Judges 10:17-11:11

Wycliffe Bible

¹⁷ And so the sons of Ammon cried together, each moving (the) other to battle against Israel, and setted tents in Gilead, and the sons of Israel were gathered against them, and setted tents in Mizpeh. (But then the Ammonites cried together, each moving the other to battle against Israel, and pitched their tents at Gilead; and the Israelites gathered themselves together against them, and pitched their tents at Mizpeh.)

¹⁸ And the princes of Gilead said each to his neighbours, He, that beginneth first of us to fight against the sons of Ammon, shall be duke of the people of Gilead. (And the people and the rulers of Gilead said to each other, He of us who first beginneth to fight against the Ammonites, shall be the leader of all the people of Gilead.)

11 And so in that time Jephthah, a man of Gilead, was a full strong man, and a fighter, the son of a woman whore, the which Jephthah was born of Gilead. (Now at that time Jephthah, a Gileadite, was a very strong man, and a fighter, the son of a whore-woman, and his father was Gilead.)

² And Gilead had a wife, of whom he had sons, which after that they increased (and after they had grown up), casted out Jephthah, and said, Thou mayest not be (an) heir in the house of our father, for thou art born of another mother.

³ And (so) he fled (from) his brethren, and eschewed them, and dwelled in the land of Tob; and poor men were gathered to him, and followed him as a prince.

⁴ (And) In those days the sons of Ammon fought against Israel;

⁵ and when they continued sharply (their enmities), the greater men in birth of Gilead, went to take into the help of themselves Jephthah from the land of Tob; (and when they continued their sharp enmities, the men of great age, that is, the elders, of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob to help them;)

⁶ and they said to him, Come thou, and be our prince, and fight against the sons of Ammon.

⁷ To which he answered, Whether not ye it be, that hated me, and threw me out of the house of my father, and now ye have come to me, and were compelled by need? (To whom he answered, Was it not ye, who hated me, and threw me out of my father’s house? but now ye have come to me, yea, compelled by need!)

⁸ And the princes of Gilead said to Jephthah, Therefore for this cause we came now to thee, that thou go with us, and fight against the sons of Ammon; and that thou be the duke of all men that dwell in Gilead. (And the leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, Yea, for this reason we have now come to thee, so that thou go with us, and fight against the Ammonites; and that thou be the leader of all who live in Gilead.)

⁹ And Jephthah said to them, Whether ye came verily, or without fraud, to me, that I fight for you against the sons of Ammon, and if the Lord shall betake them into mine hands, shall I be your prince? (And Jephthah said to them, Did ye come truthfully, or without deception, to me, so that if I fight for you against the Ammonites, and if the Lord shall deliver them into my hands, then I shall be your leader?)

¹⁰ The which answered to him, The Lord himself, that heareth these things, is mediator and witness, that we shall fulfill our promises to thee. (And they answered to him, The Lord himself, who heareth these things, is our mediator and witness, that we shall fulfill our promises to thee.)

¹¹ And so Jephthah went with the princes of Gilead, and all the people made him their prince; and Jephthah spake all his words (again) before the Lord in Mizpeh.