Judges Chapter 11
Jephthah Judges Israel
1 Jephthah from Gilead was a strong soldier, but he was a prostitute’s son. His father was Gilead. 2 Gilead’s wife also bore him sons. When her sons grew up, they shoved Jephthah out, “You won’t inherit in our father’s house. You’re another woman’s son.” 3 He ran away and lived in the land of Tob. Ruffians gathered around him and went on raids with him.
4 After a time the Ammonites went to war against Israel. 5 The elders in Gilead went to bring Jephthah from Tob, 6 “Come, lead us so we can fight the Ammonites.”
7 “Didn’t you hate me and drive me out of my father’s family? Why come to me now when you’re in trouble?”
8 “That’s why we’ve turned to you so you can lead us in Gilead to fight the Ammonites.”
9 “If you take me home again to fight the Ammonites, and Yahveh gives them to me, I’ll lead you.”
10 “Yahveh is witness. We’ll do that.”
11 Jephthah went with them, and the people made him their leader. He swore in at Mizpah in front of Yahveh. Jud 11:1-11
12 He sent messengers to the Ammonite king, “What do you have against me that you’ve attacked my land?”
13 The king answered his messengers, “Because when Israel came out of Egypt, he took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok to the Jordan. Return it peacefully.”
14 Jephthah sent messengers back to him,
15 “Jephthah says,
‘Israel didn’t take away Moab’s or Ammon’s land. 16 When the Israelites came up from Egypt, they went through open country to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom to let them pass through your land. But he wouldn’t. They sent to the king of Moab too, but he wouldn’t consent; so Israel stayed at Kadesh. 18 Then they traveled through open country and went around Edom and Moab. They arrived at the east side of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. They didn’t go into Moab; the Arnon was its border. 19 Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the Amorite king at Heshbon, to let them pass through his land to go to their own country. 20 But Sihon wouldn’t trust Israel. He gathered his people, camped at Jahaz, and fought them. 21 Yahveh God of Israel delivered them all to Israel and defeated them. Israel took over Amorite territory 22 from the Arnon to the Jabbok, from the desert to the Jordan. 23 Yahveh expelled the Amorites in front of his own people, and you’re going to take it back? 24 Wouldn’t you keep what your god Chemosh gave you? We’ll keep everything Yahveh our God has taken for us. 25 Are you any better than Balak Ben-Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel or go to war with them? 26 Why didn’t you recover them while Israel lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, and in the towns on the banks of the Arnon for 300 years? 27 I haven’t sinned against you. You’ve wronged me by attacking me. May Yahveh the Judge decide today between Israel and Ammon.”
28 But the Ammonite king of the Ammonites wouldn’t listen. Jud 11:12-28
29 The Spirit of Yahveh stirred up Jephthah, and he went through Gilead and Manasseh to Mizpah in Gilead and on to the Ammonites. 30 He vowed to Yahveh, “If you’ll give the Ammonites to me, 31 whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I get back, I’ll offer up for a burnt offering.” 32 He crossed over to fight them, and Yahveh gave them to him. 33 He massacred them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, 20 towns, and as far as Abel-keramin. So Israel subdued the Ammonites.
34 Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah, and his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and dancing. She was his only child. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes,
“My daughter! You’ve brought me low! You’ve brought me great trouble! I’ve opened my mouth to Yahveh, and I can’t take back my vow.”
36 She said, “Father, if you’ve vowed to Yahveh, do to me what you’ve vowed, now that he has avenged you of the Ammonites. 37 Do this for me: let me alone two months so my companions and I can wander in the mountains and mourn my virginity.”
38 He said, “Go ahead.”
He sent her away; she and her companions left to mourn her virginity for two months. 39 She came back to her father, who did with her according to his vow. She never knew a man. It became a custom in Israel 40 that the young women went four days a year to mourn the daughter of Jephthah of Gilead. Jud 11:29-40