25. `And now, [art] thou at all better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he at all strive with Israel? did he at all fight against them?
26. In Israel's dwelling in Heshbon and in its towns, and in Aroer and in its towns, and in all the cities which [are] by the sides of Arnon three hundred years--and wherefore have ye not delivered them in that time?
27. And I--I have not sinned against thee, and thou art doing with me evil--to fight against me. Jehovah, the Judge, doth judge to-day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'
28. And the king of the Bene-Ammon hath not hearkened unto the words of Jephthah which he sent unto him,
29. and the Spirit of Jehovah is on Jephthah, and he passeth over Gilead and Manasseh, and passeth over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he hath passed over to the Bene- Ammon.
30. And Jephthah voweth a vow to Jehovah, and saith, `If Thou dost at all give the Bene- Ammon into my hand--
31. then it hath been, that which at all cometh out from the doors of my house to meet me in my turning back in peace from the Bene-Ammon--it hath been to Jehovah, or I have offered up for it--a burnt-offering.'
32. And Jephthah passeth over unto the Bene-Ammon to fight against them, and Jehovah giveth them into his hand,
33. and he smiteth them from Aroer, and unto thy going in to Minnith, twenty cities, and unto the meadow of the vineyards--a very great smiting; and the Bene-Ammon are humbled at the presence of the sons of Israel.
34. And Jephthah cometh into Mizpeh, unto his house, and lo, his daughter is coming out to meet him with timbrels, and with choruses, and save her alone, he hath none, son or daughter.
35. And it cometh to pass, when he seeth her, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, `Alas, my daughter, thou hast caused me greatly to bend, and thou hast been among those troubling me; and I--I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I am notable to turn back.'
36. And she saith unto him, `My father--thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah, do to me as it hath gone out from thy mouth, after that Jehovah hath done for thee vengeance on thine enemies, on the Bene-Ammon.'
37. And she saith unto her father, `Let this thing be done to me; desist from me two months, and I go on, and have gone down on the hills, and I weep for my virginity--I and my friends.'
38. And he saith, `Go;' and he sendeth her away two months, and she goeth, she and her friends, and she weepeth for her virginity on the hills;
39. and it cometh to pass at the end of two months that she turneth back unto her father, and he doth to her his vow which he hath vowed, and she knew not a man; and it is a statute in Israel:
40. from time to time the daughters of Israel go to talk to the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, four days in a year.