1
Now
Jephthah the
Gileadite was a
valiant warrior, but he was the
son of a
harlot *. And
Gilead was the
father of
Jephthah.
a.Wh.w lIy;x rw{BiG h'y'h yid'[.liG;h x'T.pIy.w ? x'T.pIy -t,a d'[.liG d,lw{Y;w h'nw{z h'Via -n,B
2
Gilead's wife bore him
sons; and when his
wife's sons grew up, they
drove Jephthah out and
said to him, "You shall not
have an
inheritance in our
father's house, for you are the
son of
another woman."
h'Via'h -yen.b .Wl.D.giY;w ~yin'B w{l d'[.liG -t,vea d,leT;w ? l;x.nit -a{l w{l .Wr.ma{Y;w x'T.pIy -t,a .Wv.r'g.y;w ? h'T'a t,r,x;a h'Via -n,B yiK .Wnyib'a -tyeb.B
3
So
Jephthah fled from his
brothers and
lived in the
land of
Tob; and
worthless fellows gathered themselves
about Jephthah, and they
went out with him.
#,r,a.B b,veY;w wy'x,a yen.Pim x'T.pIy x;r.biY;w ? ~yiqyer ~yiv'n]a x'T.pIy -l,a .Wj.Q;l.tiY;w bw{j ? w{Mi[ .Wa.ceY;w
4
It
came about
after a
while that the
sons of
Ammon fought against Israel.
lea'r.fIy -mi[ !w{M;[ -yen.b .Wm]x'LiY;w ~yim'Yim yih.y;w
5
When the
sons of
Ammon fought against Israel, the
elders of
Gilead went to
get Jephthah from the
land of
Tob;
lea'r.fIy -mi[ !w{M;[ -yen.b .Wm]x.lin -r,v]a;K yih.y;w ? #,r,aem x'T.pIy -t,a t;x;q'l d'[.lig yen.qiz .Wk.leY;w ? bw{j
6
and they
said to
Jephthah,
"Come and be our
chief that we may
fight against the
sons of
Ammon."
!yic'q.l .Wn'L h'tyIy'h.w h'k.l x'T.pIy.l .Wr.ma{Y;w ? !w{M;[ yen.biB h'm]x'Lin.w
7
Then
Jephthah said to the
elders of
Gilead, "Did you not
hate me and
drive me from my
father's house? So
why have you
come to me
now when you are in
trouble?"
~,taen.f ~,T;a a{l]h d'[.lig yen.qiz.l x'T.pIy r,ma{Y;w ? ~,ta'B ;[.WD;m.W yib'a tyeBim yin.Wv.r'g.T;w yitw{a ? ~,k'l r;c r,v]a;K h'T;[ y;lea
8
The
elders of
Gilead said to
Jephthah, "For
this reason we have
now returned to you, that you may
go with us and
fight with the
sons of
Ammon and
become head over
all the
inhabitants of
Gilead."
h'T;[ !ek'l x'T.pIy -l,a d'[.lig yen.qiz .Wr.ma{Y;w ? yen.biB 'T.m;x.lin.w .Wn'Mi[ 'T.k;l'h.w '$y,lea .Wn.b;v ? d'[.lig yeb.v{y l{k.l va{r.l .Wn'L 'tyIy'h.w !w{M;[
9
So
Jephthah said to the
elders of
Gilead,
"If you
take me
back to
fight against the
sons of
Ammon and the
LORD gives them up to me, will I
become your
head?"
~yibyiv.m -mia d'[.lig yen.qiz -l,a x'T.pIy r,ma{Y;w ? h'wh.y !;t'n.w !w{M;[ yen.biB ~ex'Lih.l yitw{a ~,T;a ? va{r.l ~,k'l h,y.h,a yik{n'a y'n'p.l ~'tw{a
10
The
elders of
Gilead said to
Jephthah, "The
LORD is
witness between us;
surely * we will
do as you have
said."
h'wh.y x'T.pIy -l,a d'[.lig -yen.qiz .Wr.ma{Y;w ? '$.r'b.dik a{l -mia .Wnyetw{nyeB ;[em{v h,y.hIy ? h,f][;n !eK
11
Then
Jephthah went with the
elders of
Gilead, and the
people made him
head and
chief over them; and
Jephthah spoke all his
words before the
LORD at
Mizpah.
