Judges 11:1-21 ▼

1 NOW Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begat Jephthah.

2 And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they expelled Jephthah, saying, He shall not inherit in our father's house, because he is the son of another woman.

3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tobtha; and there were gathered worthless men to Jephthah, and they went raiding with him.

4 And it came to pass after a time, the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

5 And when the children of Ammon made war against the children of Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tobtha;

6 And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

7 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did you not hate me and expel me from my father's house? And why have you come to me now when you are in distress?

8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, That is why we have come to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the children of Ammon and be the leader over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

9 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me back to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your chief?

10 And the elders of Gilead said to him, The LORD shall be witness between us, if we do not so according to your words.

11 Then Jephthah went with the eiders of Gilead, and the people made him chief and ruler over them; and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

12 And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What have we against each other, that you have come against me to fight in my land?

13 And the king of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, Because the children of Israel took away my land when they came up out of the land of Egypt from Arnon even to Jabbok and to the Jordan, now therefore restore these lands to me peaceably.

14 And Jephthah sent letters and messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon;

15 And said to him, Thus says Jephthah, Israel did not take away the land of Moab nor the land of the children of Ammon;

16 Because when the children of Israel came up from Egypt, Israel journeyed through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea, and came to Rakim;

17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Let me pass through your land; but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab; but he would not consent; so Israel stayed in Rakim.

18 Then they journeyed through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of Arnon, but they did not enter the territory of Moab; for Arnon was the border of Moab.

19 And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, Let us pass through your land until we come to our land.

20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought against Israel.

21 And the LORD our God delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and Israel destroyed the land of the Amorites.