The Book of Judges

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 11 -

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was his father.

Gilead’s wife also gave birth to his other sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave the house and said to him, “You are not going to inherit anything from our family. You are the son of another woman.”

So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah and they came and went with him.

Some days later, the people of Ammon made war against Israel.

When the people of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah back from the land of Tob.

They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader that we may fight with the people of Ammon.”

Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “You hated me and forced me to leave my father’s house. Why do you come to me now when you are in trouble?”

The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we are turning to you now; come with us and fight with the people of Ammon, and you will become the leader over all who live in Gilead.”

Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight against the people of Ammon, and if Yahweh gives us victory over them, I will be your leader.”

The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “May Yahweh be witness between us if we do not do as we say!”

So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him leader and commander over them. When he was before Yahweh in Mizpah, Jephthah repeated all the promises he made.

Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, “What is this conflict between us? Why have you come with force to take our land?”

The king of the people of Ammon answered to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because when Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, over to the Jordan. Now give back those lands in peace.”

Again Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon,

and he said, “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab and the land of the people of Ammon,

but they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds and on to Kadesh.

When Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he refused. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.

Then they went through the wilderness and turned away from the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and they went along the east side of the land of Moab and they camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not go into the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was Moab’s border.

Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon; Israel said to him, ‘Please, let us pass through your land to the place that is ours.’

But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his army together and moved it to Jahaz, and there he fought against Israel.

Then Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel and they defeated them. So Israel took all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country.

They took over everything within the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

So then Yahweh, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, and should you now take possession of their land?

Will you not take over the land that Chemosh, your god, gives you? So whatever land Yahweh our God has given us, we will take over.

Now are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to have an argument with Israel? Did he ever wage war against them?

While Israel lived for three hundred years in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are along the banks of the Arnon-why then did you not take them back during that time?

I have not done you wrong, but you are doing me wrong by attacking me. Yahweh, the judge, will decide today between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.”

But the king of the people of Ammon rejected the warning Jephthah sent him.

Jephthah’s Tragic Vow

Then the Spirit of Yahweh came on Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed through to the people of Ammon.

Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh and said, “If you give me victory over the people of Ammon,

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

So Jephthah passed through to the people of Ammon to fight against them, and Yahweh gave him victory.

He attacked them and caused a great slaughter from Aroer as far as Minnith-twenty cities-and to Abel Keramim. So the people of Ammon were put under the control of the people of Israel.

Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah, and there his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. She was his only child, and besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

As soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh! My daughter! You have crushed me with sorrow, and you have become one who causes me pain! For I have made an oath to Yahweh, and I cannot turn back on my promise.”

She said to him, “My father, you have made a vow to Yahweh, do to me everything you promised, because Yahweh has taken vengeance for you against your enemies, the Ammonites.”

She said to her father, “Let this promise be kept for me. Leave me alone for two months, that I may leave and go down to the hills and grieve over my virginity, I and my companions.”

He said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months. She left him, she and her companions, and they grieved her virginity in the hills.

At the end of two months she returned to her father, who did with her according to the promise of the vow he had made. Now she had never slept with a man, and it became a custom in Israel

that the daughters of Israel every year, for four days, would retell the story of the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor. He was the son of a prostitute. Gilead became the father of Jephthah.

Gilead’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.”

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

After a while, the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

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

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

Jephthah 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?”

The 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.”

Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them before me, will I be your head?”

The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.”

Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.

Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What do you have to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?”

The king of the children of Ammon answered 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.”

Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon;

and he said to him, “Jephthah says: Israel didn’t take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon;

but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh,

then 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 refused; so Israel stayed in Kadesh.

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 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.

Israel 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.’

But 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.

The LORD, 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.

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

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

Won’t you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever the LORD our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.

Now 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?

Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along the side of the Arnon for three hundred years! Why didn’t you recover them within that time?

Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me. May The LORD the Judge be judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.”

However, the king of the children of Ammon didn’t listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

Jephthah’s Tragic Vow

Then the LORD’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.

Jephthah vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,

then 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 the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”

So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hand.

He 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.

Jephthah 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.

When 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 the LORD, and I can’t go back.”

She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.”

Then she 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.”

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

At 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 became a custom in Israel

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