (A)Jephthah the Gileadite was (B)a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have (C)no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of (D)Tob; and (E)worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.
4 It came to pass after a time that the (F)people of Ammon made war against Israel. 5 And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.”
7 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, (G)“Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in [a]distress?”
8 (H)And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have (I)turned[b] again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be (J)our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?”
10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, (K)“The Lord will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.” 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him (L)head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words (M)before the Lord in Mizpah.
12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, (N)“What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?”
13 And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, (O)“Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from (P)the Arnon as far as (Q)the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.”
14 So Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: (R)‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon; 16 for when Israel came up from Egypt, they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and (S)came to Kadesh. 17 Then (T)Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let me pass through your land.” (U)But the king of Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the (V)king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel (W)remained in Kadesh. 18 And they (X)went along through the wilderness and (Y)bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came to the east side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19 Then (Z)Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, “Please (AA)let us pass through your land into our place.” 20 (AB)But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21 And the Lord God of Israel (AC)delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they (AD)defeated[c] them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. 22 They took possession of (AE)all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23 ‘And now the Lord God of Israel has [d]dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it? 24 Will you not possess whatever (AF)Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever (AG)the Lord our God takes possession of before us, we will possess. 25 And now, are you any better than (AH)Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel? Did he ever fight against them? 26 While Israel dwelt in (AI)Heshbon and its villages, in (AJ)Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? 27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the Lord, (AK)the Judge, (AL)render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.’ ” 28 However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him.
Jephthah’s Vow and Victory
29 Then (AM)the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah (AN)made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, (AO)shall surely be the Lord’s, (AP)and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. 33 And he [e]defeated them from Aroer as far as (AQ)Minnith—twenty cities—and to [f]Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
Jephthah’s Daughter
34 When Jephthah came to his house at (AR)Mizpah, there was (AS)his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he (AT)tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I (AU)have [g]given my word to the Lord, and (AV)I cannot [h]go back on it.”
36 So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the Lord, (AW)do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because (AX)the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.” 37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and [i]bewail my virginity, my [j]friends and I.”
38 So he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains. 39 And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he (AY)carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She [k]knew no man.
And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to [l]lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
Footnotes
- Judges 11:7 trouble
- Judges 11:8 returned
- Judges 11:21 Lit. struck
- Judges 11:23 driven out
- Judges 11:33 Lit. struck
- Judges 11:33 Lit. Plain of Vineyards
- Judges 11:35 Lit. opened my mouth
- Judges 11:35 Lit. take it back
- Judges 11:37 lament
- Judges 11:37 companions
- Judges 11:39 Remained a virgin
- Judges 11:40 commemorate
Judges 11
King James Version
11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
4 And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
8 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.
12 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.
14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:
15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
17 Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.
20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21 And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
22 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
23 So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
24 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?
27 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the Lord the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, 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 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.
36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
38 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 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
Judges 11
English Standard Version
Jephthah Delivers Israel
11 Now (A)Jephthah the Gileadite was (B)a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove 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 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of (C)Tob, and (D)worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him.
4 After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. 5 And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of (E)Tob. 6 And they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites.” 7 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 distress?” 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites and (F)be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9 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 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, (G)“The Lord will be witness between us, if we do not do as you say.” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people (H)made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words (I)before the Lord at (J)Mizpah.
12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, “What do you have against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” 13 And the king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, (K)“Because Israel on coming up from Egypt took away my land, from the (L)Arnon to the (M)Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore restore it peaceably.” 14 Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: (N)Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites, 16 but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness (O)to the Red Sea and (P)came to Kadesh. 17 (Q)Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ (R)but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel (S)remained at Kadesh.
18 “Then they journeyed through the wilderness and (T)went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and (U)arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and (V)camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab. 19 (W)Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to our country,’ 20 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 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, who inhabited that country. 22 And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. 23 So then the Lord, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them? 24 Will you not possess what (X)Chemosh your god gives you to possess? (Y)And all that the Lord our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess. 25 Now are you any better than (Z)Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them? 26 While Israel lived (AA)in Heshbon and its villages, and (AB)in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why did you not deliver them within that time? 27 I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. (AC)The Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.” 28 But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to him.
Jephthah's Tragic Vow
29 (AD)Then the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah (AE)made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whatever[a] comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites (AF)shall be the Lord's, and (AG)I will offer it[b] up for a burnt offering.” 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. 33 And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of (AH)Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel.
34 Then Jephthah came to his home at (AI)Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him (AJ)with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, (AK)and I cannot take back my vow.” 36 And she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.” 37 So she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions.” 38 So he said, “Go.” Then he sent her away for two months, and she departed, she and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains. 39 And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, (AL)who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.
Footnotes
- Judges 11:31 Or whoever
- Judges 11:31 Or him
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