Jephthah Delivers Israel

11 Now (A)Jephthah the Gileadite was (B)a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman.” Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of (C)Tob, and (D)worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him.

After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of (E)Tob. And they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites.” But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites and (F)be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head.” 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, (G)“The Lord will be witness between us, if we do not do as you say.” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people (H)made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words (I)before the Lord at (J)Mizpah.

12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, “What do you have against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” 13 And the king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, (K)“Because Israel on coming up from Egypt took away my land, from the (L)Arnon to the (M)Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore restore it peaceably.” 14 Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: (N)Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites, 16 but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness (O)to the Red Sea and (P)came to Kadesh. 17 (Q)Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ (R)but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel (S)remained at Kadesh.

18 “Then they journeyed through the wilderness and (T)went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and (U)arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and (V)camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab. 19 (W)Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to our country,’ 20 but Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory, so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. 21 And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. 22 And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. 23 So then the Lord, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them? 24 Will you not possess what (X)Chemosh your god gives you to possess? (Y)And all that the Lord our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess. 25 Now are you any better than (Z)Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them? 26 While Israel lived (AA)in Heshbon and its villages, and (AB)in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why did you not deliver them within that time? 27 I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. (AC)The Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.” 28 But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to him.

Jephthah's Tragic Vow

29 (AD)Then the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah (AE)made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whatever[a] comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites (AF)shall be the Lord's, and (AG)I will offer it[b] up for a burnt offering.” 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. 33 And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of (AH)Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel.

34 Then Jephthah came to his home at (AI)Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him (AJ)with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, (AK)and I cannot take back my vow.” 36 And she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.” 37 So she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions.” 38 So he said, “Go.” Then he sent her away for two months, and she departed, she and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains. 39 And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, (AL)who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 11:31 Or whoever
  2. Judges 11:31 Or him

Iefte pone le condizioni

11 Ora Iefte, il Galaadita, era uomo forte e valoroso, figlio di una prostituta; lo aveva generato Gàlaad. Poi la moglie di Gàlaad gli partorì figli e, quando i figli della moglie furono adulti, cacciarono Iefte e gli dissero: «Tu non avrai eredità nella casa di nostro padre, perché sei figlio di un'altra donna». Iefte fuggì lontano dai suoi fratelli e si stabilì nel paese di Tob. Attorno a Iefte si raccolsero alcuni sfaccendati e facevano scorrerie con lui. Qualche tempo dopo gli Ammoniti mossero guerra a Israele. Quando gli Ammoniti iniziarono la guerra contro Israele, gli anziani di Gàlaad andarono a prendere Iefte nel paese di Tob. Dissero a Iefte: «Vieni, sii nostro condottiero e combatteremo contro gli Ammoniti». Ma Iefte rispose agli anziani di Gàlaad: «Non siete forse voi quelli che mi avete odiato e scacciato dalla casa di mio padre? Perché venite da me ora che siete in difficoltà?». Gli anziani di Gàlaad dissero a Iefte: «Proprio per questo ora ci rivolgiamo a te: verrai con noi, combatterai contro gli Ammoniti e sarai il capo di noi tutti abitanti di Gàlaad». Iefte rispose agli anziani di Gàlaad: «Se mi riconducete per combattere contro gli Ammoniti e il Signore li mette in mio potere, io sarò vostro capo». 10 Gli anziani di Gàlaad dissero a Iefte: «Il Signore sia testimone tra di noi, se non faremo come hai detto». 11 Iefte dunque andò con gli anziani di Gàlaad; il popolo lo costituì suo capo e condottiero e Iefte ripetè le sue parole davanti al Signore in Mizpa.

