The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he should be their head.

1 ¶ Now Jephthahº the Gileaditeº was² a mighty manº of valour,º and he² [was] the sonº of an harlot:ººª and Gileadº begatºª² Jephthah.º 2 And Gilead'sº wifeº bareºª him sons;º and his wife'sº sonsº grew up,ºª and they thrust outºª² Jephthah,º and saidºª unto him, Thou shalt not² inheritºª in our father'sº house;º for² thou² [art] the sonº of a strangeº woman.º 3 Then Jephthahº fledºª fromº² his brethren,º and dweltºª in the landº of Tob:º and there were gatheredºª vainº men¹² to² Jephthah,º and went outºª with² him.

4 ¶ And it came to pass² in process of time,º² that the childrenº of Ammonº made warºª against² Israel.º 5 And it was² so, that when² the childrenº of Ammonº made warºª against² Israel,º the eldersº of Gileadº went¹ª² to fetchºª² Jephthahº out of the landº² of Tob:º 6 And they saidºª unto Jephthah,º Come,¹ª² and be² our captain,º that we may fightºª with the childrenº of Ammon.º 7 And Jephthahº saidºª unto the eldersº of Gilead,º Did not² ye² hateºª me, and expelºª me out of my father'sº house?º² and why² are ye comeºª unto² me now² when² ye are in distress?¹ª² 8 And the eldersº of Gileadº saidºª unto² Jephthah,º Therefore² we turn againºª to² thee now,² that thou mayest goºª with² us, and fightºª against the childrenº of Ammon,º and be² our headº over all² the inhabitantsºª of Gilead.º 9 And Jephthahº saidºª unto² the eldersº of Gilead,º If² ye² bring me home againºª² to fightºª against the childrenº of Ammon,º and the LORDº deliverºª them beforeº me, shall I² be² your head?º 10 And the eldersº of Gileadº saidºª unto² Jephthah,º The LORDº be² witnessºª between² us, if² we doºª not² so² according to thy words.º 11 Then Jephthahº went¹ª² with² the eldersº of Gilead,º and the peopleº madeºª him headº and captainº over² them: and Jephthahº utteredºª² all² his wordsº beforeº the LORDº in Mizpeh.º

The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in vain.

12 ¶ And Jephthahº sentºª messengersº unto² the kingº of the childrenº of Ammon,º saying,ºª What² hast thou to do with me, that² thou art comeºª against² me to fightºª in my land?º 13 And the kingº of the childrenº of Ammonº answeredºª unto² the messengersº of Jephthah,º Because² Israelº took awayºª² my land,º when they came upºª out of Egypt,º² from Arnonº² even unto² Jabbok,º and unto² Jordan:º now² therefore restore those [lands] againºª² peaceably.º 14 And Jephthahº sentºª messengersº againºª² unto² the kingº of the childrenº of Ammon:º 15 And saidºª unto him, Thus² saithºª Jephthah,º Israelº took not awayºª²² the landº of Moab,º nor the landº of the childrenº of Ammon:º 16 But² when Israelº came upºª from Egypt,º² and walked¹ª² through the wildernessº unto² the Redº sea,º and cameºª to Kadesh;º 17 Then Israelº sentºª messengersº unto² the kingº of Edom,º saying,ºª Let me, I pray thee,² pass² through¹ª thy land:º but the kingº of Edomº would not² hearkenºª [thereto]. And in like manner² they sentºª unto² the kingº of Moab:º but he wouldºª not² [consent]: and Israelº abodeºª in Kadesh.º 18 Then they went along¹ª² through the wilderness,º and compassedºª² the landº of Edom,º and the landº of Moab,º and cameºª by the east sideºº² of the landº of Moab,º and pitchedºª on the other sideº of Arnon,º but cameºª not² within the borderº of Moab:º for² Arnonº [was] the borderº of Moab.º 19 And Israelº sentºª messengersº unto² Sihonº kingº of the Amorites,º the kingº of Heshbon;º and Israelº saidºª unto him, Let us pass,ºª we pray thee,² through thy landº intoº my place.º 20 But Sihonº trustedºª not²² Israelº to passºª through his coast:º but Sihonº gathered¹ª all his people¹ together,ºª²²² and pitchedºª in Jahaz,º and foughtºª against² Israel.º 21 And the LORDº Godº of Israelº deliveredºª² Sihonº and all² his peopleº into the handº of Israel,º and they smoteºª them: so Israelº possessedºª² all² the landº of the Amorites,º the inhabitantsºª of that² country.º 22 And they possessedºª² all² the coastsº of the Amorites,º from Arnonº² even unto² Jabbok,º and from² the wildernessº even unto² Jordan.º 23 So now² the LORDº Godº of Israelº hath dispossessedºª² the Amoritesº from beforeº² his peopleº Israel,º and shouldest thou² possessºª it? 24 Wilt not² thou possessºª² that which² Chemoshº thy godº giveth thee to possess?ºª So whomsoever²² the LORDº our Godº shall drive outºª from beforeº² us, them will we possess.ºª 25 And now² [art] thou² any thing betterº than Balakº² the sonº of Zippor,º kingº of Moab?º did he ever¹ª striveºª against² Israel,º or² did he ever¹ª fightºª against them, 26 While Israelº dweltºª in Heshbonº and her towns,º and in Aroerº and her towns,º and in all² the citiesº that² [be] along by² the coastsº of Arnon,º threeº hundredº years?º why² therefore did ye not² recoverºª [them] within that² time?º 27 Wherefore I² have not² sinnedºª against thee, but thou² doestºª¹ me wrongº to warºª against me: the LORDº the Judgeºª be judgeºª this dayº between² the childrenº of Israelº and the childrenº of Ammon.º 28 Howbeit the kingº of the childrenº of Ammonº hearkenedºª not² unto² the wordsº of Jephthahº which² he sentºª² him.

