< Judges 11 >

1 [There was a man] from [the] Gilead [region] named Jephthah. He was a great warrior. His father was also named Gilead. But his mother was a prostitute.
And Jephthah the Gileadite he was a mighty [man] of strength and he [was] [the] son of a woman a prostitute and he fathered Gilead Jephthah.
2 Gilead’s wife gave birth to several sons. When they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home, saying to him, “You are the son of a prostitute, [not the son of our mother]. So [when] our father [dies], you will not receive any of his property.”
And she bore [the] wife of Gilead to him sons and they grew up [the] sons of the wife and they drove out Jephthah and they said to him not you will have an inheritance in [the] house of father our for [are] [the] son of a woman another you.
3 So Jephthah ran away from his brothers, and he went to the Tob region. While he was there, some worthless men started to spend a lot of time with him.
And he fled Jephthah [away] from before brothers his and he dwelt in [the] land of Tob and they joined themselves to Jephthah men unprincipled and they went out with him.
4 Some time later, the Ammon people-group started to fight against the Israelis.
And it was from days and they fought [the] people of Ammon with Israel.
5 When that happened [DOU], the leaders of [the] Gilead [region] went to Jephthah to bring him back from the Tob region [to their area].
And it was just when they fought [the] people of Ammon with Israel and they went [the] elders of Gilead to fetch Jephthah from [the] land of Tob.
6 They said to him, “Come [with us] and lead our army, and [help us to] fight against the men from the Ammon people-group!”
And they said to Jephthah come! and you will become of us a commander so let us fight against [the] people of Ammon.
7 But Jephthah replied, “You hated me [RHQ] previously! You forced me to leave my father’s house! So why are you coming to me now, [asking me to help you] when you are experiencing trouble?”
And he said Jephthah to [the] elders of Gilead ¿ not you did you hate me and did you drive out? me from [the] house of father my and why? have you come to me now just when [is] distress to you.
8 The leaders from Gilead replied, “[Yes, we are having trouble, and] that is the reason that we have come to you now. If you come with us and [help us to] fight against the Ammon people-group, [after we defeat them, we will appoint] you to be the leader of all us people in [the] Gilead [region].”
And they said [the] elders of Gilead to Jephthah therefore now we have returned to you and you will come with us and you will fight against [the] people of Ammon and you will become of us chief of all [the] inhabitants of Gilead.
9 Jephthah replied, “If I go back to Gilead with you to fight against the Ammon people-group, and if Yahweh helps us to defeat them, will you truly appoint me to be your leader?”
And he said Jephthah to [the] elders of Gilead if [are] bringing back you me to fight against [the] people of Ammon and he will deliver up Yahweh them before me I I will become of you chief.
10 They replied, “Yahweh is listening to everything that we say. [So he will punish us] if we do not do everything that you tell us to do.”
And they said [the] elders of Gilead to Jephthah Yahweh he will be hearing between us if not according to word your so we will do.
11 So Jephthah went with them back to [the] Gilead [region], and the people appointed him to be their leader and the commander of their army. And Jephthah solemnly promised to Yahweh there at Mizpah [to serve him well].
And he went Jephthah with [the] elders of Gilead and they made the people him over them into chief and into commander and he spoke Jephthah all words his before Yahweh in Mizpah.
12 Jephthah sent some messengers to the king of the Ammon people-group. They asked the king, “What have we [done to make you angry, with the result] that your army is coming to fight [against the people] in our land?”
And he sent Jephthah messengers to [the] king of [the] people of Ammon saying what? [is] to me and to you that you have come to me to wage war against land my.
13 The king replied, “[We have come to fight against you Israelis because] you took our land when you came here from Egypt. You took all our land east of the Jordan [River], from the Arnon [River in the south] to the Jabbok [River in the north]. So if you now give it back to us, there (will be peace between us/we will not fight against you).”
And he said [the] king of [the] people of Ammon to [the] messengers of Jephthah that it took Israel land my when came up it from Egypt from [the] Arnon and to the Jabbok and to the Jordan and therefore restore! them in peace.
14 [The messengers returned to Jephthah and told him what the king had said]. So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
And he repeated again Jephthah and he sent messengers to [the] king of [the] people of Ammon.
