Now Jephthahthe Gileaditewasa mighty manof valor, and he was the sonof a harlot: and GileadbegotJephthah. And Gilead's wifeborehim sons; and his wife's sonsgrew up, and they thrust outJephthah, and saidunto him, Thou shalt notinheritin our father's house; forthou art the sonof a strangewoman. Then Jephthahfledfromhis brethren, and dweltin the landof Tob: and there were gatheredvainmentoJephthah, and went outwithhim. And it came to passin process of time, that the childrenof Ammonmade waragainstIsrael. And it wasso, that whenthe childrenof Ammonmade waragainstIsrael, the eldersof Gileadwentto fetchJephthahout of the landof Tob: And they saidunto Jephthah, Come, and beour captain, that we may fightwith the childrenof Ammon. And Jephthahsaidunto the eldersof Gilead, Did notyehateme, and expelme out of my father's house? and whyare ye comeuntome nowwhenye are in distress? And the eldersof GileadsaiduntoJephthah, Thereforewe turn againtothee now, that thou mayest gowithus, and fightagainst the childrenof Ammon, and beour headover allthe inhabitantsof Gilead. And Jephthahsaiduntothe eldersof Gilead, Ifyebring me home againto fightagainst the childrenof Ammon, and the LORDdeliverthem beforeme, shall Ibeyour head? And the eldersof GileadsaiduntoJephthah, The LORDbewitnessbetweenus, ifwe donotsoaccording to thy words. Then Jephthahwentwiththe eldersof Gilead, and the peoplemadehim headand captainoverthem: and Jephthahutteredallhis wordsbeforethe LORDin Mizpeh. And Jephthahsentmessengersuntothe kingof the childrenof Ammon, saying, Whathast thou to do with me, thatthou art comeagainstme to fightin my land? And the kingof the childrenof Ammonanswereduntothe messengersof Jephthah, BecauseIsraeltook awaymy land, when they came upout of Egypt, from Arnoneven untoJabbok, and untoJordan: nowtherefore restore those lands againpeaceably. And Jephthahsentmessengersagainuntothe kingof the childrenof Ammon: And saidunto him, ThussaithJephthah, Israeltook not awaythe landof Moab, nor the landof the childrenof Ammon: Butwhen Israelcame upfrom Egypt, and walkedthrough the wildernessuntothe Redsea, and cameto Kadesh; Then Israelsentmessengersuntothe kingof Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, passthrough thy land: but the kingof Edomwould nothearken thereto . And in like mannerthey sentuntothe kingof Moab: but he wouldnot consent : and Israelabodein Kadesh. Then they went alongthrough the wilderness, and compassedthe landof Edom, and the landof Moab, and cameby the east sideof the landof Moab, and pitchedon the other sideof Arnon, but camenotwithin the borderof Moab: forArnon was the borderof Moab. And IsraelsentmessengersuntoSihonkingof the Amorites, the kingof Heshbon; and Israelsaidunto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy landintomy place. But SihontrustednotIsraelto passthrough his coast: but Sihongathered all his people together, and pitchedin Jahaz, and foughtagainstIsrael. And the LORDGodof IsraeldeliveredSihonand allhis peopleinto the handof Israel, and they smotethem: so Israelpossessedallthe landof the Amorites, the inhabitantsof thatcountry. And they possessedallthe coastsof the Amorites, from Arnoneven untoJabbok, and fromthe wildernesseven untoJordan. So nowthe LORDGodof Israelhath dispossessedthe Amoritesfrom beforehis peopleIsrael, and shouldest thoupossessit? Wilt notthou possessthat whichChemoshthy godgiveth thee to possess? So whomsoeverthe LORDour Godshall drive outfrom beforeus, them will we possess. And now art thouany thing betterthan Balakthe sonof Zippor, kingof Moab? did he ever striveagainstIsrael, ordid he ever fightagainst them, While Israeldweltin Heshbonand her towns, and in Aroerand her towns, and in allthe citiesthat be along bythe coastsof Arnon, threehundredyears? whytherefore did ye notrecover them within thattime? Wherefore Ihave notsinnedagainst thee, but thoudoestme wrongto waragainst me: the LORDthe Judgebe judgethis daybetweenthe childrenof Israeland the childrenof Ammon. Howbeit the kingof the childrenof Ammonhearkenednotuntothe wordsof Jephthahwhichhe senthim. Then the Spiritof the LORDcameuponJephthah, and he passed overGilead, and Manasseh, and passed overMizpehof Gilead, and from Mizpehof Gileadhe passed over unto the childrenof Ammon. And Jephthahvoweda vowunto the LORD, and said, Ifthou shalt without fail deliverthe childrenof Ammoninto mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoevercometh forthof the doorsof my houseto meetme, when I returnin peacefrom the childrenof Ammon, shall surely bethe LORD's, and I will offer it upfor a burnt offering. So Jephthahpassed overuntothe childrenof Ammonto fightagainst them; and the LORDdeliveredthem into his hands. And he smotethem from Aroer, even tillthou cometo Minnith, even twentycities, and untothe plainof the vineyards, with a verygreatslaughter. Thus the childrenof Ammonwere subduedbeforethe childrenof Israel. And Jephthahcameto Mizpehuntohis house, and, behold, his daughtercame outto meethim with timbrelsand with dances: and she was his only child; besideher he had neithersonnordaughter. And it came to pass, when he sawher, that he renthis clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thouartone of them that troubleme: for Ihave openedmy mouthuntothe LORD, and I cannotgo back. And she saiduntohim, My father, if thou hast openedthy mouthuntothe LORD, doto me according to that whichhath proceeded outof thy mouth; forasmuchas the LORDhath takenvengeancefor thee of thine enemies, even of the childrenof Ammon. And she saiduntoher father, Let thisthingbe donefor me: let me alonetwomonths, that I may go upand downuponthe mountains, and bewailmy virginity, Iand my fellows. And he said, Go. And he sent her away for twomonths: and shewentwith her companions, and bewailedher virginityuponthe mountains. And it came to passat the endof twomonths, that she returneduntoher father, who didwith her according to his vowwhichhe had vowed: and sheknewnoman. And it wasa customin Israel, That the daughtersof Israelwentyearlyto lamentthe daughterof Jephthahthe Gileaditefourdaysin a year.