Judges 11 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Jephthah, the Ninth Judge

1 Now Jephthah ^H3316 the Gileadite ^H1569 was a [fn]valiant ^H2428 warrior ^H1368, but he was the son ^H1121 of a prostitute ^H2181. And Gilead ^H1568 had fathered ^H3205 Jephthah ^H3316.

2 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 men ^H376 gathered ^H3950 [fn]around ^H413 Jephthah ^H3316, and they went ^H3318 [fn]wherever he did.

4 Now it came ^H1961 about ^H1961, after ^H4480 a while ^H3117, that the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 fought ^H3898 against ^H5973 Israel ^H3478. 5 When ^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 leader ^H7101, that we may fight ^H3898 against the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983.” 7 But 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 trouble ^H6887?” 8 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 the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, and become ^H1961 our 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 bring ^H7725 me back ^H7725 to fight ^H3898 against the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 and the LORD ^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, “The LORD ^H3068 is [fn]witness ^H8085 between ^H996 us; be assured ^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 leader ^H7101 over ^H5921 them; and Jephthah ^H3316 spoke ^H1696 all ^H3605 his words ^H1697 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068 at Mizpah ^H4709.

12 So Jephthah ^H3316 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to the king ^H4428 of the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, saying ^H559, “What ^H4100 conflict do you and I have, that you have come ^H935 to me to fight ^H3898 against my land ^H776?” 13 And the king ^H4428 of the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 said ^H559 to the messengers ^H4397 of Jephthah ^H3316, “It is because ^H3588 Israel ^H3478 took ^H3947 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 return ^H7725 them peaceably ^H7965 now ^H6258.” 14 But Jephthah ^H3316 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 once ^H5750 again ^H3254 to the king ^H4428 of the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, 15 and they said ^H559 to him, “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 Jephthah ^H3316 says ^H559: ‘Israel ^H3478 did not take ^H3947 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 messengers to the king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124, but he would not consent ^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 ^H4217 H8121 side ^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 trust ^H539 Israel ^H3478 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 And the LORD ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, handed ^H5414 H3027 Sihon ^H5511 and all ^H3605 his people ^H5971 over ^H5414 to Israel ^H3478, and they [fn]defeated ^H5221 them; so Israel ^H3478 took ^H3423 possession ^H3423 of 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 And now ^H6258 the LORD ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, has driven ^H3423 out ^H3423 the Amorites ^H567 from His people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478; so should you 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 the LORD ^H3068 our God ^H430 has dispossessed ^H3423 before ^H4480 H6440 us, we will possess ^H3423 it. 25 Now ^H6258 then, are you any ^H2895 better ^H2895 than ^H4480 Balak ^H1111 the son ^H1121 of Zippor ^H6834, king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124? Did he ever ^H7378 contend ^H7378 with Israel ^H3478, or ^H518 did he ever ^H3898 fight ^H3898 against them? 26 While Israel ^H3478 was living ^H3427 in Heshbon ^H2809 and its villages ^H1323, and in Aroer ^H6177 and its villages ^H1323, and in all ^H3605 the cities ^H5892 that are on the banks ^H3027 of the Arnon ^H769, three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 years ^H8141, why ^H4069 did you not recover ^H5337 them within that time ^H6256? 27 So I have not sinned ^H2398 against you, but you are doing ^H6213 me wrong ^H7451 by making ^H3898 war ^H3898 against me. May the LORD ^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 [fn]disregarded ^H3808 H8085 the message ^H1697 which ^H834 Jephthah ^H3316 sent ^H7971 him.

Jephthah’s Tragic Vow

29 Now the Spirit ^H7307 of the LORD ^H3068 came ^H1961 upon Jephthah ^H3316, and 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 And Jephthah ^H3316 made ^H5087 a vow ^H5088 to the LORD ^H3068 and said ^H559, “If ^H518 You will indeed ^H5414 hand ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to me the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, 31 then whatever ^H834 comes ^H3318 out ^H3318 the doors ^H1817 of my house ^H1004 to meet ^H7122 me when I return ^H7725 [fn]safely ^H7965 from the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, it shall be the LORD’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 the LORD ^H3068 handed ^H5414 H3027 them over ^H5414 to him. 33 He [fn]inflicted ^H5221 a very ^H3966 great ^H1419 defeat ^H4347 on them 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 But 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. And 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 when he saw ^H7200 her, he tore ^H7167 his clothes ^H899 and said ^H559, “Oh ^H162, my daughter ^H1323! You have brought ^H3766 me disaster ^H3766, and you are among those who trouble ^H5916 me; for I have [fn]given ^H6475 my word ^H6310 to the LORD ^H3068, and I cannot ^H3201 H3808 take ^H7725 it back ^H7725.” 36 So she said ^H559 to him, “My father ^H1, you have [fn]given ^H6475 your word ^H6310 to the LORD ^H3068; do ^H6213 to me just ^H834 as ^H834 [fn]you have said ^{H3318 H4480 H6310}, since ^H310 H834 the LORD ^H3068 has brought ^H6213 you vengeance ^H5360 on your enemies ^H340, the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983.” 37 And she said ^H559 to her father ^H1, “Let this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 be done ^H6213 for me; allow ^H7503 H4480 me two ^H8147 months ^H2320, so that I may [fn]go ^H1980 H3381 to the mountains ^H2022 and weep ^H1058 because ^H5921 of my virginity ^H1331, I and my friends ^H7464.” 38 Then he said ^H559, “Go ^H1980.” So he let ^H7971 her go ^H7971 for two ^H8147 months ^H2320; and she left ^H1980 with her friends ^H7464, and wept ^H1058 on the mountains ^H2022 because ^H5921 of her virginity ^H1331. 39 And at the end ^H7093 of two ^H8147 months ^H2320 she returned ^H7725 to her father ^H1, who did ^H6213 to her [fn]what ^H5088 he had vowed ^H5087; and she [fn]had ^H3045 no ^H3808 relations ^H3045 with a man ^H376. And it became ^H1961 a custom ^H2706 in Israel ^H3478, 40 that the [fn]daughters ^H1323 of Israel ^H3478 went ^H1980 annually ^H3117 H4480 to [fn]commemorate ^H8567 the daughter ^H1323 of Jephthah ^H3316 the Gileadite ^H1569 for four ^H702 days ^H3117 in the year ^H8141.