15 They said to him, “This is what Jephthah says: ‘It is not [true] that we Israelis took the land from the Moab people-group and the Ammon people-group.
And he said to him thus he says Jephthah not it has taken Israel [the] land of Moab and [the] land of [the] people of Ammon.
16 When the Israeli people came out of Egypt, they walked through the desert to the Red Sea, and then [walked across it and traveled to Kadesh town at the border of the Edom region].
That when came up they from Egypt and it went Israel in the wilderness to [the] sea of reed[s] and it came Kadesh towards.
17 They sent messengers to the king of the Edom people-group, to say to him, “Please allow us Israelis to walk across your land.” But the king of the Edom people-group refused. Later we sent the same message to the king of the Moab people-group, but he also refused to allow the Israelis to go through his land. So the Israelis stayed at Kadesh [for a long time].
And it sent Israel messengers - to [the] king of Edom - saying let me pass please in land your and not he listened [the] king of Edom and also to [the] king of Moab it sent and not he was willing and it remained Israel at Kadesh.
18 Then the Israelis went into the desert and walked outside the borders of the Edom and Moab regions. They walked east of the Moab region, east of the Arnon [River, which is the eastern border of the Moab region]. They did not cross that river to enter [the] Moab [region].
And it went in the wilderness and it went around [the] land of Edom and [the] land of Moab and it came from [the] rising of [the] sun of [the] land of Moab and they encamped! on [the] other side of [the] Arnon and not they went in [the] territory of Moab for [the] Arnon [was] [the] border of Moab.
19 ‘Then the Israelis sent a message to Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city]. They asked him, “Will you please allow us Israeli people to cross through your land to arrive at the land to which we [are going].”
And it sent Israel messengers to Sihon [the] king of the Amorite[s] [the] king of Heshbon and it said to him Israel let us pass please in land your to own place my.
20 But Sihon did not trust the Israelis; [he thought that they would steal some of the things in his land]. So he gathered all his troops and they set up their tents at Jahaz [village] and then they attacked the Israelis.
And not he trusted Sihon Israel to pass in territory his and he gathered Sihon all people his and they encamped at Jahaz and he fought with Israel.
21 But Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], enabled the Israeli army to defeat [IDM] Sihon and his army. Then they (took possession of/started to live in) all the land where the Amor people-group had lived.
And he gave Yahweh [the] God of Israel Sihon and all people his in [the] hand of Israel and they defeated them and it took possession of Israel all [the] land of the Amorite[s] [who] dwelt of the land that.
22 The Israelis took all the land that belonged to the Amor people-group, from the Arnon [River in the south] to the Jabbok [River in the north], and from the desert [in the east] to the Jordan [River in the west].
And they took possession of all [the] territory of the Amorite[s] from [the] Arnon and to the Jabbok and from the wilderness and to the Jordan.
23 ‘It was Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], who forced the Amor people-group to leave as the Israelis advanced. So do you now think that you can force the Israelis to leave [RHQ]?
And now Yahweh - [the] God of Israel he has dispossessed the Amorite[s] from before people his Israel and you will you take possession of? it.
24 You take the land that your god Chemosh has given to you. And we will live in the land that Yahweh our God has given to us!
¿ Not [that] which he will cause to possess you Chemosh god your it will you take possession of and all that he has dispossessed Yahweh God our from before us it we will take possession of.
25 (You are no/Are you) better than Zippor’s son Balak, who was the king of the Moab people-group? He never [RHQ] quarreled with the Israeli people, and he never started to fight against us [RHQ]!
And now ¿ really good [are] you more than Balak [the] son of Zippor [the] king of Moab ¿ really did he quarrel with Israel or? ever did he wage war against them.
26 For 300 years the Israeli people have lived in Heshbon and Aroer [cities in your region], and in the surrounding towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon [River]. Why have you people of the Ammon people-group not taken back those cities during all those years [RHQ]?
When dwelt Israel in Heshbon and in daughters its and in Aroer and in daughters its and in all the cities which [were] on [the] sides of [the] Arnon three hundred year[s] and why? not did you recover [them] at the time that.
