8. And the elders of Gil‛aḏ said to Yiphtaḥ, “That is the reason we have turned to you, that you shall go with us and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gil‛aḏ.”
9. And Yiphtaḥ said to the elders of Gil‛aḏ, “If you take me back home to fight against the children of Ammon, and יהוה gives them to me, am I to be your head?”
10. And the elders of Gil‛aḏ said to Yiphtaḥ, “יהוה is witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.”
11. Then Yiphtaḥ went with the elders of Gil‛aḏ, and the people set him over them, as head and commander. And Yiphtaḥ spoke all his words before יהוה in Mitspah.
12. And Yiphtaḥ sent messengers to the sovereign of the children of Ammon, saying, “What is between you and me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?”
13. And the sovereign of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Yiphtaḥ, “Because Yisra’ĕl took my land when they came up out of Mitsrayim, from the Arnon as far as the Yabboq, and to the Yardĕn. And now, give back those lands in peace.”
14. But Yiphtaḥ again sent messengers to the sovereign of the children of Ammon,
15. and said to him, “This is what Yiphtaḥ said, ‘Yisra’ĕl did not take the land of Mo’aḇ, nor the land of the children of Ammon.
16. ‘For when they came up from Mitsrayim, and Yisra’ĕl walked through the wilderness as far as the Sea of Reeds and came to Qaḏĕsh,
17. then Yisra’ĕl sent messengers to the sovereign of Eḏom, saying, “Please let me pass over, through your land.” But the sovereign of Eḏom would not listen. And they also sent to the sovereign of Mo’aḇ, but he refused, so Yisra’ĕl stayed at Qaḏĕsh.
18. ‘Then they went through the wilderness and around the land of Eḏom and the land of Mo’aḇ, and came to the east side of the land of Mo’aḇ, and encamped beyond Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Mo’aḇ, for Arnon was the border of Mo’aḇ.
19. ‘And Yisra’ĕl sent messengers to Siḥon sovereign of the Amorites, sovereign of Ḥeshbon, and Yisra’ĕl said to him, “Please let us pass over, through your land into our place.”
20. ‘But Siḥon did not trust Yisra’ĕl to pass over through his border, and Siḥon gathered all his people together, and they encamped in Yahats, and fought against Yisra’ĕl.
21. ‘And יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl gave Siḥon and all his people into the hand of Yisra’ĕl, and they smote them. So Yisra’ĕl took possession of all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that land.
22. ‘Thus they took possession of all the border of the Amorites, from Arnon to the Yabboq and from the wilderness to the Yardĕn.
23. ‘And now, יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl has driven out the Amorites from before His people Yisra’ĕl, should you then possess it?
24. ‘Whatever Kemosh your mighty one gives you to possess, do you not possess it? And all that which יהוה our Elohim takes possession of before us, we possess.
25. ‘And now are you any better than Balaq son of Tsippor, sovereign of Mo’aḇ? Did he ever strive against Yisra’ĕl? Did he ever fight against them?
26. ‘While Yisra’ĕl dwelt in Ḥeshbon and its villages, and in Aro‛ĕr and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time?