Judges 11
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor. He was the son of a prostitute. Gilead became the father of Jephthah.
And so in that tyme Jepte, a man of Galaad, was a ful strong man, and fiytere, the sone of a womman hoore, which Jepte was borun of Galaad.
2 Gilead’s wife bore him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You will not inherit in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”
Forsothe Galaad hadde a wijf, of which he hadde sones, whiche aftir that thei encressiden, castiden out Jepte, and seiden, Thou maist not be eir in the hows of oure fadir, for thou art born of a modir auoutresse.
3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Outlaws joined up with Jephthah, and they went out with him.
`Whiche britheren he fledde, and eschewide, and dwellide in the lond of Tob; and pore men and `doynge thefte weren gaderid to hym, and sueden as a prince.
4 After a while, the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
In tho daies the sones of Amon fouyten ayens Israel;
5 When the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah out of the land of Tob.
and whanne thei contynueden scharpli, the grettere men in birthe of Galaad, yeden to take in to `the help of hem silf Jepte fro the lond of Tob;
6 They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.”
and thei seiden to hym, Come thou, and be oure prince, and fiyte ayens the sones of Amon.
7 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did not you hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”
To whiche he answeride, Whethir not ye it ben, that haten me, and castiden me out of the hows of mi fadir, and now ye camen to me, and weren compellid bi nede?
8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight with the children of Ammon. You will be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
And the princes of Galaad seiden to Jepte, Therfor for this cause we camen now to thee, that thou go with vs, and fiyt ayens the sones of Amon; and that thou be the duyk of alle men that dwellen in Galaad.
9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them before me, will I be your head?”
And Jepte seide to hem, Whether ye camen verili to me, that Y fiyte for you ayens the sones of Amon, and if the Lord schal bitake hem in to myn hondis, schal Y be youre prince?
10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.”
Whiche answeriden to hym, The Lord hym silf, that herith these thingis, is mediatour and witnesse, that we schulen do oure biheestis.
11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.
And so Jepte wente with the princes of Galaad, and al the puple made hym her prince; and Jepte spak alle hise wordis bifor the Lord in Maspha.
12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What do you have to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?”
And he sente messangeris to the kyng of the sones of Amon, whiche messangeris schulden seie `of his persoone, What is to me and to thee, for thou hast come `ayens me to waaste my lond?
13 The king of the children of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore that territory again peaceably.”
To whiche the kyng answeride, For Israel whanne he stiede fro Egipt took awei my lond, fro the coostis of Arnon `til to Jaboch and to Jordan, now therfor yeelde it to me with pees.
14 Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon;
Bi whiche massangeris Jepte sente eft, and comaundide to hem, that thei schulden seie to the kyng of Amon,
15 and he said to him, “Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon;
Jepte seith these thingis, Israel took not the lond of Moab, nether the lond of the sones of Amon;
16 but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh,
but whanne thei stieden fro Egipt, `he yede bi the wildirnesse `til to the Reed See, and cam in to Cades;
17 then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let me pass through your land;’ but the king of Edom did not listen. In the same way, he sent to the king of Moab, but he refused; so Israel stayed in Kadesh.
and he sente messangeris to the kyng of Edom, and seide, Suffre thou me, that Y go thoruy thi lond; which kyng nolde assente to his preyeres. Also Israel sente to the kyng of Moab, and he dispiside to yyue passage;
18 Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
and so Israel dwellyde in Cades, and cumpasside bi the side the lond of Edom, and the lond of Moab; and he cam to the eest coost of the lond of Moab, and settide tentis biyende Arnon, nether he wolde entre in to the termes of Moab; for Arnon is the ende of the lond of Moab.
19 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to my place.’
And so Israel sente messangeris to Seon, kyng of Ammorreis, that dwellide in Esebon; and thei seiden to hym, Suffre thou, that Y passe thorouy thi lond `til to the ryuer.
20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
And he dispiside the wordis of Israel, and suffride not hym passe bi hise termes, but with a multitude with out noumbre gaderid to gidere he yede out ayens Israel, and ayenstood strongli.
