Judges 10:6-11:9
10:6 Then the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah. And they served the Baals and the Ashtaroth and the gods of Aram and the gods of Sidon and the gods of Moab and the gods of the children of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines, and they forsook Jehovah and did not serve Him.
10:7 And the anger of Jehovah burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the children of Ammon.
10:8 And they oppressed and crushed the children of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the children of Israel who were across the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
10:9 And the children of Ammon crossed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah and Benjamin and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was greatly distressed.
10:10 Then the children of Israel cried out to Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against You, for we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.
10:11 And Jehovah said to the children of Israel, Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines?
10:12 And the Sidonians and Amalek and Maon oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I saved you from their hand.
10:13 But you forsook Me and served other gods; therefore I will not save you again.
10:14 Go and cry out to the gods that you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress.
10:15 But the children of Israel said to Jehovah, We have sinned. You do with us according to all that is good in Your sight. Only deliver us this day, we pray.
10:16 And they removed the foreign gods from their midst and served Jehovah. And His soul could no longer bear Israel’s misery.
10:17 Then the children of Ammon gathered together and encamped in Gilead, and the children of Israel assembled together and encamped in Mizpah.
10:18 And the people, that is, the princes of Gilead, said each to his companion, Who is the man who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor. And he was the son of a harlot, and Gilead had begotten Jephthah.
11:2 And Gilead’s wife bore him sons. And when the woman’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, You shall not have an inheritance in the house of our father, for you are the son of some other woman.
11:3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob. And worthless men collected around Jephthah, and they went out with him.
11:4 And after some time the children of Ammon fought with Israel.
11:5 And when the children of Ammon fought with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
11:6 And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our chief, and we will fight against the children of Ammon.
11:7 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Are you not the ones who hated me and drove me out from the house of my father? Why then do you come to me now that you are in distress?
11:8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, This is the reason we have turned now to you, that you would come with us and fight against the children of Ammon and be for us the head of all the inhabitants of Gilead.
11:9 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you are bringing me back to fight against the children of Ammon and Jehovah delivers them up before me, will I be your head?