.Wmyif'Y;w d'[.lig yen.qiz -mi[ x'T.pIy .$,leY;w ? reB;d.y;w !yic'q.l.W va{r.l ~,hyel][ w{tw{a ~'['h ? h'P.ciM;B h'wh.y yen.pil wy'r'b.D -l'K -t,a x'T.pIy
12
Now
Jephthah sent messengers to the
king of the
sons of
Ammon,
saying,
"What is between you and me, that you have
come to me to
fight against my
land?"
!w{M;[ -yen.B .$,l,m -l,a ~yik'a.l;m x'T.pIy x;l.viY;w ? ~ex'Lih.l y;lea 'ta'b -yiK .$'l'w yiL -h;m r{mael ? yic.r;a.B
13
The
king of the
sons of
Ammon said to the
messengers of
Jephthah,
"Because Israel took away my
land when they
came up from
Egypt, from the
Arnon as
far as the
Jabbok and the
Jordan; therefore,
return them
peaceably now."
x'T.pIy yek]a.l;m -l,a !w{M;[ -yen.B .$,l,m r,ma{Y;w ? ~Iy;r.ciMim w{tw{l][;B yic.r;a -t,a lea'r.fIy x;q'l -yiK ? h'T;[.w !eD.r;Y;h -d;[.w q{B;Y;h -d;[.w !w{n.r;aem ? ~w{l'v.B !,h.t,a h'byiv'h
14
But
Jephthah sent messengers again * to the
king of the
sons of
Ammon,
.$,l,m -l,a ~yik'a.l;m x;l.viY;w x'T.pIy dw{[ @,sw{Y;w ? !w{M;[ yen.B
15
and they
said to him,
"Thus says Jephthah,
'Israel did not
take away the
land of
Moab nor the
land of the
sons of
Ammon.
lea'r.fIy x;q'l -a{l x'T.pIy r;m'a h{K w{l r,ma{Y;w ? !w{M;[ yen.B #,r,a -t,a.w b'aw{m #,r,a -t,a
16
'For when they
came up from
Egypt, and
Israel went through the
wilderness to the
Red * Sea and
came to
Kadesh,
r'B.diM;B lea'r.fIy .$,leY;w ~Iy'r.ciMim ~'tw{l][;B yiK ? h'ved'q a{b'Y;w @.Ws -m;y -d;[
17
then
Israel sent messengers to the
king of
Edom,
saying,
"Please let us
pass through your
land," but the
king of
Edom would not
listen. And they
also sent to the
king of
Moab, but he would not
consent. So
Israel remained at
Kadesh.
~w{d/a .$,l,m -l,a ~yik'a.l;m lea'r.fIy x;l.viY;w ? .$,l,m [;m'v a{l.w '$,c.r;a.b a'N -h'r.B.[,a r{mael ? h'b'a a{l.w x;l'v b'aw{m .$,l,m -l,a ~;g.w ~w{d/a ? ved'q.B lea'r.fIy b,veY;w
18
'Then they
went through the
wilderness and
around the
land of
Edom and the
land of
Moab, and
came to the
east * side * of the
land of
Moab, and they
camped beyond the
Arnon; but they did not
enter the
territory of
Moab, for the
Arnon was the
border of
Moab.
#,r,a -t,a.w ~w{d/a #,r,a -t,a b's'Y;w r'B.diM;B .$,leY;w ? b'aw{m #,r,a.l v,m,v -x;r.ziMim a{b'Y;w b'aw{m ? l.Wb.giB .Wa'b -a{l.w !w{n.r;a r,be[.B !.Wn]x;Y;w ? b'aw{m l.Wb.G !w{n.r;a yiK b'aw{m
19
'And
Israel sent messengers to
Sihon king of the
Amorites, the
king of
Heshbon, and
Israel said to him,
"Please let us
pass through your
land to our
place."
yir{m/a'h -.k,l,m !w{xyis -l,a ~yik'a.l;m lea'r.fIy x;l.viY;w ? a'N -h'r.B.[;n lea'r.fIy w{l r,ma{Y;w !w{B.v,x .$,l,m ? yimw{q.m -d;[ '$.c.r;a.b
20
'But
Sihon did not
trust Israel to
pass through his
territory; so
Sihon gathered all his
people and
camped in
Jahaz and
fought with
Israel.
r{b][ lea'r.fIy -t,a !w{xyis !yim/a,h -a{l.w ? .Wn]x;Y;w w{M;[ -l'K -t,a !w{xyis @{s/a,Y;w w{lUb.giB ? lea'r.fIy -mi[ ~,x'LiY;w h'c.h'y.B
21
'The
LORD, the
God of
Israel,
gave Sihon and
all his
people into the
hand of
Israel, and they
defeated them; so
Israel possessed all the
land of the
Amorites, the
inhabitants of that
country.