21 The LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
And the Lord bitook hym with al his oost in to the hondis of Israel; and Israel smoot hym, and hadde in possessioun al the lond of Ammorrey,
22 They possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.
dwellere of that cuntrey, and al the coostis therof fro Arnon `til to Jaboch, and fro the wildirnesse `til to Jordan.
23 So now the LORD, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess them?
Therfor the Lord God of Israel distriede Ammorrey, fiytynge ayens hym for his puple Israel. And wolt thou now haue in possessioun `his lond? Whether not tho thingis whiche Chamos, thi god, hadde in possessioun, ben due to thee bi riyt?
24 Will not you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever the LORD our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.
Forsothe tho thingis whiche `oure Lord God ouercomere gat, schulen falle in to oure possessioun;
25 Now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?
no but in hap thou art betere than Balach, the sone of Sephor, kyng of Moab, ether thou maist preue, that he stryuede ayens Israel, and fauyt ayens hym,
26 Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along the side of the Arnon for three hundred years! Why did not you recover them within that time?
whanne he dwellide in Esebon, and in townes therof, and in Aroer, and in townes therof, and in alle citees biyende Jordan, bi thre hundrid yeer. Whi in so myche time assaieden ye no thing on this axyng ayen?
27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me. May the LORD the Judge be judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.”
Therfor not Y do synne ayens thee, but thou doist yuel ayens me, and bryngist in batels not iust to me; the Lord, iuge of this dai, deme bitwixe the sones of Israel and bitwixe the sones of Amon.
28 However, the king of the children of Ammon did not listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
And the kyng of the sones of Amon nolde assente to the wordis of Jepte, whiche he sente bi messangeris.
29 Then the LORD’s Spirit came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.
Therfor the spirit of the Lord was maad on Jepte, and he cumpasside Galaad and Manasses, Maspha and Galaad; and he passide fro thennus to the sones of Amon,
30 Jephthah vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,
and made a vow to the Lord, and seide, If thou schalt bitake the sones of Amon in to myn hondis,
31 then it shall be, that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”
who euer goith out first of the dores of myn hows, and cometh ayens me turnynge ayen with pees fro the sones of Amon, Y schal offre hym brent sacrifice to the Lord.
32 So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hand.
And Jepte yede to the sones of Amon, to fiyte ayens hem, whiche the Lord bitook in to hise hondis;
33 He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
and he smoot fro Aroer `til to thou comest in to Mennyth, twenti citees, and `til to Abel, which is set aboute with vyneris, with ful greet veniaunce; and the sones of Amon weren maad low of the sones of Israel.
34 Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
Forsothe whanne Jepte turnede ayen in to Maspha, his hows, his oon gendrid douyter cam to hym with tympanys and croudis; for he hadde not othere fre children.
35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot go back.”
And whanne `sche was seyn, he to-rente his clothis, and seide, Allas! my douytir, thou hast disseyued me, and thou art disseyued; for Y openyde my mouth to the Lord, and Y may do noon other thing.
36 She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.”
To whom sche answeride, My fadir, if thou openydist thi mouth to the Lord, do to me what euer thing thou bihiytist, while veniaunce and victorie of thin enemyes is grauntid to thee.
37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me. Leave me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.”
And sche seide to the fadir, Yyue thou to me oneli this thing, which Y biseche; suffre thou me that in two monethis Y cumpasse hillis, and biweile my maidynhed with my felowis.
38 He said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months; and she departed, she and her companions, and mourned her virginity on the mountains.
To whom he answeride, Go thou. And he sufferide hir in two monethis. And whanne sche hadde go with hir felowis and pleiferis, sche biwepte hir maydynhed in the hillis.
39 At the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She was a virgin. It became a custom in Israel
And whanne twey monethis weren fillid, sche turnede ayen to hir fadir, and he dide to hir as he avowide; and sche knew not fleischli a man. Fro thennus a custom cam in Israel,
40 that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
and the custom is kept, that aftir the `ende of the yeer the douytris of Israel come togidere, and biweile `the douytir of Jepte of Galaad `foure daies.
