1. Jephthah, a brave soldier from Gilead, was the son of a prostitute. His father Gilead
2. had other sons by his wife, and when they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home. They said to him, “You will not inherit anything from our father; you are the son of another woman.”
3. Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. There he attracted a group of worthless men, and they went round with him.
4. It was some time later that the Ammonites went to war against Israel.
5. When this happened, the leaders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah back from the land of Tob.
6. They said, “Come and lead us, so that we can fight the Ammonites.”
7. But Jephthah answered, “You hated me so much that you forced me to leave my father's house. Why come to me now that you're in trouble?”
8. They said to Jephthah, “We are turning to you now because we want you to go with us and fight the Ammonites and lead all the people of Gilead.”
9. Jephthah said to them, “If you take me back home to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives me victory, I will be your ruler.”
10. They replied, “We agree. The Lord is our witness.”
11. So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead, and the people made him their ruler and leader. Jephthah stated his terms at Mizpah in the presence of the Lord.
12. Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon to say, “What is your quarrel with us? Why have you invaded our country?”
13. The king of Ammon answered Jephthah's messengers, “When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they took away my land from the River Arnon to the River Jabbok and the River Jordan. Now you must give it back peacefully.”
14. Jephthah sent messengers back to the king of Ammon