士师耶弗他
1基列人耶弗他是个英勇的战士，他父亲名叫基列，母亲是个妓女。 2基列的妻子还生了几个儿子，他们长大后，便把耶弗他赶出家门，说：“你是别的女人生的，你休想继承我们父亲的任何产业。” 3耶弗他只好逃走，住在陀伯地区。有一群匪徒跟随了他。
4后来，亚扪人攻打以色列， 5基列的众长老就去陀伯请耶弗他， 6对他说：“请你回来做统帅带领我们对抗亚扪人。” 7耶弗他说：“从前你们不是厌恶我，把我从父亲家赶走的吗？现在你们遭难，为什么来找我？” 8基列的众长老说：“现在我们是来请你跟我们一起回去抵抗亚扪人，你可以做所有基列人的首领。” 9耶弗他说：“如果我跟你们回去与亚扪人作战，耶和华让我打败他们，我就真的可以做你们的首领吗？” 10基列的首领们说：“我们必听从你的吩咐，有耶和华为我们作证。” 11于是，耶弗他便跟他们一起回去。民众拥立他做他们的首领和元帅。耶弗他在米斯巴将之前所说的话在耶和华面前重申一遍。
12然后，他派遣使者去问亚扪王：“你与我有什么相干？为什么要攻打我的领土？” 13亚扪王对他的使者说：“因为以色列人从埃及出来的时候占据了我们的土地——从亚嫩河到雅博河，一直到约旦河。现在你们要乖乖地把这些土地还给我们。” 14耶弗他再差遣使者去见亚扪王， 15对他说：“以色列人并没有占据摩押和亚扪的土地。 16当年以色列人离开埃及，经旷野渡过红海来到加低斯， 17然后派遣使者去见以东王，说，‘求你让我们经过你的领土。’以东王却不答应。他们又派遣使者去见摩押王，摩押王也不答应。于是，以色列人就住在加低斯。 18后来，他们走过旷野，绕过以东和摩押，到了摩押的东边，在摩押的边界亚嫩河东岸扎营，并没有进入摩押境内。 19以色列人派遣使者去见希实本的亚摩利王西宏，对他说，‘求让我们经过你的领土前往我们自己的土地。’ 20但西宏不信任以色列人，拒绝了他们的请求，并招聚全军驻扎在雅杂，攻打他们。 21但以色列的上帝耶和华帮助以色列人战胜西宏和他的军队，占领了他们所有的土地， 22从亚嫩河直到雅博河，从旷野直到约旦河。 23既然是以色列的上帝耶和华为祂的以色列子民赶走了亚摩利人，你凭什么要夺取这块土地？ 24你拥有你们的神明基抹给你们的土地，我们也要拥有我们的上帝耶和华赐给我们的土地。 25难道你比摩押王西拨的儿子巴勒更强吗？他从未挑战过以色列人，也未和以色列人交过战。 26三百年来，以色列人一直住在希实本及其周围的乡村、亚罗珥及其周围的乡村和亚嫩河沿岸一带的城邑。在这期间，你们为什么不收回这些土地呢？ 27我们没有得罪你们，你们却攻打我们。愿审判者耶和华今天在以色列人和亚扪人之间主持公道。” 28可是，亚扪王不理会耶弗他派使者所传的话。
29那时，耶和华的灵降在耶弗他身上，他便经过基列和玛拿西，来到基列的米斯巴，然后从那里去迎战亚扪人。 30他向耶和华许愿说：“如果你把亚扪人交在我手中， 31让我凯旋而归，第一个从我家门出来迎接我的人必归给你，我必把他献给你作燔祭。” 32于是，耶弗他率军与亚扪人作战，耶和华把敌人交在他手中， 33他大败敌军，摧毁了从亚罗珥到米匿、远至亚备勒·基拉明的二十座城。这样，以色列人征服了亚扪人。
34耶弗他返回自己在米斯巴的家，他的独生女儿敲着鼓、跳着舞出来迎接他。 35他一见自己的女儿，便撕裂衣服，说：“唉，我的女儿啊，你真让我伤心欲绝！我向耶和华许了愿，不能收回了！” 36他女儿说：“父亲啊，你既然向耶和华许了愿，就照你许的愿对待我吧！因为耶和华帮你打败了敌军亚扪人，为你报了仇。 37但求你先给我两个月的时间，让我和同伴到山上去为我终身未嫁哀哭。” 38耶弗他答应了，给了她两个月的时间。于是，她便和同伴到山上为自己终身未嫁哀哭。 39两个月后，她回到父亲那里。她父亲履行了自己所许的愿。她终身未嫁。自此以后，在以色列有个习俗： 40每年以色列的女子都去为基列人耶弗他的女儿哀哭四天。
1Jephthah was a mighty warrior. He was from the land of Gilead. His father’s name was Gilead. Jephthah’s mother was a prostitute. 2Gilead’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.” 3So Jephthah ran away from his brothers. He made his home in the land of Tob. A group of men who weren’t good for anything gathered around him there. And they followed him.
