1 Now Jephthah3316 the Gileadite1569 was a mighty1368 man of valor,2428 and he was the son1121 of an harlot:2181 and Gilead1568 begat3205 Jephthah.3316

2 And Gilead's1568 wife802 bore3205 him sons;1121 and his wife's802 sons1121 grew1431 up, and they thrust1644 out Jephthah,3316 and said559 to him, You shall not inherit5157 in our father's1 house;1004 for you are the son1121 of a strange312 woman.802

3 Then Jephthah3316 fled1272 from his brothers,251 and dwelled3427 in the land776 of Tob:2897 and there were gathered3950 vain7386 men582 to Jephthah,3316 and went3318 out with him.

4 And it came1961 to pass in process of time,3117 that the children1121 of Ammon5983 made war3898 against5973 Israel.3478

5 And it was so, that when834 the children1121 of Ammon5983 made war3898 against5973 Israel,3478 the elders2205 of Gilead1568 went3212 to fetch3947 Jephthah3316 out of the land776 of Tob:2897

6 And they said559 to Jephthah,3316 Come,3212 and be our captain,7101 that we may fight3898 with the children1121 of Ammon.5983

7 And Jephthah3316 said559 to the elders2205 of Gilead,1568 Did not you hate8130 me, and expel1644 me out of my father's1 house?1004 and why4069 are you come935 to me now6258 when834 you are in distress?6887

8 And the elders2205 of Gilead1568 said559 to Jephthah,3316 Therefore we turn7725 again7725 to you now,6258 that you may go1980 with us, and fight3898 against the children1121 of Ammon,5983 and be our head7218 over all3605 the inhabitants3427 of Gilead.1568

9 And Jephthah3316 said559 to the elders2205 of Gilead,1568 If518 you bring7725 me home7725 again7725 to fight3898 against the children1121 of Ammon,5983 and the LORD3068 deliver5414 them before6440 me, shall I be your head?7218

10 And the elders2205 of Gilead1568 said559 to Jephthah,3316 The LORD3068 be witness8085 between996 us, if518 we do6213 not so3651 according to your words.1697

11 Then Jephthah3316 went3212 with the elders2205 of Gilead,1568 and the people5971 made7760 him head7218 and captain7101 over5921 them: and Jephthah3316 uttered1696 all3605 his words1697 before6440 the LORD3068 in Mizpeh.4709

12 And Jephthah3316 sent7971 messengers4397 to the king4428 of the children1121 of Ammon,5983 saying,559 What4100 have you to do with me, that you are come935 against413 me to fight3898 in my land?776

13 And the king4428 of the children1121 of Ammon5983 answered559 to the messengers4397 of Jephthah,3316 Because3588 Israel3478 took3947 away my land,776 when they came5927 up out of Egypt,4714 from Arnon769 even to Jabbok,2999 and to Jordan:3383 now6258 therefore restore7725 those lands again7725 peaceably.7965

14 And Jephthah3316 sent7971 messengers4397 again3254 5750 to the king4428 of the children1121 of Ammon:5983

15 And said559 to him, Thus3541 said559 Jephthah,3316 Israel3478 took3947 not away the land776 of Moab,4124 nor the land776 of the children1121 of Ammon:5983

16 But when Israel3478 came5927 up from Egypt,4714 and walked3212 through the wilderness4057 to the Red5488 sea,3220 and came935 to Kadesh;6946

17 Then Israel3478 sent7971 messengers4397 to the king4428 of Edom,123 saying,559 Let me, I pray4994 you, pass5674 through your land:776 but the king4428 of Edom123 would not listen8085 thereto. And in like1571 manner they sent7971 to the king4428 of Moab:4124 but he would14 not consent:14 and Israel3478 stayed3427 in Kadesh.6946

18 Then they went3212 along through the wilderness,4057 and compassed5437 the land776 of Edom,123 and the land776 of Moab,4124 and came935 by the east4217 8121 side of the land776 of Moab,4124 and pitched2583 on the other5676 side5676 of Arnon,769 but came935 not within the border1366 of Moab:4124 for Arnon769 was the border1366 of Moab.4124

19 And Israel3478 sent7971 messengers4397 to Sihon5511 king4428 of the Amorites,567 the king4428 of Heshbon;2809 and Israel3478 said559 to him, Let us pass,5674 we pray4994 you, through your land776 into5704 my place.4725

20 But Sihon5511 trusted539 not Israel3478 to pass5674 through his coast:1366 but Sihon5511 gathered622 all3605 his people5971 together, and pitched2583 in Jahaz,3096 and fought3898 against5973 Israel.3478

21 And the LORD3068 God430 of Israel3478 delivered5414 Sihon5511 and all3605 his people5971 into the hand3027 of Israel,3478 and they smote5221 them: so Israel3478 possessed3423 all3605 the land776 of the Amorites,567 the inhabitants3427 of that country.776

22 And they possessed3423 all3605 the coasts1366 of the Amorites,567 from Arnon769 even to Jabbok,2999 and from the wilderness4057 even to Jordan.3383

23 So now6258 the LORD3068 God430 of Israel3478 has dispossessed3423 the Amorites567 from before6440 his people5971 Israel,3478 and should you possess3423 it?