Jephthah's vow.

29 ¶ Then the Spiritº of the LORDº came² upon² Jephthah,º and he passed overºª² Gilead,º and Manasseh,º and passed overºª² Mizpehº of Gilead,º and from Mizpehº² of Gileadº he passed overºª [unto] the childrenº of Ammon.º 30 And Jephthahº vowedºª a vowº unto the LORD,º and said,ºª If² thou shalt without fail¹ª deliverºª² the childrenº of Ammonº into mine hands,º 31 Then it shall be,² that whatsoever¹ª² cometh forthºª of the doorsº² of my houseº to meetºª me, when I returnºª in peaceº from the childrenº² of Ammon,º shall surely be² the LORD'S,º and I will offer it upºª for a burnt offering.º

His conquest of the Ammonites.

32 ¶ So Jephthahº passed overºª unto² the childrenº of Ammonº to fightºª against them; and the LORDº deliveredºª them into his hands.º 33 And he smoteºª them from Aroer,º² even till² thou comeºª to Minnith,º [even] twentyº cities,º and unto² the plainº of the vineyards,ºª¹ with a veryº greatº slaughter.º Thus the childrenº of Ammonº were subduedºª beforeº² the childrenº of Israel.º

He performeth his vow on his daughter.

34 ¶ And Jephthahº cameºª to Mizpehº unto² his house,º and, behold,² his daughterº came outºª to meetºª him with timbrelsº and with dances:º and she² [was his] only child;º beside² her he had neither² sonº norº daughter.º 35 And it came to pass,² when he sawºª her, that he rentºª² his clothes,º and said,ºª Alas,º my daughter!º thou hast brought¹ª me very¹ª low,ºª and thou² art² one of them that troubleºª me: for I² have openedºª my mouthº unto² the LORD,º and I cannotºª² go back.ºª 36 And she saidºª unto² him, My father,º [if] thou hast openedºª² thy mouthº unto² the LORD,º doºª to me according to that whichº hath proceeded¹ª out² of thy mouth;º² forasmuchº² as the LORDº hath takenºª vengeanceº for thee of thine enemies,ºª² [even] of the childrenº² of Ammon.º 37 And she saidºª unto² her father,º Let this² thingº be doneºª for me: let me aloneºª² twoº months,º that I may go up¹ª² and downºª upon² the mountains,º and bewailºª² my virginity,º I² and my fellows.ºª¹ 38 And he said,ºª Go.¹ª² And he sent her awayºª² [for] twoº months:º and she² went¹ª² with her companions,º and bewailedºª² her virginityº upon² the mountains.º 39 And it came to pass² at the endº² of twoº months,º that she returnedºª unto² her father,º who didºª with her [according] to² his vowº which² he had vowed:ºª and she² knewºª no² man.º And it was² a customº in Israel,º 40 [That] the daughtersº of Israelº went¹ª² yearlyº² to lamentºª the daughterº of Jephthahº the Gileaditeº fourº daysº in a year.º