Judges 11:30-40

Complete Jewish Bible

³⁰ Yiftach made a vow to Adonai: “If you will hand the people of ‘Amon over to me, ³¹ then whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the people of ‘Amon will belong to Adonai; I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” ³² So Yiftach crossed over to fight the people of ‘Amon, and Adonai handed them over to him. ³³ He killed them from ‘Aro‘er until you reach Minnit, twenty cities, all the way to Avel-K’ramim; it was a massacre. So the people of ‘Amon were defeated before the people of Isra’el.

³⁴ As Yiftach was returning to his house in Mitzpah, his daughter came dancing out to meet him with tambourines. She was his only child; he had no other son or daughter. ³⁵ When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh, no, my daughter! You’re breaking my heart! Why must you be the cause of such pain to me? I made a vow to Adonai, and I can’t go back on my word.” ³⁶ She said to him, “Father, you made a vow to Adonai; so do whatever you said you would do to me; because Adonai did take vengeance on your enemies the people of ‘Amon.” ³⁷ Then she said to her father, “Just do this one thing for me — let me be alone for two months. I’ll go away into the mountains with my friends and mourn, because I will die without getting married.” ³⁸ “You may go,” he answered, and he sent her away for two months. She left, she and her friends, and mourned in the mountains that she would die unmarried. ³⁹ After two months she returned to her father, and he did with her what he had vowed; she had remained a virgin. So it became a law in Isra’el ⁴⁰ that the women of Isra’el would go every year for four days to lament the daughter of Yiftach from Gil‘ad.