24 Will not you possess3423 that which834 Chemosh3645 your god430 gives you to possess?3423 So whomsoever3605 834 the LORD3068 our God430 shall drive3423 out from before6440 us, them will we possess.3423

25 And now6258 are you any thing better2896 than Balak1111 the son1121 of Zippor,6834 king4428 of Moab?4124 did he ever strive7378 against5973 Israel,3478 or did he ever fight3898 against5973 them,

26 While Israel3478 dwelled3427 in Heshbon2809 and her towns,1323 and in Aroer6177 and her towns,1323 and in all3605 the cities5892 that be along by the coasts3027 of Arnon,769 three7969 hundred3967 years?8141 why4069 therefore did you not recover5337 them within that time?6256

27 Why I have not sinned2398 against you, but you do6213 me wrong7451 to war3898 against me: the LORD3068 the Judge8199 be judge8199 this day3117 between996 the children1121 of Israel3478 and the children1121 of Ammon.5983

28 However, the king4428 of the children1121 of Ammon5983 listened8085 not to the words1697 of Jephthah3316 which834 he sent7971 him.

29 Then the Spirit7307 of the LORD3068 came1961 on Jephthah,3316 and he passed5674 over5674 Gilead,1568 and Manasseh,4519 and passed5674 over5674 Mizpeh4708 of Gilead,1568 and from Mizpeh4708 of Gilead1568 he passed5674 over5674 to the children1121 of Ammon.5983

30 And Jephthah3316 vowed5087 a vow5088 to the LORD,3068 and said,559 If518 you shall without fail deliver5414 the children1121 of Ammon5983 into my hands,3027

31 Then it shall be, that whatever834 comes3318 forth3318 of the doors1817 of my house1004 to meet7125 me, when I return7725 in peace7965 from the children1121 of Ammon,5983 shall surely be the LORD's,3068 and I will offer5927 it up for a burnt5930 offering.

32 So Jephthah3316 passed5674 over5674 to the children1121 of Ammon5983 to fight3898 against them; and the LORD3068 delivered5414 them into his hands.3027

33 And he smote5221 them from Aroer,6177 even till5704 you come935 to Minnith,4511 even twenty6242 cities,5892 and to the plain58 of the vineyards,3754 with a very3966 great1419 slaughter.4347 Thus the children1121 of Ammon5983 were subdued3665 before6440 the children1121 of Israel.3478

34 And Jephthah3316 came935 to Mizpeh4709 to his house,1004 and, behold,2009 his daughter1323 came3318 out to meet7125 him with tambourines8596 and with dances:4246 and she was his only3173 child;3173 beside her he had neither369 son1121 nor176 daughter.1323

35 And it came1961 to pass, when he saw7200 her, that he rent7167 his clothes,899 and said,559 Alas,162 my daughter!1323 you have brought3766 me very low,3766 and you are one of them that trouble5916 me: for I have opened6475 my mouth6310 to the LORD,3068 and I cannot3808 3201 go7725 back.7725

36 And she said559 to him, My father,1 if you have opened6475 your mouth6310 to the LORD,3068 do6213 to me according to that which834 has proceeded3318 out of your mouth;6310 for as much310 834 as the LORD3068 has taken6213 vengeance5360 for you of your enemies,341 even of the children1121 of Ammon.5983

37 And she said559 to her father,1 Let this2088 thing1697 be done6213 for me: let me alone7503 two8147 months,2320 that I may go3212 up and down3381 on the mountains,2022 and mourn1058 my virginity,1331 I and my fellows.7464

38 And he said,559 Go.3212 And he sent7971 her away for two8147 months:2320 and she went3212 with her companions,7464 and bewailed1058 her virginity1331 on the mountains.2022

39 And it came1961 to pass at the end7093 of two8147 months,2320 that she returned7725 to her father,1 who did6213 with her according to his vow5088 which834 he had vowed:5087 and she knew3045 no3808 man.376 And it was a custom2706 in Israel,3478

40 That the daughters1323 of Israel3478 went3212 yearly3117 to lament8567 the daughter1323 of Jephthah3316 the Gileadite1569 four702 days3117 in a year.8141