耶弗他的出生
基列人耶弗他是个大能的勇士，是妓女的儿子。基列生了耶弗他。
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
2基列的妻子也给他生了几个儿子。他妻子生的儿子长大后，就把耶弗他赶出去，说：“你不可在我们父家继承产业，因为你是别的女人生的儿子。”And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
3耶弗他就逃离他的兄弟，住在陀伯地。有些无赖的人聚集在他那里，与他一同出入。Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
4过了些日子，亚扪人攻打以色列。And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5亚扪人攻打以色列的时候，基列的长老去请耶弗他从陀伯地回来。And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
6他们对耶弗他说：“请你来作我们的指挥官，好让我们跟亚扪人打仗。”And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
7耶弗他对基列的长老说：“你们不是恨我，把我赶出父家吗？现在你们遭遇急难，为何到我这里来呢？”And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
8基列的长老对耶弗他说：“现在我们回到你这里，是要请你同我们去跟亚扪人打仗，作基列所有居民的领袖。”And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
9耶弗他对基列的长老说：“若你们请我回去跟亚扪人打仗，耶和华把他们交给我，我就作你们的领袖。”And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
10基列的长老对耶弗他说：“有耶和华在你我之间作证，我们必定照你的话做。”And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
11于是耶弗他与基列的长老同去，百姓就立耶弗他作他们的领袖和指挥官。耶弗他在米斯巴将他一切的事陈述在耶和华面前。Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
12耶弗他派使者到亚扪人的王那里，说：“你与我有什么相干，竟来到我这里攻打我的地呢？”And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
13亚扪人的王对耶弗他的使者说：“因为以色列从埃及上来的时候占据我的地，从亚嫩河到雅博河，直到约旦河。现在你要和平归还这些地方！”And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.
14耶弗他又派使者到亚扪人的王那里，And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:
15对他说：“耶弗他如此说：以色列并没有占据摩押地和亚扪人的地。And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16以色列人从埃及上来，是经过旷野到红海☛“红海”：原文是“芦苇海”。，来到加低斯。But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
17那时，以色列派使者去以东王那里，说：‘求你让我穿越你的地。’以东王却不听。以色列又照样派使者去摩押王那里，他也不肯。于是以色列人就住在加低斯。Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
18他们又经过旷野，绕过以东地和摩押地，到摩押地的东边☛“东边”：原文是“日出的方向”。，在亚嫩河边安营，并没有进入摩押的境内，因为亚嫩河是摩押的边界。Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
19以色列派使者去亚摩利王，就是希实本王西宏那里；以色列对他说：‘求你让我们穿越你的地，到我自己的地方去。’And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.
20西宏却不信任以色列，不让他们穿越他的疆界。他召集了他的众百姓在雅杂安营，与以色列争战。But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21耶和华－以色列的神将西宏和他的众百姓都交在以色列手中，以色列人就击杀他们，占领了那地居民亚摩利人的全地。And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
22他们占领了亚摩利人所有的疆土，从亚嫩河到雅博河，从旷野直到约旦河。And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
23耶和华－以色列的神如今从他百姓以色列面前赶出亚摩利人，你竟要占领它吗？So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
24你不是已经得了你的神明基抹赐给你的地为业吗？耶和华－我们的神在我们面前所赶出的，我们也要得它为业。Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
25现在你比西拨的儿子摩押王巴勒还强吗？他真的曾与以色列争执，或是真的与他们争战了吗？And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
26以色列人住希实本和所属的乡镇，亚罗珥和所属的乡镇，以及沿着亚嫩河的一切城镇，已经有三百年了。在这期间，你们为什么不取回呢？While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?
27我并没有得罪你，你却要攻打我，加害于我。愿审判人的耶和华今日在以色列人和亚扪人之间判断是非。”Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
28但亚扪人的王不听耶弗他传达给他的话。Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
29耶和华的灵降在耶弗他身上，他就经过基列和玛拿西，经过基列的米斯巴，又从基列的米斯巴过到亚扪人那里。Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
30耶弗他向耶和华许愿，说：“你若真的将亚扪人交在我手中，And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
31我从亚扪人那里平平安安回来的时候，无论谁先从我家门出来迎接我，就要归给耶和华，我必将他献上作为燔祭。”Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
32于是耶弗他往亚扪人那里去，与他们争战。耶和华将他们交在他手中，So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
33他就彻底击败他们，从亚罗珥到米匿，直到亚备勒．基拉明，攻取了二十座城。这样，亚扪人就在以色列人面前被制伏了。耶弗他的女儿
And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34耶弗他回米斯巴去，到了自己的家，看哪，他女儿拿着手鼓跳舞出来迎接他。她是耶弗他的独生女，除她以外，没有别的儿女。And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
35耶弗他一看见她，就撕裂衣服，说：“哀哉！我的女儿啊，你使我非常悲痛，叫我十分为难了。因为我已经向耶和华开了口，不能收回。”And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
36他女儿对他说：“我的父亲啊，你既向耶和华开了口，就当照你口中所说的向我行，因为耶和华已经在你的仇敌亚扪人身上为你报了仇。”And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37她又对父亲说：“我只求你这一件事，给我两个月，让我和同伴下到山里，好为我的童贞哀哭。”And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
38耶弗他说：“你去吧！”他就让她离开两个月。她和同伴去了，在山里为她的童贞哀哭。And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39过了两个月，她回到父亲那里，父亲就照所许的愿向她行了。她从来没有亲近男人。于是以色列中有个风俗，And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
40每年按着日期以色列的女子要去为基列人耶弗他的女儿哀哭四天。That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.