and he gathered unto him, the sons of Ammon, and Amalek, - and came and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.

And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, - and forsook Yahweh, and served him not.

So the anger of Yahweh kindled upon Israel, - and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the sons of Ammon;

And the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan, to fight, even against Judah and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, - so that Israel was sore distressed.

Then said Yahweh unto the sons of Israel, - Was it not, from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, and from the sons of Ammon, and from the Philistines, that I saved you ?

Now the sons of Ammon were called out, and they encamped in Gilead, - and the sons of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.

Then said the people, the princes of Gilead, one to another, Who is the man that will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? he shall become head to all the inhabitants of Gilead.

And so it came to pass, after a time, - that the sons of Ammon made war with Israel.

When, therefore, it came to pass that the sons of Ammon made war with Israel, then went the elders of Gilead, to summon Jephthah out of the land of Tob.

And they said to Jephthah, Oh! come and be our commander, - that we may do battle with the sons of Ammon.

And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah - Therefore, have we, now, returned unto thee, that, if thou go with us, and do battle with the sons of Ammon, then shalt thou become our head, for all the inhabitants of Gilead.

And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead - If ye do bring me back to do battle with the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh deliver them up before me, shall, I myself, become your head?

So then Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, - What occasion is there between us, that thou shouldst have come unto me, to fight against my land?

And the king of the sons of Ammon said unto the messengers of Jephthah - Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan, - now, therefore, restore them in peace.

And Jephthah yet once more sent messengers unto the king of the sons of Ammon;

and said a unto him, Thus, saith Jephthah, - Israel took not away the land of Moab, or the land of the sons of Ammon;

I, therefore, have not sinned against thee; but, thou, art doing me a wrong, in fighting against me, - Let Yahweh, the Judge, give judgment today, between the sons of Israel, and the sons of Ammon!

But the king of the sons of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah, which he sent unto him.

Then came upon Jephthah the spirit of Yahweh, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, - and passed through Mizpeh of Gilead, and, from Mizpeh of Gilead, he passed through unto the sons of Ammon.

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto Yahweh, and said, - If thou wilt, deliver, the sons of Ammon into my hand,

then shall it be, that, whosoever cometh forth out of the doors of my house, to meet me, when I return successful, from the sons of Ammon, shall belong unto Yahweh, and I will offer him up, as an ascending-sacrifice.

So then Jephthah passed over unto the sons of Ammon, to fight against them, - and Yahweh delivered them into his hand;

and he smote them, from Aroer even till thou enterest in to Minnith, even twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with an exceeding great smiting, - and thus were the sons of Ammon subdued before the sons of Israel.

And she said unto him - My father! Thou hast opened wide thy mouth unto Yahweh, Do with me, according to that which hath gone forth out of thy mouth, - after that Yahweh hath exacted for thee an avenging from thine enemies, from the sons of Ammon.

And the men of Ephraim were called together, and passed over northward, - and said unto Jephthah - Wherefore didst thou pass over to do battle with the sons of Ammon, and, for us, didst not call, to go with thee? Thy house, will we consume over thee with fire.

And Jephthah said unto them, Great strife, had, I and my people, even with the sons of Ammon; but, when I cried unto you for help, ye saved me not out of their hand.

So, when I saw that thou wast not going to save, then put I my life in my hand, and passed over against the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh delivered them into my hand. Wherefore, then, have ye come up against me this day, to fight against me?