The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

And he captured a youth from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.

Then he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them.

When the sons of Ammon fought against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob;

But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?”

The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “For this reason we have now returned to you, that you may go with us and fight the sons of Ammon, and become our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the Lord gives them up to me, will I become your head?”

And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord is witness between us; be assured we will do as you have said.”

Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord at Mizpah.

Then the elders of the congregation said, “What are we to do for wives for those who are left, since the women have been eliminated from Benjamin?”