1And Yiphtaḥ the Gil‛aḏite was a mighty brave one, but he was the son of a whore. And Gil‛aḏ brought forth Yiphtaḥ.

2And the wife of Gil‛aḏ bore sons. And when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Yiphtaḥ out, and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in the house of our father, for you are the son of another woman.”

3And Yiphtaḥ fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Toḇ. And worthless men banded together with Yiphtaḥ and went out with him.

4And it came to be, some time later, that the children of Ammon fought against Yisra’ĕl.

5And it came to be, when the children of Ammon fought against Yisra’ĕl, that the elders of Gil‛aḏ went to bring Yiphtaḥ out of the land of Toḇ.

6And they said to Yiphtaḥ, “Come, and you shall be our commander, and let us fight against the children of Ammon.”

7But Yiphtaḥ said to the elders of Gil‛aḏ, “Did you not hate me, and drive me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?”

8And the elders of Gil‛aḏ said to Yiphtaḥ, “That is the reason we have turned to you, that you shall go with us and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gil‛aḏ.”

9And Yiphtaḥ said to the elders of Gil‛aḏ, “If you take me back home to fight against the children of Ammon, and יהוה gives them to me, am I to be your head?”

10And the elders of Gil‛aḏ said to Yiphtaḥ, “יהוה is witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.”

11Then Yiphtaḥ went with the elders of Gil‛aḏ, and the people set him over them, as head and commander. And Yiphtaḥ spoke all his words before יהוה in Mitspah.

12And Yiphtaḥ sent messengers to the sovereign of the children of Ammon, saying, “What is between you and me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?”

13And the sovereign of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Yiphtaḥ, “Because Yisra’ĕl took my land when they came up out of Mitsrayim, from the Arnon as far as the Yabboq, and to the Yardĕn. And now, give back those lands in peace.”

14But Yiphtaḥ again sent messengers to the sovereign of the children of Ammon,

15and said to him, “This is what Yiphtaḥ said, ‘Yisra’ĕl did not take the land of Mo’aḇ, nor the land of the children of Ammon.

16‘For when they came up from Mitsrayim, and Yisra’ĕl walked through the wilderness as far as the Sea of Reeds and came to Qaḏĕsh,

17then Yisra’ĕl sent messengers to the sovereign of Eḏom, saying, “Please let me pass over, through your land.” But the sovereign of Eḏom would not listen. And they also sent to the sovereign of Mo’aḇ, but he refused, so Yisra’ĕl stayed at Qaḏĕsh.

18‘Then they went through the wilderness and around the land of Eḏom and the land of Mo’aḇ, and came to the east side of the land of Mo’aḇ, and encamped beyond Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Mo’aḇ, for Arnon was the border of Mo’aḇ.

19‘And Yisra’ĕl sent messengers to Siḥon sovereign of the Amorites, sovereign of Ḥeshbon, and Yisra’ĕl said to him, “Please let us pass over, through your land into our place.”

20‘But Siḥon did not trust Yisra’ĕl to pass over through his border, and Siḥon gathered all his people together, and they encamped in Yahats, and fought against Yisra’ĕl.

21‘And יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl gave Siḥon and all his people into the hand of Yisra’ĕl, and they smote them. So Yisra’ĕl took possession of all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that land.

22‘Thus they took possession of all the border of the Amorites, from Arnon to the Yabboq and from the wilderness to the Yardĕn.

23‘And now, יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl has driven out the Amorites from before His people Yisra’ĕl, should you then possess it?

24‘Whatever Kemosh your mighty one gives you to possess, do you not possess it? And all that which יהוה our Elohim takes possession of before us, we possess.

25‘And now are you any better than Balaq son of Tsippor, sovereign of Mo’aḇ? Did he ever strive against Yisra’ĕl? Did he ever fight against them?

26‘While Yisra’ĕl dwelt in Ḥeshbon and its villages, and in Aro‛ĕr and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time?

27‘So I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me evil by fighting against me. Let יהוה the Judge, judge today between the children of Yisra’ĕl and the children of Ammon.’ ”

28But the sovereign of the children of Ammon did not listen to the words which Yiphtaḥ sent him.

29And the Spirit of יהוה came upon Yiphtaḥ, and he passed through Gil‛aḏ and Menashsheh, and passed through Mitspeh of Gil‛aḏ. And from Mitspeh of Gil‛aḏ he passed on toward the children of Ammon.

30And Yiphtaḥ made a vow to יהוה, and said, “If You give the children of Ammon into my hands,

31then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall belong to יהוה, and I shall offer it up as a burnt offering.”

32Yiphtaḥ then passed on toward the children of Ammon to fight against them, and יהוה gave them into his hands.

33And he smote them from Aro‛ĕr as far as Minnith, twenty cities, and to Aḇĕl Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were humbled before the children of Yisra’ĕl.

34And Yiphtaḥ came to his house at Mitspah, and saw his daughter coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing. Now except for her he had neither son nor daughter.

35And it came to be, when he saw her, that he tore his garments, and said, “Oh my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me! And I, I have given my word to יהוה, and I am unable to turn back.”

36And she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to יהוה, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because יהוה has taken vengeance for you upon your enemies, the children of Ammon.”

37And she said to her father, “Let this be done for me: let me alone for two months, and let me go and wander on the mountains and bewail my maidenhood, my friends and I.”

38Then he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months. And she went with her friends, and bewailed her maidenhood on the mountains.

39And it came to be at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed, and she knew no man. And it became a statute in Yisra’ĕl

40that the daughters of Yisra’ĕl went every year for four days to lament the daughter of Yiphtaḥ the Gil‛aḏite.