Approcci di Iefte con gli Ammoniti

12 Poi Iefte inviò messaggeri al re degli Ammoniti per dirgli: «Che c'è tra me e te, perché tu venga contro di me a muover guerra al mio paese?». 13 Il re degli Ammoniti rispose ai messaggeri di Iefte: «Perché, quando Israele uscì dall'Egitto, si impadronì del mio territorio, dall'Arnon fino allo Iabbok e al Giordano; restituiscilo spontaneamente». 14 Iefte inviò di nuovo messaggeri al re degli Ammoniti per dirgli: 15 «Dice Iefte: Israele non si impadronì del paese di Moab, né del paese degli Ammoniti; 16 ma, quando Israele uscì dall'Egitto e attraversò il deserto fino al Mare Rosso e giunse a Kades, 17 mandò messaggeri al re di Edom per dirgli: Lasciami passare per il tuo paese, ma il re di Edom non acconsentì. Mandò anche al re di Moab, nemmeno lui volle e Israele rimase a Kades. 18 Poi camminò per il deserto, fece il giro del paese di Edom e del paese di Moab, giunse a oriente del paese di Moab e si accampò oltre l'Arnon senza entrare nei territori di Moab; perché l'Arnon segna il confine di Moab. 19 Allora Israele mandò messaggeri a Sicon, re degli Amorrei, re di Chesbon, e gli disse: Lasciaci passare dal tuo paese, per arrivare al nostro. 20 Ma Sicon non si fidò che Israele passasse per i suoi confini; anzi radunò tutta la sua gente, si accampò a Iaaz e combattè contro Israele. 21 Il Signore, Dio d'Israele, mise Sicon e tutta la sua gente nelle mani d'Israele, che li sconfisse; così Israele conquistò tutto il paese degli Amorrei che abitavano quel territoro; 22 conquistò tutti i territori degli Amorrei, dall'Arnon allo Iabbok e dal deserto al Giordano. 23 Ora il Signore, Dio d'Israele, ha scacciato gli Amorrei davanti a Israele suo popolo e tu vorresti possedere il loro paese? 24 Non possiedi tu quello che Camos tuo dio ti ha fatto possedere? Così anche noi possiederemo il paese di quelli che il Signore ha scacciati davanti a noi. 25 Sei tu forse più di Balak, figlio di Zippor, re di Moab? Mosse forse querela ad Israele o gli fece guerra? 26 Da trecento anni Israele abita a Chesbon e nelle sue dipendenze, ad Aroer e nelle sue dipendenze e in tutte le città lungo l'Arnon; perché non gliele avete tolte durante questo tempo? 27 Io non ti ho fatto torto e tu agisci male verso di me, muovendomi guerra; il Signore giudice giudichi oggi tra gli Israeliti e gli Ammoniti!». 28 Ma il re degli Ammoniti non ascoltò le parole che Iefte gli aveva mandato a dire.

Il voto di Iefte e la sua vittoria

29 Allora lo spirito del Signore venne su Iefte ed egli attraversò Gàlaad e Manàsse, passò a Mizpa di Gàlaad e da Mizpa di Gàlaad raggiunse gli Ammoniti. 30 Iefte fece voto al Signore e disse: «Se tu mi metti nelle mani gli Ammoniti, 31 la persona che uscirà per prima dalle porte di casa mia per venirmi incontro, quando tornerò vittorioso dagli Ammoniti, sarà per il Signore e io l'offrirò in olocausto». 32 Quindi Iefte raggiunse gli Ammoniti per combatterli e il Signore glieli mise nelle mani. 33 Egli li sconfisse da Aroer fin verso Minnit, prendendo loro venti città, e fino ad Abel-Cheramin. Così gli Ammoniti furono umiliati davanti agli Israeliti. 34 Poi Iefte tornò a Mizpa, verso casa sua; ed ecco uscirgli incontro la figlia, con timpani e danze. Era l'unica figlia: non aveva altri figli, né altre figlie. 35 Appena la vide, si stracciò le vesti e disse: «Figlia mia, tu mi hai rovinato! Anche tu sei con quelli che mi hanno reso infelice! Io ho dato la mia parola al Signore e non posso ritirarmi». 36 Essa gli disse: «Padre mio, se hai dato parola al Signore, fà di me secondo quanto è uscito dalla tua bocca, perché il Signore ti ha concesso vendetta sugli Ammoniti, tuoi nemici». 37 Poi disse al padre: «Mi sia concesso questo: lasciami libera per due mesi, perché io vada errando per i monti a piangere la mia verginità con le mie compagne». 38 Egli le rispose: «Và!», e la lasciò andare per due mesi. Essa se ne andò con le compagne e pianse sui monti la sua verginità. 39 Alla fine dei due mesi tornò dal padre ed egli fece di lei quello che aveva promesso con voto. Essa non aveva conosciuto uomo; di qui venne in Israele questa usanza: 40 ogni anno le fanciulle d'Israele vanno a piangere la figlia di Iefte il Galaadita, per quattro giorni.

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. 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.” 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.

It came to pass after a time that the (F)people of Ammon made war against Israel. 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. Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.”

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?”

(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.”

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

  1. Judges 11:7 trouble
  2. Judges 11:8 returned
  3. Judges 11:21 Lit. struck
  4. Judges 11:23 driven out
  5. Judges 11:33 Lit. struck
  6. Judges 11:33 Lit. Plain of Vineyards
  7. Judges 11:35 Lit. opened my mouth
  8. Judges 11:35 Lit. take it back
  9. Judges 11:37 lament
  10. Judges 11:37 companions
  11. Judges 11:39 Remained a virgin
  12. Judges 11:40 commemorate

11 Jephthah(A) the Gileadite was a mighty warrior.(B) His father was Gilead;(C) his mother was a prostitute.(D) 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.” 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.

Some time later, when the Ammonites(G) were fighting against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites.”

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?”

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.”

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

  1. Judges 11:16 Or the Sea of Reeds
  2. Judges 11:20 Or however, would not make an agreement for Israel