Judges 11 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Jephthah Delivers Israel

1 Now Jephthah ^H3316 the Gileadite ^H1569 was a mighty ^H1368 man ^H1368 of valor ^H2428, but he was the son ^H1121 of a harlot ^H802 H2181. And Gilead ^H1568 [fn]became the father ^H3205 of Jephthah ^H3316.

2 And Gilead’s ^H1568 wife ^H802 bore ^H3205 him sons ^H1121; and when his wife’s ^H802 sons ^H1121 grew ^H1431 up ^H1431, they drove ^H1644 Jephthah ^H3316 out ^H1644 and said ^H559 to him, “You shall not have ^H5157 an ^H5157 inheritance ^H5157 in our father’s ^H1 house ^H1004, for you are the son ^H1121 of another ^H312 woman ^H802.” 3 So Jephthah ^H3316 fled ^H1272 from his brothers ^H251 and lived ^H3427 in the land ^H776 of Tob ^H2897; and worthless ^H7386 fellows ^H376 gathered ^H3950 themselves [fn]about ^H413 Jephthah ^H3316, and they went ^H3318 out ^H3318 with him.

4 Now it happened ^H1961 after ^H4480 a while ^H3117 that the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 fought ^H3898 against ^H5973 Israel ^H3478. 5 So it happened ^H1961 that as ^H834 the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 fought ^H3898 against ^H5973 Israel ^H3478, the elders ^H2205 of Gilead ^H1568 went ^H1980 to get ^H3947 Jephthah ^H3316 from the land ^H776 of Tob ^H2897; 6 and they said ^H559 to Jephthah ^H3316, “Come ^H1980 and be our chief ^H7101 that we may fight ^H3898 against the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983.” 7 Then Jephthah ^H3316 said ^H559 to the elders ^H2205 of Gilead ^H1568, “Did you not hate ^H8130 me and drive ^H1644 me from my father’s ^H1 house ^H1004? So why ^H4069 have you come ^H935 to me now ^H6258 when ^H834 you are ^H6887 in ^H6887 distress ^H6887?” 8 And the elders ^H2205 of Gilead ^H1568 said ^H559 to Jephthah ^H3316, “For this ^H3651 reason ^H3651 we have now ^H6258 returned ^H7725 to you, that you may go ^H1980 with us and fight ^H3898 with the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 and become ^H1961 head ^H7218 over all ^H3605 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Gilead ^H1568.” 9 So Jephthah ^H3316 said ^H559 to the elders ^H2205 of Gilead ^H1568, “If ^H518 you take ^H7725 me back ^H7725 to fight ^H3898 against the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 and Yahweh ^H3068 gives ^H5414 them up ^H5414 [fn]to me, will I become ^H1961 your head ^H7218?” 10 And the elders ^H2205 of Gilead ^H1568 said ^H559 to Jephthah ^H3316, “Yahweh ^H3068 is [fn]witness ^H8085 between ^H996 us; surely ^H518 H3808 we will do ^H6213 [fn]as you have said ^H1697.” 11 Then Jephthah ^H3316 went ^H1980 with the elders ^H2205 of Gilead ^H1568, and the people ^H5971 made ^H7760 him head ^H7218 and chief ^H7101 over ^H5921 them; and Jephthah ^H3316 spoke ^H1696 all ^H3605 his words ^H1697 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068 at Mizpah ^H4709.

