1. Jephthah was a mighty warrior. He was from the land of Gilead. His father's name was Gilead. Jephthah's mother was a prostitute.
2. Gilead 's wife also had sons by him. When they had grown up, they drove Jephthah away. "You aren't going to get any share of our family's property," they said. "You are the son of another woman."
3. So Jephthah ran away from his brothers. He settled in the land of Tob. A group of men who weren't good for anything gathered around him there. And they followed him.
4. Some time later, the Ammonites went to war against Israel.
5. So the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.
6. "Come with us," they said. "Be our commander. Then we can fight against the Ammonites."
7. Jephthah said to them, "Didn't you hate me? Didn't you drive me away from my father's house? Why are you coming to me only when you are in trouble?"
8. The elders of Gilead replied to him. "You are right," they said. "That's why we're turning to you now. Come with us and fight against the Ammonites. Then you will be our leader. You will rule over everyone who lives in Gilead."
9. Jephthah said, "Suppose you take me back to fight against the Ammonites. And suppose the Lord gives them over to me. Then will I really be your leader?"
10. The elders of Gilead replied, "The Lord is our witness. We'll certainly do as you say."
11. So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. And the people made him their leader and commander. He went to Mizpah. There he repeated to the Lord everything he had said.
12. Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon. They asked, "What do you have against us? Why have you attacked our country?"
13. The king of Ammon answered Jephthah's messengers. He said, "Israel came up out of Egypt. At that time they took my land away. They took all of the land that was between the Arnon River and the Jabbok River. It reached all the way to the Jordan River. Now give it back. Then there will be peace."
14. Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon.
15. They said, "Here is what Jephthah says to you. Israel didn't take the land of Moab. They didn't take the land of Ammon.
16. When Israel came up out of Egypt, they went through the desert to the Red Sea. From there they went on to Kadesh.
17. "Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom. They said, 'Please let us go through your country.' But the king of Edom wouldn't listen to them. "They sent the same message to the king of Moab. But he refused too. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.
18. "Next, they traveled through the desert. They traveled along the borders of the lands of Edom and Moab. They passed along the east side of the country of Moab. They camped on the other side of the Arnon River. They didn't enter the territory of Moab. The Arnon River was Moab's border.
19. "Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon. He was the king of the Amorites. He ruled in Heshbon. They said to him, 'Let us pass through your country to our own land.'