Judg 11 | ABEn | STEP | And Jephthah the Gileadite was mighty in strength. And he was the son [ 2 woman 1 of a harlot]. And she bore [ 2 to 3 Gilead 1 Jephthah].

Judges 11

CHAPTER 11 Jephthah Judges Israel

1 And Jephthah the Gileadite was mighty in strength. And he was the son [²woman ¹of a harlot]. And she bore [²to ³Gilead ¹Jephthah]. 2 And [³bore ¹the ²wife] to Gilead himself sons. And [⁵matured ¹the ²sons ³of the ⁴woman], and they cast out Jephthah, and said to him, You shall not inherit among the house of our father, for [³a son ⁵woman ⁴of a mistress ¹you ²are]. 3 And Jephthah ran away from the face of his brothers, and he dwelt in the land of Tob. And [³collected together ⁴with ⁵Jephthah ²men ¹cheap], and went forth together with him. 4 And it came to pass after some days, that [⁴waged war ¹the ²sons ³of Ammon] against Israel. And it came to pass when [⁴waged war ¹the ²sons ³of Ammon] with Israel, 5 that [⁴went forth ¹the ²elders ³of Gilead] to take Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 And they said to Jephthah, Come, and you will be to us as a leader, for we shall make war with the sons of Ammon. 7 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did you not detest me, and cast me from out of the house of my father, and sent me from you? And why is it that you came to me now when you are afflicted? 8 And [⁴said ¹the ²elders ³of Gilead] to Jephthah, Not so, now we gathered together to you, and you shall go with us, and we shall wage war against the sons of Ammon, and you will be to us as head to all the ones dwelling in Gilead. 9 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you return me to yourselves to make war against the sons of Ammon, and [²should deliver ¹the lord] them before me, I will be to you for head ruler. 10 And [⁴said ¹the ²elders ³of Gilead] to Jephthah, Let the lord be the one hearing between us! if we do not do according to your word thus we will do. 11 And Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and [³established ¹the ²people] him over them as head, and for leader. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the lord in Mizpeh. 12 And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, What is it to me and to you, that you come to me to wage war in my land? 13 And [⁴said ¹the king ²of the sons ³of Ammon] to the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took my land in their ascending from out of Egypt, from Arnon unto Jabok, and unto the Jordan. And now return them with peace! 14 And [²added ¹Jephthah again], and he sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon. 15 And they said to him, Thus says Jephthah, [²did not ³take ¹Israel] the land of Moab, and the land of the sons of Ammon. 16 In their ascending from out of Egypt, it is that Israel went in the wilderness unto [²sea ¹the red], and came to Kadesh. 17 And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, I shall go through your land. And [³did not ⁴hearken ¹the king ²of Edom], and indeed to the king of Moab Israel sent, and he would not, and Israel settled in Kadesh. 18 And Israel went through in the wilderness, and encircled the land of Edom and the land of Moab. And it arrived according to the rising of the sun of the land of Moab, and camped on the other side of Arnon, and did not enter into the border of Moab. 19 And [²sent ³messengers ¹Israel] to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon. And [²said ³to him ¹Israel], I shall go by through your land unto my place. 20 And [²did not ³want ¹Sihon] Israel to go through his borders. And Sihon gathered all his people, and they camped at Jahaz, and he waged war with Israel. 21 And [⁴delivered up ¹the lord ²God ³of Israel] Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them, and Israel inherited all the land of the Amorites dwelling in that land. 22 And Israel inherited all the border of the Amorites, from Arnon and unto the Jabok, and from the wilderness unto the Jordan. 23 And now the lord God of Israel lifted away the Amorite from the face of his people Israel, and you, shall you inherit it? 24 Is it not that as much as [³allots ⁴to you ¹Chemosh ²your god], them you will inherit? And all as much as [³inherits ¹the lord ²our God] from your person we shall inherit them. 25 And now [³any better ¹are ²you] than Balak son of Sephor king of Moab? Did he with battle do combat with Israel, or by war wage war with them? 26 In the living of Israel in Heshbon, and in her daughter cities, and in Aroer, and in her daughter cities, and in all the cities by the Jordan for three hundred years -- Why is it that you did not rescue them in that time? 27 And I sinned not against you, but you do [²with ³me ¹wickedness] to wage war against me. May the lord judge, the one judging today, between the sons of Israel and between the sons of Ammon. 28 And [⁴would not ⁵hearken to ¹the king ²of the sons ³of Ammon] the words of Jephthah which he sent to him. 29 And [³became ⁴upon ⁵Jephthah ¹spirit ²of the lord], and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and he passed over the height of Gilead, and from the height of Gilead to the other side of the sons of Ammon.

Jephthah's Vow

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow to the lord, and he said, If by delivering up you should deliver up the sons of Ammon in my hand, 31 then it will be concerning the one going forth, who ever might come from the doors of my house for meeting me in my returning in peace from the sons of Ammon, that it will be to the lord, and I will offer him a whole burnt-offering. 32 And Jephthah passed over to the sons of Ammon to wage war against them. And [²delivered ³them ¹the lord] into his hand. 33 And he struck them from Aroer even unto the coming to Minnith -- twenty cities, and unto the Abel vineyards, [³beating ²great ¹an exceedingly]. And [⁴showed respect ¹the ²sons ³of Ammon] in front of the sons of Israel. 34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house. And behold, his daughter went forth for meeting him with tambourines and dancers, and she was an only child. And there was not to him [⁴besides ⁵her ¹a son ²or ³daughter]. 35 And it happened when he beheld her, that he tore his garments, and said, Alas my daughter you impede me, for [²an impediment ¹you became] in my eyes, and I opened my mouth concerning you to the lord, and I shall not be able to turn back. 36 And she said to him, If about me you opened your mouth to the lord, let him do to me in which manner it came forth from out of your mouth, because [²did ⁴for you ¹the lord ³vengeance] on your enemies, of the sons of Ammon. 37 And she said to her father, And do to me this thing! Allow me two months and I shall go and shall come down upon the mountains, and I shall weep over the tokens of my virginity, I and my female companions. 38 And he said, Go! And he sent her out for two months. And she went, she and her female companions. And they wept over the tokens of her virginity upon the mountains. 39 And it came to pass after the end of the two months, that she returned to her father, and Jephthah completed his vow which he vowed. And she did not know a man. And it became an order in Israel, 40 from days unto days [⁴go with one another ¹the ²daughters ³of Israel] to wail over the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.