12 And Jephthah ^H3316 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to the king ^H4428 of the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, saying ^H559, “What ^H4100 is between you and me, that you have come ^H935 to me to fight ^H3898 against my land ^H776?” 13 Then the king ^H4428 of the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 said ^H559 to the messengers ^H4397 of Jephthah ^H3316, “Because ^H3588 Israel ^H3478 took ^H3947 away my land ^H776 when they came ^H5927 up ^H5927 from Egypt ^H4714, from the Arnon ^H769 as far ^H5704 as the Jabbok ^H2999 and the Jordan ^H3383; so now ^H6258, return ^H7725 them peaceably ^H7965.” 14 But Jephthah ^H3316 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 again ^H5750 H3254 to the king ^H4428 of the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, 15 and they said ^H559 to him, “Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Jephthah ^H3316, ‘Israel ^H3478 did not take ^H3947 away the land ^H776 of Moab ^H4124 nor ^H3808 the land ^H776 of the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983. 16 For when they came ^H5927 up ^H5927 from Egypt ^H4714, and Israel ^H3478 went ^H1980 through the wilderness ^H4057 to the [fn]Red ^H5488 Sea ^H3220 and came ^H935 to Kadesh ^H6946, 17 then Israel ^H3478 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to the king ^H4428 of Edom ^H123, saying ^H559, “Please ^H4994 let us pass ^H5674 through your land ^H776,” but the king ^H4428 of Edom ^H123 would not listen ^H8085. And they also ^H1571 sent ^H7971 to the king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124, but he was ^H14 not willing ^H14. So Israel ^H3478 remained ^H3427 at Kadesh ^H6946. 18 Then they went ^H1980 through the wilderness ^H4057 and around ^H5437 the land ^H776 of Edom ^H123 and the land ^H776 of Moab ^H4124 and came ^H935 to the east toward the sunrise ^H4217 H8121 of the land ^H776 of Moab ^H4124, and they camped ^H2583 beyond ^H5676 the Arnon ^H769; but they did not enter ^H935 the territory ^H1366 of Moab ^H4124, for the Arnon ^H769 was the border ^H1366 of Moab ^H4124. 19 And Israel ^H3478 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to Sihon ^H5511 king ^H4428 of the Amorites ^H567, the king ^H4428 of Heshbon ^H2809, and Israel ^H3478 said ^H559 to him, “Please ^H4994 let us pass ^H5674 through your land ^H776 to our place ^H4725.” 20 But Sihon ^H5511 did not believe ^H539 Israel ^H3478 to allow them to pass ^H5674 through his territory ^H1366; so Sihon ^H5511 gathered ^H622 all ^H3605 his people ^H5971 and camped ^H2583 in Jahaz ^H3096 and fought ^H3898 with Israel ^H3478. 21 Then Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, gave ^H5414 Sihon ^H5511 and all ^H3605 his people ^H5971 into the hand ^H3027 of Israel ^H3478, and they struck ^H5221 them down ^H5221; so Israel ^H3478 possessed ^H3423 all ^H3605 the land ^H776 of the Amorites ^H567, the inhabitants ^H3427 of that country ^H776. 22 So they possessed ^H3423 all ^H3605 the territory ^H1366 of the Amorites ^H567, from the Arnon ^H769 as far ^H5704 as the Jabbok ^H2999, and from the wilderness ^H4057 as far ^H5704 as the Jordan ^H3383. 23 So now ^H6258 Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, dispossessed ^H3423 the Amorites ^H567 from before ^H6440 His people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478. Are you then to possess ^H3423 it? 24 Do you not possess ^H3423 what ^H834 Chemosh ^H3645 your god ^H430 gives ^H3423 you to ^H3423 possess ^H3423? So whatever ^H3605 H834 Yahweh ^H3068 our God ^H430 has taken ^H3423 possession ^H3423 of before ^H4480 H6440 us, we will possess ^H3423 it. 25 So now ^H6258 are you any ^H2895 better ^H2896 than ^H4480 Balak ^H1111 the son ^H1121 of Zippor ^H6834, king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124? Did he ever ^H7378 strive ^H7378 with Israel ^H3478, or ^H518 did he ever ^H3898 fight ^H3898 against them? 26 While Israel ^H3478 lived ^H3427 in Heshbon ^H2809 and its towns ^H1323 and in Aroer ^H6177 and its towns ^H1323 and in all ^H3605 the cities ^H5892 that are on the banks ^H3027 of the Arnon ^H769, 300 ^H7969 H3967 years ^H8141, why ^H4069 did you not deliver ^H5337 them for yourself within that time ^H6256? 27 I therefore have not sinned ^H2398 against you, but you are doing ^H6213 me evil ^H7451 by making ^H3898 war ^H3898 against me; may Yahweh ^H3068, the Judge ^H8199, judge ^H8199 today ^H3117 between ^H996 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 and the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983.’” 28 But the king ^H4428 of the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 did not ^H3808 listen ^H8085 to the words ^H1697 which ^H834 Jephthah ^H3316 sent ^H7971 him.