!w{xyis -t,a lea'r.fIy -yeh{l/a h'wh.y !eTiY;w ? v;ryiY;w ~.WK;Y;w lea'r.fIy d;y.B w{M;[ -l'K -t,a.w ? #,r'a'h bevw{y yir{m/a'h #,r,a -l'K tea lea'r.fIy ? ayih;h
22
'So they
possessed all the
territory of the
Amorites, from the
Arnon as
far as the
Jabbok, and from the
wilderness as
far as the
Jordan.
!w{n.r;aem yir{m/a'h l.Wb.G -l'K tea .Wv.ryiY;w ? !eD.r;Y;h -d;[.w r'B.diM;h -nim.W q{B;Y;h -d;[.w
23
'Since
now the
LORD, the
God of
Israel,
drove out the
Amorites from
before His
people Israel, are you then to
possess it?
yir{m/a'h -t,a vyirw{h lea'r.fIy yeh{l/a h'wh.y h'T;[.w ? .WN,v'ryiT h'T;a.w lea'r.fIy w{M;[ yen.Pim
24
'Do you not
possess what Chemosh your
god gives you to
possess? So
whatever * the
LORD our
God has
driven out
before * us, we will
possess it.
w{tw{a '$y,h{l/a vw{m.K '$.vyirw{y r,v]a tea a{l]h ? .Wnyeh{l/a h'wh.y vyirw{h r,v]a -l'K tea.w v'ryit ? v'ryin w{tw{a .Wnyen'Pim
25
'Now are you
any better than Balak the
son of
Zippor,
king of
Moab? Did he
ever strive with
Israel,
or did he
ever fight against them?
rw{Pic -n,B q'l'Bim h'T;a bw{j bw{j]h h'T;[.w ? ~{x.lin -mia lea'r.fIy -mi[ b'r bw{r]h b'aw{m .$,l,m ? ~'B ~;x.lin
26
'While
Israel lived in
Heshbon and its
villages, and in
Aroer and its
villages, and in
all the
cities that are on the
banks of the
Arnon,
three hundred years,
why did you not
recover them within that
time?
rw{[.r;[.b.W 'hy,tw{n.bib.W !w{B.v,x.B lea'r.fIy t,b,v.B ? yed.y -l;[ r,v]a ~yir'[,h -l'k.b.W 'hy,tw{n.bib.W ? ~,T.l;Cih -a{l ;[.WD;m.W h'n'v tw{aem v{l.v !w{n.r;a ? ayih;h te['B
27
'I therefore have not
sinned against you, but you are
doing me
wrong by
making war against me; may the
LORD, the
Judge,
judge today between the
sons of
Israel and the
sons of
Ammon.' "
yiTia h,f{[ h'T;a.w .$'l yita'j'x -a{l yik{n'a.w ? ~w{Y;h jep{V;h h'wh.y j{P.vIy yiB ~,x'Lih.l h'['r ? !w{M;[ yen.B !yeb.W lea'r.fIy yen.B !yeB
28
But the
king of the
sons of
Ammon disregarded * the
message which Jephthah sent him.
x'T.pIy yer.biD -l,a !w{M;[ yen.B .$,l,m [;m'v a{l.w ? wy'lea x;l'v r,v]a
29
Now the
Spirit of the
LORD came upon
Jephthah, so that he
passed through Gilead and
Manasseh; then he
passed through Mizpah of
Gilead, and from
Mizpah of
Gilead he
went on to the
sons of
Ammon.
d'[.liG;h -t,a r{b][;Y;w h'wh.y ;x.Wr x'T.pIy -l;[ yih.T;w ? heP.ciMim.W d'[.lig heP.cim -t,a r{b][;Y;w h,V;n.m -t,a.w ? !w{M;[ yen.B r;b'[ d'[.lig
30
Jephthah made a
vow to the
LORD and
said,
"If You will
indeed give the
sons of
Ammon into my
hand,
!w{t'n -mia r;ma{Y;w h'why;l r,d,n x'T.pIy r;DiY;w ? yid'y.B !w{M;[ yen.B -t,a !eTiT
31
then it shall be that
whatever comes out of the
doors of my
house to
meet me when I
return in
peace from the
sons of
Ammon, it shall be the
LORD'S, and I will
offer it up as a
burnt offering."
yita'r.qil yityeb yet.l;Dim aecey r,v]a aecw{Y;h h'y'h.w ? h'why;l h'y'h.w !w{M;[ yen.Bim ~w{l'v.b yib.Wv.B ? h'lw{[ .Whityil][;h.w
32
So
Jephthah crossed over to the
sons of
Ammon to
fight against them; and the
LORD gave them into his
hand.
