2
And Gilead'swifebare him sons; and his wife'ssons grew up, and they thrust outJephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father'shouse; for thou art the son of a strangewoman.
7
And Jephthahsaid unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father'shouse? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
8
And the elders of Gileadsaid 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 Jephthahsaid unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORDdeliver them before me, shall I be your head?
11
Then Jephthahwent with the elders of Gilead, and the peoplemade him head and captain over them: and Jephthahuttered all his wordsbefore the LORD in Mizpeh.
12
And Jephthahsentmessengers 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 Ammonanswered 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 againpeaceably.
17
Then Israelsentmessengers 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 Israelabode 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 sideof 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 Israelsentmessengers unto Sihonking of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israelsaid unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy landinto my place.
21
And the LORDGod of IsraeldeliveredSihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israelpossessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
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.
26
While Israeldwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon,threehundredyears? 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.
29
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed overGilead, and Manasseh, and passed overMizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
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.
33
And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twentycities, and unto the plain of the vineyards*, with a verygreatslaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subduedbefore the children of Israel.
34
And Jephthahcame 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 sonnordaughter.
35
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me verylow, 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 takenvengeance 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 alonetwomonths, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows*.
39
And it came to pass at the end of twomonths, 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,