¹⁷ The Ammonites were summoned and they encamped in Gilead. The Israelis assembled together and encamped in Mizpah. ¹⁸ The people and Gilead’s officials inquired among themselves, “Who will begin our attack against the Ammonites? He’ll become head over everyone who lives in Gilead.”

Jephthah, Israel’s Eighth Judge

11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant soldier, but he was also the son of a prostitute and Jephthah’s father Gilead. ² Gilead’s wife bore two sons through him, but when his wife’s sons grew up, they expelled Jephthah and declared to him, “You won’t have an inheritance in this^[a] house, since you’re the son of a different woman.” ³ So Jephthah escaped from his brothers and lived in the territory of Tob, where worthless men gathered themselves around him and went out on raiding parties with him.

⁴ Later on, the Ammonites attacked Israel. ⁵ When this happened,^[b] the elders of Gilead went to the territory of Tob to find Jephthah. ⁶ They told him, “Come and be our commander so we can fight the Ammonites!”

⁷ But Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Weren’t you the ones who hated me and drove me out of my father’s house? And you come to me now that you’re in trouble?”

⁸ So the elders of Gilead told Jephthah, “Well, we’re coming back to you now so you can accompany us, fight the Ammonites, and become the head of all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

⁹ Then Jephthah asked the elders of Gilead, “If you all send me to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord hands them over right in front of me, will I really become your head?”

¹⁰ The elders of Gilead responded to Jephthah, “May the Lord serve^[c] as a witness that we’re making this agreement between ourselves to do as we’ve said.” ¹¹ So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people appointed him head and military commander over them. Jephthah uttered everything he had to say with the solemnity of an oath^[d] in the Lord’s presence at Mizpah.