Domarboken 11
Svenska Folkbibeln
Jefta
11 Gileaditen Jefta var en tapper stridsman. Han var son till en sköka, och hans far hette Gilead. 2 Gileads hustru födde söner åt honom, och när de växte upp drev de bort Jefta och sade till honom: "Du skall inte få dela arvet i vår fars hus, för du är son till en främmande kvinna." 3 Då flydde Jefta bort från sina bröder och bosatte sig i landet Tob. Där slöt sig löst folk till honom och drog ut på plundringståg med honom.
4 En tid därefter gav sig ammoniterna i strid med Israel. 5 Men när ammoniterna gav sig i strid med Israel, gick de äldste i Gilead för att hämta Jefta från landet Tob. 6 De sade till Jefta: "Kom och bli vår anförare, så skall vi strida mot ammoniterna." 7 Men Jefta svarade de äldste i Gilead: "Har ni inte hatat mig och drivit ut mig ur min fars hus? Varför kommer ni till mig nu, då ni är i nöd?" 8 De äldste i Gilead svarade honom: "Just därför har vi kommit tillbaka till dig. Kom nu med oss och strid mot ammoniterna. Du skall bli huvud över oss alla som bor i Gilead." 9 Jefta svarade de äldste i Gilead: "Om ni för mig tillbaka för att strida mot ammoniterna och Herren ger dem till mig, så skall jag sedan vara ert huvud."
10 Då sade de äldste i Gilead till Jefta: " Herren är vittne mellan oss, om vi inte gör som du har sagt." 11 Jefta följde då med de äldste i Gilead, och folket satte honom till huvud och anförare över sig. Och Jefta uttalade allt vad han hade sagt inför Herren i Mispa.
12 Jefta skickade sändebud till ammoniternas kung och sade: "Vad har du emot mig, eftersom du kommer för att angripa mig i mitt land?" 13 Då svarade ammoniternas kung Jeftas sändebud: "När Israel drog upp ur Egypten, tog de mitt land från Arnon ända till Jabbok och Jordan. Ge mig nu frivilligt tillbaka detta."
14 På nytt skickade Jefta sändebud till ammoniternas kung 15 och sade till honom: "Så säger Jefta: Israel har inte tagit något land vare sig från Moab eller från ammoniterna. 16 Ty när Israel drog upp ur Egypten och de hade vandrat genom öknen ända till Röda havet och kommit till Kadesh, 17 skickade Israel budbärare till kungen i Edom och sade: Låt mig gå genom ditt land. Men kungen i Edom hörde inte på detta. De skickade också bud till kungen i Moab, men denne ville inte heller. Då stannade Israel i Kadesh. 18 Därefter vandrade de genom öknen och gick runt Edoms land och Moabs land och kom öster om Moabs land och slog läger på andra sidan Arnon. De kom inte in på Moabs område, ty Arnon var gräns mot Moab. 19 Sedan skickade Israel budbärare till Sichon, amoreernas kung, kungen i Hesbon, och sade till honom: Låt oss gå genom ditt land fram till vårt område. 20 Men Sichon litade inte på Israel och lät dem inte gå genom sitt område utan samlade allt sitt folk och slog läger i Jahas. Där gav han sig i strid med Israel. 21 Men Herren, Israels Gud, gav Sichon och allt hans folk i Israels hand, så att de slog dem. Israel intog hela det land där amoreerna bodde. 22 De intog hela amoreernas område, från Arnon ända till Jabbok och från öknen ända till Jordan.
