And the children of Israel wrought wickedness yet again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD and served him not. And the LORD was wroth with Israel, and sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon: which pilled and oppressed the children of Israel in those days eighteen years, all that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites in Gilead. read more.
Moreover, the children of Ammon went over Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore cumbered. Then the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against thee: for we have forsaken our own God, and have served Baalim." And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, "Did not the Egyptians, the Amorites, the children of Ammon, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppress you? And ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hands. And for all that, ye have forsaken me, and serve strange gods, wherefore I will help you no more. But go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen, and let them save you in the time of your tribulation." But the children of Israel said unto the LORD, "We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever please thee, and deliver us only at this time." And they put away the strange gods from them and served the LORD. And the misery of Israel grieved his soul. Then the children of Ammon gathered together and pitched in Gilead. And the children of Israel gathered them together and pitched in Mizpeh. And the company of the lords of Gilead said each to other, "Whosoever will begin the battle against the children of Ammon, the same shall be head over all the inhabiters of Gilead."

And there was one Jephthah a Gileadite, a strong man, which was the son of a harlot: Howbeit Gilead begat Jephthah. But Gilead's wife bare him sons, which when they were come to age, thrust out of Jephthah, and said unto him, "Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange woman." Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob. And there gathered idle people to Jephthah, and went out with him. read more.
But it chanced, in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. Then the elders of Gilead went and fetched Jephthah out of the land of Tob, and said unto him, "Come and be our captain, and let us fight with the children of Ammon." And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, "Did not ye hate me and expel me out of my father's house? How happeneth it then that you come unto me now in time of your tribulation?" And the elders of Gilead answered Jephthah, "Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabiters of Gilead." And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, "If ye bring me home again, to fight with the children of Ammon, then if the LORD deliver them before me, I shall be your head." And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD be witness between us if we do not according to thy words." Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. And the people made him head and ruler over them. And Jephthah rehearsed all his words in Mizpeh. Then Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, "What aileth thee with me that thou comest upon me to fight against my land?" And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land, when they came out of Egypt, even from Arnon unto Jabbok and from thence unto Jordan, now therefore restore those lands again with fair means." And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the children of Ammon, and said unto him, "Thus sayeth Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon. But when Israel came out of Egypt, they walked through the wilderness, even unto the reed sea, and came to Kadesh, and sent messengers unto the king of Edom saying, 'Let us, we pray thee, go through thy land.' But the king of Edom would not agree thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab, but he would not consent. And so Israel abode still in Kadesh. And then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came along by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of the river of Arnon, and came not within the coasts of the Moabites: for Arnon was their utmost border. And then Israel sent messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorites, and king of Heshbon, and said unto him, 'Let us pass through thy land unto our own country.' But Sihon trusted not Israel, to go through his coasts: but gathered all his people together and pitched in Jahaz, and fought with Israel. But the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his folk into the hands of Israel. And so Israel smote them and conquered all the land of the Amorites, the inhabiters of the said country. And they conquered all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness unto Jordan. So now seeing the LORD God of Israel hath cast out the Amorites before his people, shouldest thou possess the land? Nay, but what people Chemosh thy god driveth out, that land possess thou. But whatsoever nations the LORD our God expelleth, that land ought we to enjoy. And thereto art thou better than Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab? Did he strive with Israel or fight against thee, all the while Israel 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 hundredth years? Why didst thou not recover them in all that space? Wherefore I have not sinned against thee. But thou doest me wrong, to war against me. The LORD therefore be judge this day, between the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon." Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him. Then the spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. And he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and came to Mizpeh that lieth in Gilead, and from thence unto the children of Ammon. And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, "If thou shalt deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, then that thing that cometh out of the doors of my house against me, when I come home in peace from the children of Ammon, shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it up a burnt offering." And so Jephthah went unto the children of Ammon to fight with them. And the LORD delivered them into his hands. And he smote them from Aroer unto Minnith, twenty cities. And so forth to the plain of the vineyards, and made an exceeding great slaughter. And thus the children of Ammon were brought under, before the children of Israel.