Jephthah

There was at that time Jephte, the Galaadite, a most valiant man, and a warrior, the son of a woman that was a harlot, and his father was Galaad.

Now Galaad had a wife of whom he had sons: who, after they were grown up, thrust out Jephte, saying: Thou canst not inherit in the house of our father, because thou art born of another mother.

Then he fled and avoided them, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered to him needy men and robbers, and they followed him as their prince.

And as they pressed hard upon them, the ancients of Galaad went to fetch Jephte out of the land of Tob to help them:

And they said to him: Come thou, and be our prince, and fight against the children of Ammon.

And he answered them: Are not you the men that hated me, and cast me out of my father's house, and now you are come to me, constrained by necessity?

And the princes of Galaad said to Jephte: For this cause we are now come to thee, that thou mayst go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be head over all the inhabitants of Galaad.

Jephte also said to them: If you be come to me sincerely, that I should fight for you against the children of Ammon, and the Lord shall deliver them into my hand, shall I be your prince?

They answered him: The Lord, who heareth these things, he himself is mediator and witness that we will do as we have promised.

Jephte therefore went with the princes of Galaad, and all the people made him their prince. And Jephte spoke all his words before the Lord in Maspha.

And he sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, to say in his name: What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me, to waste my land?

And he answered them: Because Israel took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the confines of the Arnon unto the Jaboc and the Jordan: now, therefore, restore the same peaceably to me.

And Jephte again sent word by them, and commanded them to say to the king of Ammon:

Thus saith Jephte: Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

And the king of the children of Ammon would not hearken to the words of Jephte, which he sent him by the messengers.

Therefore the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephte, and going round Galaad, and Manasses, and Maspha of Galaad, and passing over from thence to the children of Ammon,

He made a vow to the Lord, saying: If thou wilt deliver the children of Ammon into my hands,

And Jephte passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them: and the Lord delivered them into his hands.

And when Jephte returned into Maspha, to his house, his only daughter met him with timbrels and with dances: for he had no other children.

That, from year to year, the daughters of Israel assemble together, and lament the daughter of Jephte the Galaadite, for four days.

But behold there arose a sedition in Ephraim. And passing towards the north, they said to Jephte: When thou wentest to fight against the children of Ammon, why wouldst thou not call us, that we might go with thee? Therefore we will burn thy house.

And he answered them: I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon: and I called you to assist me, and you would not do it.

Then calling to him all the men of Galaad, he fought against Ephraim: and the men of Galaad defeated Ephraim, because he had said: Galaad is a fugitive of Ephraim, and dwelleth in the midst of Ephraim and Manasses.

And Jephte, the Galaadite, judged Israel six years: and he died, and was buried in his city of Galaad.

And the Lord sent Jerobaal, and Badan, and Jephte, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies round about, and you dwelt securely.