23 När nu Herren, Israels Gud, har fördrivit amoreerna för sitt folk Israel, skulle då du ta deras land i besittning! 24 Är det inte så att vad din gud Kemosh ger dig till besittning, det tar du i besittning? Och allt vad Herren, vår Gud, har gett oss, det tar vi i besittning. 25 Skulle du vara så mycket bättre än Balak, Sippors son, kungen i Moab? Vågade han inlåta sig i tvist med Israel eller ge sig i strid med dem? 26 Israel har i trehundra år bott i Hesbon med underlydande orter, i Aroer med underlydande orter och i alla städer längs Arnon. Varför har ni då under den tiden inte tagit tillbaka detta från oss? 27 Jag har inte syndat mot dig, men du gör illa mot mig genom att du strider mot mig. Herren, domaren, skall i dag döma mellan Israels barn och ammoniterna." 28 Men ammoniternas kung hörde inte på vad Jefta sade till honom genom sändebuden.
Jeftas löfte
29 Då kom Herrens Ande över Jefta. Han drog genom Gilead och Manasse och vidare genom Mispe i Gilead, och från Mispe i Gilead ryckte han fram mot ammoniterna. 30 Jefta gav ett löfte till Herren och sade: "Om du ger ammoniterna i min hand, 31 lovar jag att vem som än kommer ut mot mig genom dörrarna i mitt hus, när jag välbehållen kommer tillbaka från ammoniterna, skall tillhöra Herren. Jag skall offra honom till brännoffer." 32 Så drog Jefta bort mot ammoniterna för att strida mot dem, och Herren gav dem i hans hand. 33 Han tillfogade dem ett mycket stort nederlag, från Aroer ända fram emot Minnit, tjugo städer, och ända till Abel-Keramim. Så blev ammoniterna kuvade under Israels barn.
Jeftas dotter
34 När sedan Jefta kom till sitt hus i Mispa, se, då gick hans dotter ut för att möta honom med pukor och dans. Hon var hans enda barn, och utom henne hade han varken son eller dotter. 35 När han fick se henne, rev han sönder sina kläder och ropade: "O, min dotter, du gör mig helt förkrossad, du drar elände över mig! Jag har öppnat min mun inför Herren till ett löfte och kan inte ta tillbaka mitt ord."
36 Hon svarade honom: "Min far, har du öppnat din mun inför Herren, så gör med mig enligt dina ord, eftersom Herren nu har gett dig hämnd på dina fiender, ammoniterna." 37 Hon sade vidare till sin far: "Men uppfyll en begäran: Ge mig två månader, så att jag kan gå upp i bergen och begråta min jungfrudom med mina väninnor." 38 Han svarade henne: "Du får gå." Och han lät henne vara borta i två månader. Då gick hon med sina väninnor och begrät sin jungfrudom på bergen. 39 Men efter två månader återvände hon till sin far, och han gjorde då med henne efter löftet han hade givit. Och hon hade aldrig känt någon man. Sedan blev det en sed i Israel, 40 att Israels döttrar gick för att fira minnet av gileaditen Jeftas dotter under fyra dagar varje år.
Judges 11
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Jephthah Becomes Israel’s Leader
11 Jephthah(A) the Gileadite was a valiant warrior,(B) but he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father. 2 Gilead’s wife bore him sons, and when they grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, ‘You will have no inheritance in our father’s family, because you are the son of another woman.’ 3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob.(C) Then some worthless men joined Jephthah and went on raids with him.
4 Some time later, the Ammonites fought against Israel. 5 When the Ammonites made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 They said to him, ‘Come, be our commander, and let’s fight the Ammonites.’
7 Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, ‘Didn’t you hate me and drive me out of my father’s family? Why then have you come to me now when you’re in trouble? ’
8 They answered Jephthah, ‘That’s true. But now we turn to you. Come with us, fight the Ammonites, and you will become leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead.’
9 So Jephthah said to them, ‘If you are bringing me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, I will be your leader.’
10 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, ‘The Lord is our witness if we don’t do as you say.’ 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander, and Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the Lord at Mizpah.
Jephthah Rejects Ammonite Claims
12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, asking, ‘What do you have against me that you have come to fight me in my land? ’
13 The king of the Ammonites said to Jephthah’s messengers, ‘When Israel came from Egypt, they seized my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok(D) and the Jordan. Now restore it peaceably.’
