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.”