Jephthah Becomes Israel's Leader
1 Jephthah the Gileadite was a great warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.
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Gilead's wife bore him sons, and when they grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, "You will have no inheritance in our father's house, because you are the son of another woman."
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So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Then some lawless men joined Jephthah and traveled with him.
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Some time later, the Ammonites fought against Israel.
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When the Ammonites made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
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They said to him, "Come, be our commander, and let's fight against the Ammonites."
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Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, "Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house? Why then have you come to me now when you're in trouble?"
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They answered Jephthah, "Since that's true, we now turn to you. Come with us, fight the Ammonites, and you will become leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead."
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So Jephthah said to them, "If you are bringing me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, I will be your leader."
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The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The Lord is our witness if we don't do as you say."
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So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. The people put him over themselves as leader and commander, and Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the Lord at Mizpah.
Jephthah Rejects Ammonite Claims
12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, "What do you have against me that you have come to fight against me in my land?"
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The king of the Ammonites said to Jephthah's messengers, "When Israel came from Egypt, they seized my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and the Jordan. Now restore it peaceably."
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Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites
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to tell him, "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.
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But when they came from Egypt, Israel traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.
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Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Please let us travel through your land,' but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent [messengers] to the king of Moab, but he refused. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.
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"Then they traveled through the wilderness and around the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon but did not enter into the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.
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"Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon. Israel said to him, 'Please let us travel through your land to our country,'
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but Sihon did not trust Israel. Instead, Sihon gathered all his people, camped at Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
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Then the Lord God of Israel handed over Sihon and all his people to Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of the entire land of the Amorites who lived in that country.
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They took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
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"The Lord God of Israel has now driven out the Amorites before His people Israel, but will you drive us out?
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Isn't it true that you may possess whatever your god Chemosh drives out for you, and we may possess everything the Lord our God drives out before us?
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Now are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them?
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While Israel lived 300 years in Heshbon and its villages, in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, why didn't you take them back at that time?
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I have not sinned against you, but you have wronged me by fighting against me. Let the Lord [who is] the Judge decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites."
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But the king of the Ammonites would not listen to Jephthah's message that he sent him.
Jephthah's Vow and Sacrifice
29 The Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah, who traveled through Gilead and Manasseh, and then through Mizpah of Gilead. He crossed over to the Ammonites from Mizpah of Gilead.
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Jephthah made this vow to the Lord: "If You will hand over the Ammonites to me,
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whatever comes out of the doors of my house to greet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites will belong to the Lord, and I will offer it as a burnt offering."
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Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord handed them over to him.
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He defeated 20 of their cities with a great slaughter from Aroer all the way to the entrance of Minnith and to Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.