~'B ~,x'Lih.l !w{M;[ yen.B -l,a x'T.pIy r{b][;Y;w ? w{d'y.B h'wh.y ~en.TiY;w
33
He
struck them with a
very great slaughter from
Aroer to the
entrance of
Minnith,
twenty cities, and as
far as
Abel-keramim. So the
sons of
Ammon were
subdued before * the
sons of
Israel.
~yir.f,[ tyiNim '$]aw{B -d;[.w re[w{r][em ~eK;Y;w ? d{a.m h'lw{d.G h'K;m ~yim'r.K leb'a d;[.w ryi[ ? lea'r.fIy yen.B yen.Pim !w{M;[ yen.B .W[.n'KiY;w
34
When
Jephthah came to his
house at
Mizpah,
behold, his
daughter was
coming out to
meet him with
tambourines and with
dancing. Now she was his
one and
only child;
besides her he
had no son or daughter.
w{Tib heNih.w w{tyeB -l,a h'P.ciM;h x'T.pIy a{b'Y;w ? ayih q;r.w tw{l{x.mib.W ~yiPUt.b w{ta'r.qil taec{y ? t;b -w{a !eB .WN,Mim w{l -nyea h'dyix.y
35
When he
saw her, he
tore his
clothes and
said,
"Alas, my
daughter! You have
brought me
very low, and you are among those who
trouble me; for I have
given my
word to the
LORD, and I
cannot * take it
back."
wy'd'g.B -t,a [;r.qiY;w H'tw{a w{tw{a.rik yih.y;w ? .T;a.w yiniT.[;r.kih ;[er.k;h yiTiB<01323!> H'h]a r,ma{Y;w ? h'wh.y -l,a yip -yityic'P yik{n'a.w y'r.k{[.B ].tyIy'h ? b.Wv'l l;k.Wa a{l.w
36
So she
said to him, "My
father, you have
given your
word to the
LORD;
do to me as you have
said * *,
since * the
LORD has
avenged you of your
enemies, the
sons of
Ammon."
h'wh.y -l,a '$yiP -t,a h'tyic'P yib'a wy'lea r,ma{T;w ? h'f'[ r,v]a yer]x;a '$yiPim a'c'y r,v]a;K yil hef][ ? !w{M;[ yen.Bim '$y,b.y{aem tw{m'q.n h'wh.y '$.l
37
She
said to her
father, "Let
this thing be
done for me;
let me
alone * two months, that I may
go * to the
mountains and
weep because of my
virginity, I and my
companions."
h,Z;h r'b'D;h yiL h,f'[ey 'hyib'a -l,a r,ma{T;w ? yiT.d;r'y.w h'k.lea.w ~yiv'd\x ~Iy;n.v yiN,Mim heP.r;h ? yik{n'a y;l.Wt.B -l;[ h,K.b,a.w ~yir'h,h -l;[ ? yityi[;r.w
38
Then he
said,
"Go." So he
sent her
away for
two months; and she
left with her
companions, and
wept on the
mountains because of her
virginity.
~yiv'd\x yen.v H'tw{a x;l.viY;w yikel r,ma{Y;w ? 'hy,l.Wt.B -l;[ .K.beT;w 'hy,tw{[er.w ayih .$,leT;w ? ~yir'h,h -l;[
39
At the
end of
two months she
returned to her
father, who
did to her according to the
vow which he had
made; and she
had no relations with a
man. Thus it
became a
custom in
Israel,
'hyib'a -l,a b'v'T;w ~yiv'd\x ~Iy;n.v #eQim yih.y;w ? h'[.d'y -a{l ayih.w r'd'n r,v]a w{r.din -t,a H'l f;[;Y;w ? lea'r.fIy.B q{x -yih.T;w vyia
40
that the
daughters of
Israel went yearly to
commemorate the
daughter of
Jephthah the
Gileadite four days in the
year.
tw{N;t.l lea'r.fIy tw{n.B h'n.k;leT h'myim'y ~yim'Yim ? h'n'V;B ~yim'y t;[;B.r;a yid'[.liG;h x'T.pIy -t;b.l