4Some time later, the Ammonites were fighting against Israel. 5So 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.”
7Jephthah 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?”
8The 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 rule over all of us who live in Gilead.”
9Jephthah said, “Suppose you take me back to fight against the Ammonites. And suppose the Lord gives me victory over them. Then will I really be your leader?”
10The elders of Gilead replied, “The Lord is our witness. We’ll certainly do as you say.” 11So 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.
12Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon. They asked, “What do you have against me? Why have you attacked my country?”
13The 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 the land 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.”
14Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon. 15They said,
“Here is what Jephthah says to you. Israel didn’t take the land of Moab. They didn’t take the land of Ammon. 16When Israel came up out of Egypt, they went through the desert to the Red Sea. From there they went on to Kadesh. 17Then 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.’ 20But Sihon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered all his troops together. They camped at Jahaz. And they fought against Israel.
21“Then the Lord, the God of Israel, handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel. Israel won the battle over them. Amorites were living in the country at that time. And Israel took over all their land. 22Israel captured all the land between the Arnon River and the Jabbok River. It reached from the desert all the way to the Jordan River.
23“The Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out to make room for his people. So what right do you have to take it over? 24You will take what your god Chemosh gives you, won’t you? In the same way, we will take over what the Lord our God has given us. 25Are you any better than Balak, the son of Zippor? Balak was the king of Moab. Did he ever argue with Israel? Did he ever fight against them? 26For 300 years Israel has been living in Heshbon and Aroer. They have been living in the settlements around those cities. They have also been living in all the towns along the Arnon River. Why didn’t you take those places back during that time? 27I haven’t done anything wrong to you. But you are doing something wrong to me. You have gone to war against me. The Lord is the Judge. So let him decide our case today. Let him settle matters between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
28But the king of Ammon didn’t pay any attention to the message Jephthah sent him.
29Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He went across the territories of Gilead and Manasseh. He passed through Mizpah in the land of Gilead. From there he attacked the people of Ammon. 30Jephthah made a promise to the Lord. Jephthah said, “Hand the Ammonites over to me. 31If you do, here’s what I’ll do when I come back from winning the battle. Anything that comes out the door of my house to meet me will belong to the Lord. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”
32Then Jephthah went over to fight against the Ammonites. The Lord handed them over to him. 33Jephthah destroyed 20 towns between Aroer and the area of Minnith. He destroyed them all the way to Abel Keramim. So Israel brought Ammon under their control.
34Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah. And guess who came out to meet him. It was his daughter! She was dancing to the beat of tambourines. She was his only child. He didn’t have any other sons or daughters. 35When Jephthah saw her, he was so upset that he tore his clothes. He cried out, “Oh no, my daughter! You have filled me with trouble and sorrow. I’ve made a promise to the Lord. And I can’t break it.”
36“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. So do to me just what you promised to do. The Ammonites were your enemies. And the Lord has paid them back for what they did to you. 37But please do one thing for me,” she continued. “Give me two months to wander around in the hills. Let me weep there with my friends. I want to do that because I’ll never get married.”
38“You may go,” he said. He let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills. They were filled with sadness because she would never get married. 39After the two months were over, she returned to her father. He did to her just what he had promised to do. And she was a virgin.
So that became a practice in Israel. 40Each year the young women of Israel go away for four days. They do it in honor of the daughter of Jephthah. He was from the land of Gilead.
