Jephthah led ¹  Israel for six years; then he ²  died and was buried in his city in Gilead. ³ 

Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king

So Jephthah left ¹  his half-brothers ²  and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him. ³ 

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father. ¹ 

But the Ammonite king disregarded ¹  the message sent by Jephthah. ² 

Jephthah approached ¹  the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him.

So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement ¹  before the Lord in Mizpah.

When the Ammonites attacked, ¹  the leaders ²  of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back ³  from the land of Tob.

Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, “Why have ¹  you come against me to attack my land?”

and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal ¹  the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites.

Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me,

Every year ¹  Israelite women commemorate ²  the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days. ³ 

They said, ¹  “Come, be our commander, so we can fight with the Ammonites.”

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.

The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will judge any grievance you have against us, ¹  if we do not do as you say.” ² 

Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “But you hated me and made me leave ¹  my father’s house. Why do you come to me now, when you are in trouble?”

Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “All right! ¹  If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, ²  I will be your leader.” ³ 

The Lord’s spirit empowered ¹  Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went ²  to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites. ³ 

When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out ¹  to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines. ²  She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter.

Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites. ¹  I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power. ²