14 Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites 15 to tell him, ‘This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. 16 But when they came from Egypt, Israel travelled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let us travel through your land,” but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he refused. So Israel stayed in Kadesh.(E)
18 ‘Then they travelled through the wilderness and round the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon but did not enter into the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.
19 ‘Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon.(F) Israel said to him, “Please let us travel through your land to our country,” 20 but Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. Instead, Sihon gathered all his troops, camped at Jahaz, and fought with Israel. 21 Then the Lord God of Israel handed over Sihon and all his troops to Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession(G) of the entire land of the Amorites who lived in that country. 22 They took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23 ‘The Lord God of Israel has now driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, and will you now force us out? 24 Isn’t it true that you can have whatever your god Chemosh conquers for you, and we can have whatever the Lord our God conquers for us? 25 Now are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them? 26 While Israel lived for three hundred years in Heshbon and Aroer and their surrounding villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, why didn’t you take them back at that time? 27 I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by fighting against me. Let the Lord who is the judge(H) decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.’ 28 But the king of the Ammonites would not listen to Jephthah’s message that he sent him.
Jephthah’s Vow and Sacrifice
29 The Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah, who travelled through Gilead and Manasseh, and then through Mizpah of Gilead. He crossed over to the Ammonites from Mizpah of Gilead. 30 Jephthah made this vow(I) to the Lord: ‘If you in fact hand over the Ammonites to me, 31 whoever comes out the doors of my house to greet me when I return safely from the Ammonites will belong to the Lord, and I will offer that person as a burnt offering.’(J)
32 Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord handed them over(K) to him. 33 He defeated twenty of their cities with a great slaughter from Aroer all the way to the entrance of Minnith and to Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued(L) before the Israelites.
34 When Jephthah went to his home in Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing!(M) She was his only child; he had no other son or daughter besides her. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, ‘No! Not my daughter! You have devastated me! You have brought great misery on me.[a] I have given my word to the Lord and cannot take it back.’
36 Then she said to him, ‘My father, you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me as you have said, for the Lord brought vengeance on your enemies, the Ammonites.’ 37 She also said to her father, ‘Let me do this one thing: Let me wander two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.’
38 ‘Go,’ he said. And he sent her away two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity as she wandered through the mountains. 39 At the end of two months, she returned to her father, and he kept the vow he had made about her. And she had never been intimate with a man. Now it became a custom in Israel 40 that four days each year the young women of Israel would commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
Footnotes
- 11:35 Lit have been among those who trouble me
Judges 11
New International Version
11 Jephthah(A) the Gileadite was a mighty warrior.(B) His father was Gilead;(C) his mother was a prostitute.(D) 2 Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” 3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob,(E) where a gang of scoundrels(F) gathered around him and followed him.
4 Some time later, when the Ammonites(G) were fighting against Israel, 5 the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites.”
7 Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house?(H) Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”
8 The elders of Gilead said to him, “Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be head(I) over all of us who live in Gilead.”
9 Jephthah answered, “Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me—will I really be your head?”
10 The elders of Gilead replied, “The Lord is our witness;(J) we will certainly do as you say.” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders(K) of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated(L) all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.(M)
12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: “What do you have against me that you have attacked my country?”
13 The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon(N) to the Jabbok,(O) all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”
14 Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king, 15 saying:
“This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab(P) or the land of the Ammonites.(Q) 16 But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea[a](R) and on to Kadesh.(S) 17 Then Israel sent messengers(T) to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Give us permission to go through your country,’(U) but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab,(V) and he refused.(W) So Israel stayed at Kadesh.
18 “Next they traveled through the wilderness, skirted the lands of Edom(X) and Moab, passed along the eastern side(Y) of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon.(Z) They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border.