27 We have not sinned against you, but you are sinning against me by attacking me [and my army]. I trust that Yahweh, the great judge, will decide whether we Israelis are right, or whether you people of the Ammon people-group are right.’”
And I not I have sinned to you and you [are] doing with me evil by waging war against me may he judge Yahweh the judge this day between [the] people of Israel and between [the] people of Ammon.
28 But the king of the Ammon people-group did not pay attention to that message from Jephthah.
And not he listened [the] king of [the] people of Ammon to [the] words of Jephthah which he sent to him.
29 Then the Spirit of Yahweh took control of Jephthah. Jephthah went through [the] Gilead [region] and through the area where the tribe of Manasseh lived, [to enlist/gather men for his army]. [He finally gathered them together] in Mizpah [city] in [the] Gilead [region] to fight against the Ammon people-group.
And it was on Jephthah [the] spirit of Yahweh and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and he passed through Mizpah of Gilead and from Mizpah of Gilead he he passed on [the] people of Ammon.
30 There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh. He said, “If you will enable my army to defeat [IDM] the Ammon people-group,
And he vowed Jephthah a vow to Yahweh and he said certainly [if] you will give [the] people of Ammon in hand my.
31 when I return from the battle, I will sacrifice to you the first person who comes out of my house [to greet me]. It will be a sacrifice that will be completely burned [on the altar].”
And it will be whatever comes out which it will come out from [the] doors of house my to meet me when return I in peace from [the] people of Ammon and it will belong to Yahweh and I will offer up it a burnt offering.
32 Then Jephthah [and his men] went from Mizpah to attack the Ammon people-group, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
And he passed on Jephthah to [the] people of Ammon to fight against them and he gave them Yahweh in hand his.
33 Jephthah and his men killed them, from Aroer [city] all the way to the area around the city of Minnith. They destroyed 20 cities, as far as [the city of] Abel Keramim. So the Israelis [completely] defeated the Ammon people-group.
And he defeated them from Aroer and until coming you Minnith twenty citi[es] and to Abel Keramim a defeat great very and they were subdued [the] people of Ammon from before [the] people of Israel.
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter was the first one to come out of the house to meet him. She was [joyfully] playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only child; he had no sons and no other daughters.
And he came Jephthah Mizpah to house his and there! daughter his [was] coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing and only she [was] an only [child] not [belonged] to him from him a son or a daughter.
35 When Jephthah saw his daughter, he tore his clothes [to show that he was very sad about what he was going to do]. He said to her, “My daughter, you have caused me to become very sad [DOU] because I made a solemn promise to Yahweh [to sacrifice the first one who came out of my house], and I must do what I promised.”
And it was when saw he her and he tore clothes his and he said alas! O daughter my certainly you have brought low me and you you are among [those who] trouble me and I I have opened mouth my to Yahweh and not I am able to turn back.
36 His daughter said, “My father, you made a solemn promise to Yahweh. So you must do to me what you promised, because [you said that you would do that if] Yahweh helped you to defeat our enemies, the Ammon people-group.”
And she said to him O father my you have opened mouth your to Yahweh do to me just as it has come out from mouth your after that he did for you Yahweh vengeance from enemies your from [the] people of Ammon.
37 Then she also said, “But allow me to do one thing. (First/before you do what you promised), allow me to go up into the hilly area and wander around for two months. Since I will never be married [and have children], allow me and my friends to go and cry together.”
And she said to father her let it be done for me the thing this refrain from me two months so let me go and I will go down on the mountains so I may weep on virginiti my I (and companions my. *QK)
38 Jephthah replied, “All right, you may go.” So she left for two months. She and her friends stayed in the hills and they cried for her because she would never be married.
And he said go and he sent away her two months and she went she and companions her and she wept on virginiti her on the mountains.
39 After two months, she returned to her father Jephthah, and he did to her what he had vowed. So his daughter never was married. Because of that, the Israelis now have a custom.
And it was from [the] end of - two months and she returned to father her and he did to her vow his which he had vowed and she not she had known a man and it was a custom in Israel.
40 Every year the young Israeli women go [into the hills] for four days to remember [and cry about what happened to] the daughter of Jephthah.
From days - days towards they go [the] daughters of Israel to recount for [the] daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.

< Judges 11 >