Jephthah Vows a Burnt Offering

29 Now the Spirit ^H7307 of Yahweh ^H3068 came ^H1961 upon Jephthah ^H3316, so that he passed ^H5674 through ^H5674 Gilead ^H1568 and Manasseh ^H4519; then he passed ^H5674 through ^H5674 Mizpah ^H4708 of Gilead ^H1568, and from Mizpah ^H4708 of Gilead ^H1568 he went ^H5674 on ^H5674 to the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983.

30 Then Jephthah ^H3316 made ^H5087 a vow ^H5088 to Yahweh ^H3068 and said ^H559, “If ^H518 You will indeed ^H5414 give ^H5414 the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 into my hand ^H3027, 31 then it shall be that whatever ^H834 comes ^H3318 out ^H3318 of the doors ^H1817 of my house ^H1004 to meet ^H7122 me when I return ^H7725 in peace ^H7965 from the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, it shall be Yahweh’s ^H3068, and I will offer ^H5927 it up ^H5927 as a burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930.” 32 So Jephthah ^H3316 crossed ^H5674 over ^H5674 to the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 to fight ^H3898 against them; and Yahweh ^H3068 gave ^H5414 them into his hand ^H3027. 33 And he struck ^H5221 them with a very ^H3966 great ^H1419 slaughter ^H4347 from Aroer ^H6177 [fn]to the entrance ^H935 of Minnith ^H4511, twenty ^H6242 cities ^H5892, and as far ^H5704 as Abel-keramim ^H64. So the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 were subdued ^H3665 before ^H4480 H6440 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478.

34 Then Jephthah ^H3316 came ^H935 to his house ^H1004 at Mizpah ^H4709. And behold ^H2009, his daughter ^H1323 was coming ^H3318 out ^H3318 to meet ^H7122 him with tambourines ^H8596 and with dancing ^H4246. Now she was his one ^H7534 and only ^H3173 child ^H3173; besides ^H4480 her he had ^H369 no ^H369 son ^H1121 or ^H176 daughter ^H1323. 35 So it happened ^H1961 that when he saw ^H7200 her, he tore ^H7167 his clothes ^H899 and said ^H559, “Alas ^H162, my daughter ^H1323! You have brought ^H3766 me very ^H3766 low ^H3766, and you are among those who trouble ^H5916 me. But I have opened ^H6475 my mouth ^H6310 to vow to Yahweh ^H3068, and I cannot ^H3201 H3808 take ^H7725 it back ^H7725.” 36 So she said ^H559 to him, “My father ^H1, you have opened ^H6475 your mouth ^H6310 to vow to Yahweh ^H3068; do ^H6213 to me according to what has gone ^H3318 out ^H4480 from your mouth ^H6310, since ^H310 H834 Yahweh ^H3068 has avenged ^H5360 you of your enemies ^H340, the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983.” 37 Then she said ^H559 to her father ^H1, “Let this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 be done ^H6213 for me; let ^H7503 me alone ^H4480 H7503 two ^H8147 months ^H2320, that I may [fn]go ^H1980 H3381 to the mountains ^H2022 and weep ^H1058 because ^H5921 of my virginity ^H1331, I and my companions ^H7464.” 38 Then he said ^H559, “Go ^H1980.” So he sent ^H7971 her away ^H7971 for two ^H8147 months ^H2320; and she went ^H1980 with her companions ^H7464 and wept ^H1058 on the mountains ^H2022 because ^H5921 of her virginity ^H1331. 39 And it happened ^H1961 at the end ^H7093 of two ^H8147 months ^H2320 that she returned ^H7725 to her father ^H1, and he did ^H6213 to her according to the vow ^H5088 which ^H834 he had made ^H5087; and she did not ^H3808 know ^H3045 a man ^H376. Thus it became ^H1961 a [fn]custom ^H2706 in Israel ^H3478, 40 that the daughters ^H1323 of Israel ^H3478 went ^H1980 yearly ^H3117 to [fn]commemorate ^H8567 the daughter ^H1323 of Jephthah ^H3316 the Gileadite ^H1569 four ^H702 days ^H3117 in the year ^H8141.