Judges 11

Jephthah the Gileadite

1Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was Jephthah’s father. 2Gilead’s wife also bore him sons. When the wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not inherit in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Worthless men gathered around Jephthah and went out with him.

The Elders Ask Jephthah to Lead

4After some time, the children of Ammon fought against Israel. 5When the children of Ammon fought against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, so that we may fight against the children of Ammon.” 7Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” 8The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “For this reason we have now returned to you: that you may go with us, fight against the children of Ammon, and become head over us, over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me back to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD gives them before me, shall I become your head?” 10The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be witness between us if we do not do according to your word.” 11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD at Mizpah.

Jephthah Sends Messengers to Ammon

12Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What is between me and you, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” 13The king of the children of Ammon said to Jephthah’s messengers, “Because Israel took away my land when they came up from Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore it peacefully.” 14Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, 15and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the children of Ammon. 16But when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness as far as the Sea of Reeds and came to Kadesh. 17Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let me pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom did not listen. They also sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh. 18Then they went through the wilderness, went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came from the east side of the land of Moab, and camped beyond the Arnon. They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

19Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon. Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to our place.’ 20But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people, camped at Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21The LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who inhabited that land. 22They took possession of all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. 23So now the LORD, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites before his people Israel. Should you then dispossess us? 24Will you not possess whatever Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And whatever the LORD our God dispossesses before us, that we will possess. 25Now are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel, or did he ever fight against them? 26While Israel has lived in Heshbon and its villages, Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the Arnon for three hundred years, why did you not recover them during that time? 27I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing evil to me by fighting against me. May the LORD, the Judge, judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.” 28But the king of the children of Ammon did not listen to the words Jephthah sent to him.

Jephthah’s Vow

29Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed on to the children of Ammon. 30Jephthah vowed a vow to the LORD and said, “If you truly give the children of Ammon into my hand, 31then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon shall belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

The LORD Gives Ammon into His Hand

32So Jephthah crossed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD gave them into his hand. 33He struck them from Aroer as far as the approach to Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-Keramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Jephthah’s Daughter

34Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, and look, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become one who troubles me, for I have opened my mouth to the LORD and cannot turn back.” 36She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD. Do to me according to what has gone out from your mouth, since the LORD has given you vengeance against your enemies, the children of Ammon.” 37Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go down upon the mountains and weep over my virginity, I and my companions.” 38He said, “Go.” He sent her away two months, and she went with her companions and wept over her virginity upon the mountains. 39At the end of two months she returned to her father, and he did to her according to the vow he had vowed. She had never known a man. And it became a custom in Israel 40that from year to year the daughters of Israel went to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.