Jephthah’s Vow and Victory

29 Then (A)the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah (B)made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, (C)shall surely be the Lord’s, (D)and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. 33 And he [a]defeated them from Aroer as far as (E)Minnith—twenty cities—and to [b]Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Jephthah’s Daughter

34 When Jephthah came to his house at (F)Mizpah, there was (G)his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he (H)tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I (I)have [c]given my word to the Lord, and (J)I cannot [d]go back on it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 11:33 Lit. struck
  2. Judges 11:33 Lit. Plain of Vineyards
  3. Judges 11:35 Lit. opened my mouth
  4. Judges 11:35 Lit. take it back

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