Now Jephthah{H3316} the Gileadite{H1569} was a mighty man{H1368} of valor,{H2428} and he was the son{H1121} of a harlot:{H802} and Gilead{H1568} begat{H3205} Jephthah.{H3316}

And Gilead's{H1568} wife{H802} bare{H3205} him sons;{H1121} and when his wife's{H802} sons{H1121} grew up,{H1431} they drove out{H1644} Jephthah,{H3316} and said{H559} unto him, Thou shalt not inherit{H5157} in our father's{H1} house;{H1004} for thou art the son{H1121} of another{H312} woman.{H802}

Then Jephthah{H3316} fled{H1272} from{H6440} his brethren,{H251} and dwelt{H3427} in the land{H776} of Tob:{H2897} and there were gathered{H3950} vain{H7386} fellows{H582} to Jephthah,{H3316} and they went out{H3318} with him.

And it came to pass after a while,{H3117} that the children{H1121} of Ammon{H5983} made war{H3898} against Israel.{H3478}

And it was so, that, when the children{H1121} of Ammon{H5983} made war{H3898} against Israel,{H3478} the elders{H2205} of Gilead{H1568} went{H3212} to fetch{H3947} Jephthah{H3316} out of the land{H776} of Tob;{H2897}

and they said{H559} unto Jephthah,{H3316} Come{H3212} and be our chief,{H7101} that we may fight{H3898} with the children{H1121} of Ammon.{H5983}

And Jephthah{H3316} said{H559} unto the elders{H2205} of Gilead,{H1568} Did not ye hate{H8130} me, and drive{H1644} me out of my father's{H1} house?{H1004} and why are ye come{H935} unto me now when ye are in distress?{H6887}

And the elders{H2205} of Gilead{H1568} said{H559} unto Jephthah,{H3316} Therefore are we turned again{H7725} to thee now, that thou mayest go{H1980} with us, and fight{H3898} with the children{H1121} of Ammon;{H5983} and thou shalt be our head{H7218} over all the inhabitants{H3427} of Gilead.{H1568}

And Jephthah{H3316} said{H559} unto the elders{H2205} of Gilead,{H1568} If ye bring me home again{H7725} to fight{H3898} with the children{H1121} of Ammon,{H5983} and Jehovah{H3068} deliver{H5414} them before{H6440} me, shall I be your head?{H7218}

And the elders{H2205} of Gilead{H1568} said{H559} unto Jephthah,{H3316} Jehovah{H3068} shall be witness{H8085} between us; surely according to thy word{H1697} so will we do.{H6213}

Then Jephthah{H3316} went{H3212} with the elders{H2205} of Gilead,{H1568} and the people{H5971} made{H7760} him head{H7218} and chief{H7101} over them: and Jephthah{H3316} spake{H1696} all his words{H1697} before{H6440} Jehovah{H3068} in Mizpah.{H4709}

And Jephthah{H3316} sent{H7971} messengers{H4397} unto the king{H4428} of the children{H1121} of Ammon,{H5983} saying,{H559} What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come{H935} unto me to fight{H3898} against my land?{H776}

And the king{H4428} of the children{H1121} of Ammon{H5983} answered{H559} unto the messengers{H4397} of Jephthah,{H3316} Because Israel{H3478} took away{H3947} my land,{H776} when he came up{H5927} out of Egypt,{H4714} from the Arnon{H769} even unto the Jabbok,{H2999} and unto the Jordan:{H3383} now therefore restore those [lands] again{H7725} peaceably.{H7965}

And Jephthah{H3316} sent{H7971} messengers{H4397} again{H3254} unto the king{H4428} of the children{H1121} of Ammon;{H5983}

and he said{H559} unto him, Thus saith{H559} Jephthah:{H3316} Israel{H3478} took not away{H3947} the land{H776} of Moab,{H4124} nor the land{H776} of the children{H1121} of Ammon,{H5983}

but when they came up{H5927} from Egypt,{H4714} and Israel{H3478} went{H3212} through the wilderness{H4057} unto the Red{H5488} Sea,{H3220} and came{H935} to Kadesh;{H6946}

then Israel{H3478} sent{H7971} messengers{H4397} unto the king{H4428} of Edom,{H123} saying,{H559} Let me, I pray thee, pass through{H5674} thy land;{H776} but the king{H4428} of Edom{H123} hearkened{H8085} not. And in like manner he sent{H7971} unto the king{H4428} of Moab;{H4124} but he would{H14} not: and Israel{H3478} abode{H3427} in Kadesh.{H6946}

Then they went through{H3212} the wilderness,{H4057} and went around{H5437} the land{H776} of Edom,{H123} and the land{H776} of Moab,{H4124} and came{H935} by the east side{H4217} of the land{H776} of Moab,{H4124} and they encamped{H2583} on the other side{H5676} of the Arnon;{H769} but they came{H935} not within the border{H1366} of Moab,{H4124} for the Arnon{H769} was the border{H1366} of Moab.{H4124}

And Israel{H3478} sent{H7971} messengers{H4397} unto Sihon{H5511} king{H4428} of the Amorites,{H567} the king{H4428} of Heshbon;{H2809} and Israel{H3478} said{H559} unto him, Let us pass,{H5674} we pray thee, through thy land{H776} unto{H5704} my place.{H4725}

But Sihon{H5511} trusted{H539} not Israel{H3478} to pass{H5674} through his border;{H1366} but Sihon{H5511} gathered{H622} all his people{H5971} together,{H622} and encamped{H2583} in Jahaz,{H3096} and fought{H3898} against Israel.{H3478}

And Jehovah,{H3068} the God{H430} of Israel,{H3478} delivered{H5414} Sihon{H5511} and all his people{H5971} into the hand{H3027} of Israel,{H3478} and they smote{H5221} them: so Israel{H3478} possessed{H3423} all the land{H776} of the Amorites,{H567} the inhabitants{H3427} of that country.{H776}

And they possessed{H3423} all the border{H1366} of the Amorites,{H567} from the Arnon{H769} even unto the Jabbok,{H2999} and from the wilderness{H4057} even unto the Jordan.{H3383}

So now Jehovah,{H3068} the God{H430} of Israel,{H3478} hath dispossessed{H3423} the Amorites{H567} from before{H6440} his people{H5971} Israel,{H3478} and shouldest thou possess{H3423} them?

