| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. | 1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father. |
| 2Gilead'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." | 2And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.” |
| 3So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a gang of scoundrels gathered around him and followed him. | 3So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him. |
| 4Some time later, when the Ammonites were fighting against Israel, | 4Some time later, when the Ammonites fought against Israel |
| 5the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. | 5and made war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. |
| 6"Come," they said, "be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites." | 6“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so that we can fight against the Ammonites.” |
| 7Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house? Why do you come to me now, when you're in trouble?" | 7Jephthah replied to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and expel me from my father’s house? Why then have you come to me now, when you are in distress?” |
| 8The 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 over all of us who live in Gilead." | 8They answered Jephthah, “This is why we now turn to you, that you may go with us, fight the Ammonites, and become leader over all of us who live in Gilead.” |
| 9Jephthah answered, "Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me--will I really be your head?" | 9But Jephthah asked them, “If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?” |
| 10The elders of Gilead replied, "The LORD is our witness; we will certainly do as you say." | 10And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD is our witness if we do not do as you say.” |
| 11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah. | 11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah. |
| 12Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: "What do you have against me that you have attacked my country?" | 12Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against my land?” |
| 13The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah's messengers, "When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably." | 13The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and all the way to the Jordan. Now, therefore, restore it peaceably.” |
| 14Jephthah sent back messengers to the Ammonite king, | 14Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites |
| 15saying: "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites. | 15to tell him, “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take away the land of Moab or of the Ammonites. |
| 16But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and on to Kadesh. | 16But when Israel came up out of Egypt, they traveled through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. |
| 17Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Give us permission to go through your country,' but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab, and he refused. So Israel stayed at Kadesh. | 17Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel stayed in Kadesh. |
| 18"Next they traveled through the wilderness, skirted the lands of Edom and Moab, passed along the eastern side of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon. They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border. | 18Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border. |
| 19"Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, 'Let us pass through your country to our own place.' | 19And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’ |
| 20Sihon, however, did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He mustered all his troops and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. | 20But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel. |
| 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, | 21Then the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, who defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites who inhabited that country, |
| 22capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan. | 22seizing all the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. |
| 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? | 23Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven out the Amorites from before His people Israel, should you now possess it? |
| 24Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the LORD our God has given us, we will possess. | 24Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever the LORD our God has granted us. |
| 25Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them? | 25Are you now so much better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them? |
| 26For three hundred years Israel occupied Heshbon, Aroer, the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn't you retake them during that time? | 26For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, as well as all the cities along the banks of the Arnon. Why did you not take them back during that time? |
| 27I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites." | 27I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.” |
| 28The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him. | 28But the king of the Ammonites paid no heed to the message Jephthah sent him. |
| 29Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. | 29Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites. |
| 30And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, | 30Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand, |
| 31whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." | 31then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” |
| 32Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. | 32So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hand. |
| 33He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon. | 33With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites. |
| 34When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. | 34And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her. |
| 35When he saw her, he tore his clothes 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." | 35As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.” |
| 36"My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. | 36“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.” |
| 37But 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." | 37She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander for two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.” |
| 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. | 38“Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains. |
| 39After 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 | 39After two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she had never had relations with a man. So it has become a custom in Israel |
| 40that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite. | 40that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite. |
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