19 “Then Israel sent messengers(AA) to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon,(AB) and said to him, ‘Let us pass through your country to our own place.’(AC) 20 Sihon, however, did not trust Israel[b] to pass through his territory. He mustered all his troops and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.(AD)
21 “Then the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and his whole army into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, 22 capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan.(AE)
23 “Now since the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? 24 Will you not take what your god Chemosh(AF) gives you? Likewise, whatever the Lord our God has given us,(AG) we will possess. 25 Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor,(AH) king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them?(AI) 26 For three hundred years Israel occupied(AJ) Heshbon, Aroer,(AK) the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn’t you retake them during that time? 27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge,(AL) decide(AM) the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.(AN)”
28 The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.
29 Then the Spirit(AO) of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah(AP) of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites.(AQ) 30 And Jephthah made a vow(AR) to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph(AS) from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.(AT)”
32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith,(AU) as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing(AV) to the sound of timbrels!(AW) She was an only child.(AX) Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes(AY) and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.(AZ)”
36 “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised,(BA) now that the Lord has avenged you(BB) of your enemies,(BC) the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”
38 “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.
From this comes the Israelite tradition 40 that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
Footnotes
- Judges 11:16 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Judges 11:20 Or however, would not make an agreement for Israel
Judges 11
New King James Version
Jephthah
11 Now (A)Jephthah the Gileadite was (B)a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have (C)no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of (D)Tob; and (E)worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.
4 It came to pass after a time that the (F)people of Ammon made war against Israel. 5 And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.”
7 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, (G)“Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in [a]distress?”
8 (H)And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have (I)turned[b] again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be (J)our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?”
10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, (K)“The Lord will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.” 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him (L)head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words (M)before the Lord in Mizpah.
12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, (N)“What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?”
13 And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, (O)“Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from (P)the Arnon as far as (Q)the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.”
14 So Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: (R)‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon; 16 for when Israel came up from Egypt, they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and (S)came to Kadesh. 17 Then (T)Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let me pass through your land.” (U)But the king of Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the (V)king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel (W)remained in Kadesh. 18 And they (X)went along through the wilderness and (Y)bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came to the east side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19 Then (Z)Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, “Please (AA)let us pass through your land into our place.” 20 (AB)But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21 And the Lord God of Israel (AC)delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they (AD)defeated[c] them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. 22 They took possession of (AE)all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
23 ‘And now the Lord God of Israel has [d]dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it? 24 Will you not possess whatever (AF)Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever (AG)the Lord our God takes possession of before us, we will possess. 25 And now, are you any better than (AH)Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel? Did he ever fight against them? 26 While Israel dwelt in (AI)Heshbon and its villages, in (AJ)Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? 27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the Lord, (AK)the Judge, (AL)render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.’ ” 28 However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him.
Jephthah’s Vow and Victory
29 Then (AM)the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah (AN)made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, (AO)shall surely be the Lord’s, (AP)and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. 33 And he [e]defeated them from Aroer as far as (AQ)Minnith—twenty cities—and to [f]Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
Jephthah’s Daughter
34 When Jephthah came to his house at (AR)Mizpah, there was (AS)his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he (AT)tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I (AU)have [g]given my word to the Lord, and (AV)I cannot [h]go back on it.”
36 So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the Lord, (AW)do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because (AX)the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.” 37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and [i]bewail my virginity, my [j]friends and I.”
38 So he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains. 39 And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he (AY)carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She [k]knew no man.
And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to [l]lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
Footnotes
- Judges 11:7 trouble
- Judges 11:8 returned
- Judges 11:21 Lit. struck
- Judges 11:23 driven out
- Judges 11:33 Lit. struck
- Judges 11:33 Lit. Plain of Vineyards
- Judges 11:35 Lit. opened my mouth
- Judges 11:35 Lit. take it back
- Judges 11:37 lament
- Judges 11:37 companions
- Judges 11:39 Remained a virgin
- Judges 11:40 commemorate
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