Wilt not thou possess{H3423} that which Chemosh{H3645} thy god{H430} giveth thee to possess?{H3423} So whomsoever Jehovah{H3068} our God{H430} hath dispossessed{H3423} from before{H6440} us, them will we possess.{H3423}

And now art thou anything better{H2896} than Balak{H1111} the son{H1121} of Zippor,{H6834} king{H4428} of Moab?{H4124} did he ever{H7378} strive{H7378} against Israel,{H3478} or did he ever{H7378} fight{H3898} against them?

While Israel{H3478} dwelt{H3427} in Heshbon{H2809} and its towns,{H1323} and in Aroer{H6177} and its towns,{H1323} and in all the cities{H5892} that are along by the side{H3027} of the Arnon,{H769} three{H7969} hundred{H3967} years;{H8141} wherefore did ye not recover{H5337} them within that time?{H6256}

I therefore have not sinned{H2398} against thee, but thou doest{H6213} me wrong{H7451} to war{H3898} against me: Jehovah,{H3068} the Judge,{H8199} be judge{H8199} this day{H3117} between the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478} and the children{H1121} of Ammon.{H5983}

Howbeit the king{H4428} of the children{H1121} of Ammon{H5983} hearkened{H8085} not unto the words{H1697} of Jephthah{H3316} which he sent{H7971} him.

Then the Spirit{H7307} of Jehovah{H3068} came upon Jephthah,{H3316} and he passed over{H5674} Gilead{H1568} and Manasseh,{H4519} and passed over{H5674} Mizpeh{H4708} of Gilead,{H1568} and from Mizpeh{H4708} of Gilead{H1568} he passed over{H5674} unto the children{H1121} of Ammon.{H5983}

And Jephthah{H3316} vowed{H5087} a vow{H5088} unto Jehovah,{H3068} and said,{H559} If thou wilt indeed{H5414} deliver{H5414} the children{H1121} of Ammon{H5983} into my hand,{H3027}

then it shall be, that whatsoever{H3318} cometh forth{H3318} from the doors{H1817} of my house{H1004} to meet{H7125} me, when I return{H7725} in peace{H7965} from the children{H1121} of Ammon,{H5983} it shall be Jehovah's,{H3068} and I will offer it up{H5927} for a burnt-offering.{H5930}

So Jephthah{H3316} passed over{H5674} unto the children{H1121} of Ammon{H5983} to fight{H3898} against them; and Jehovah{H3068} delivered{H5414} them into his hand.{H3027}

And he smote{H5221} them from Aroer{H6177} until thou come{H935} to Minnith,{H4511} even twenty{H6242} cities,{H5892} and unto{H58} Abel-cheramim,{H3754} with a very{H3966} great{H1419} slaughter.{H4347} So the children{H1121} of Ammon{H5983} were subdued{H3665} before{H6440} the children{H1121} of Israel.{H3478}

And Jephthah{H3316} came{H935} to Mizpah{H4709} unto his house;{H1004} and, behold, his daughter{H1323} came out{H3318} to meet{H7125} him with timbrels{H8596} and with dances:{H4246} and she was his only child;{H3173} besides her he had neither son{H1121} nor{H176} daughter.{H1323}

And it came to pass, when he saw{H7200} her, that he rent{H7167} his clothes,{H899} and said,{H559} Alas,{H162} my daughter!{H1323} thou hast brought{H3766} me very{H3766} low,{H3766} and thou art one of them that trouble{H5916} me; for I have opened{H6475} my mouth{H6310} unto Jehovah,{H3068} and I cannot{H3201} go back.{H7725}

And she said{H559} unto him, My father,{H1} thou hast opened{H6475} thy mouth{H6310} unto Jehovah;{H3068} do{H6213} unto me according to that which{H834} hath proceeded{H3318} out of thy mouth,{H6310} forasmuch{H310} as Jehovah{H3068} hath taken{H6213} vengeance{H5360} for thee on thine enemies,{H341} even on the children{H1121} of Ammon.{H5983}

And she said{H559} unto her father,{H1} Let this thing{H1697} be done{H6213} for me: let me alone{H7503} two{H8147} months,{H2320} that I may depart{H3212} and go down{H3381} upon the mountains,{H2022} and bewail{H1058} my virginity,{H1331} I and my companions.{H7464}

And he said,{H559} Go.{H3212} And he sent her away{H7971} for two{H8147} months:{H2320} and she departed,{H3212} she and her companions,{H7464} and bewailed{H1058} her virginity{H1331} upon the mountains.{H2022}

And it came to pass at the end{H7093} of two{H8147} months,{H2320} that she returned{H7725} unto her father,{H1} who did{H6213} with her according to his vow{H5088} which he had vowed:{H5087} and she knew{H3045} not man.{H376} And it was a custom{H2706} in Israel,{H3478}

that the daughters{H1323} of Israel{H3478} went{H3212} yearly{H3117} to celebrate{H8567} the daughter{H1323} of Jephthah{H3316} the Gileadite{H1569} four{H702} days{H3117} in a year.{H8141}