Shaphatiym 11

Now Yiphtah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot: and Gilead begot Yiphtah.

And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Yiphtah, and said unto him, "Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman."

Then Yiphtah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Yiphtah, and went out with him.

And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Yashar'al.

And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Yashar'al, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Yiphtah out of the land of Tob:

And they said unto Yiphtah, "Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon."

And Yiphtah said unto the elders of Gilead, "Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?"

And the elders of Gilead said unto Yiphtah, "Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

And Yiphtah said unto the elders of Gilead, "If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 deliver them before me, shall I be your head?"

And the elders of Gilead said unto Yiphtah, "𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words."

Then Yiphtah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Yiphtah uttered all his words before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 in Mizpeh.

And Yiphtah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, "What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?"

And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Yiphtah, "Because Yashar'al took away my land, when they came up out of Mitzrayim, from Arnon even unto Yabboq, and unto Yardan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably."

And Yiphtah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:

And said unto him, "Thus saith Yiphtah, Yashar'al took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:"

"But when Yashar'al came up from Mitzrayim, and walked through the wilderness unto the Yam Suph, and came to Kadesh;"

"Then Yashar'al sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Yashar'al abode in Kadesh."

"Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab."

"And Yashar'al sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Emorites, the king of Heshbon; and Yashar'al said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place."

"But Sihon trusted not Yashar'al to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Yahaz, and fought against Yashar'al."

"And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Alahiym of Yashar'al delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Yashar'al, and they smote them: so Yashar'al possessed all the land of the Emorites, the inhabitants of that country."

"And they possessed all the coasts of the Emorites, from Arnon even unto Yabboq, and from the wilderness even unto Yardan."

"So now 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Alahiym of Yashar'al hath dispossessed the Emorites from before his people Yashar'al, and shouldest thou possess it?"

"Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy alahiym giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 our Alahiym shall drive out from before us, them will we possess."

"And now art thou any thing better than Balaq the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Yashar'al, or did he ever fight against them,"

"While Yashar'al dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?"

"Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 the Judge be judge this day between the children of Yashar'al and the children of Ammon."

Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Yiphtah which he sent him.

Then the Spirit (Ruach) of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came upon Yiphtah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manashah, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

And Yiphtah vowed a vow unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and said, "If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,"

"Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering."

So Yiphtah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 delivered them into his hands.

And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Yashar'al.

And Yiphtah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, "Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and I cannot go back."

And she said unto him, "My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon."

And she said unto her father, "Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows."

And he said, "Go." And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Yashar'al,

That the daughters of Yashar'al went yearly to lament the daughter of Yiphtah the Gileadite four days in a year.