Jueces 11
Catholic Public Domain Version
1At that time, there was a Gileadite, Jephthah, a very strong man and a fighter, the son of a kept woman, and he was born of Gilead.
2Now Gilead had a wife, from whom he received sons. And they, after growing up, cast out Jephthah, saying, “You cannot inherit in the house of our father, because you were born of another mother.”
3And so, fleeing and avoiding them, he lived in the land of Tob. And men who were indigent and robbers joined with him, and they followed him as their leader.
4In those days, the sons of Ammon fought against Israel.
5And being steadfastly attacked, the elders of Gilead traveled so that they might obtain for their assistance Jephthah, from the land of Tob.
6And they said to him, “Come and be our leader, and fight against the sons of Ammon.”
7But he answered them: “Are you not the ones who hated me, and who cast me out of my father’s house? And yet now you come to me, compelled by necessity?”
8And the leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “But it is due to this necessity that we have approached you now, so that you may set out with us, and fight against the sons of Ammon, and be commander over all who live in Gilead.”
9Jephthah also said to them: “If you have come to me so that I may fight for you against the sons of Ammon, and if the Lord will deliver them into my hands, will I truly be your leader?”
10They answered him, “The Lord who hears these things is himself the Mediator and the Witness that we shall do what we have promised.”
11And so Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead, and all the people made him their leader. And Jephthah spoke all his words, in the sight of the Lord, at Mizpah.
12And he sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, who said on his behalf, “What is there between you and me, that you would approach against me, so that you might lay waste to my land?”
13And he responded to them, “It is because Israel took my land, when he ascended from Egypt, from the parts of Arnon, as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan. Now therefore, restore these to me with peace.”
14And Jephthah again commissioned them, and he ordered them to say to the king of Ammon:
15“Jephthah says this: Israel did not take the land of Moab, nor the land of the sons of Ammon.
16But when they ascended together from Egypt, he walked through the desert as far as the Red Sea, and he went into Kadesh.
17And he sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Permit me to pass through your land.’ But he was not willing to agree to his petition. Likewise, he sent to the king of Moab, who also refused to offer him passage. And so he delayed in Kadesh,
18and he circled around the side of the land of Edom and the land of Moab. And he arrived opposite the eastern region of the land of Moab. And he made camp across the Arnon. But he was not willing to enter the borders of Moab. (Of course, Arnon is the border of the land of Moab.)
19And so Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who was living at Heshbon. And they said to him, “Permit me to cross through your land as far as the river.”
20But he, too, despising the words of Israel, would not permit him to cross through his borders. Instead, gathering an innumerable multitude, he went out against him at Jahaz, and he resisted strongly.
21But the Lord delivered him, with his entire army, into the hands of Israel. And he struck him down, and he possessed all the land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that region,
22with all its parts, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.
23Therefore, it was the Lord, the God of Israel, who overthrew the Amorites, by means of his people Israel fighting against them. And now you wish to possess his land?
24Are not the things that your god Chemosh possesses owed to you by right? And so, what the Lord our God has obtained by victory falls to us as a possession.
25Or are you, perhaps, better than Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab? Or are you able to explain what his argument was against Israel, and why he fought against him?
26And though he has lived in Heshbon, and its villages, and in Aroer, and its villages, and in all the cities near the Jordan for three hundred years, why have you, for such long a time, put forward nothing about this claim?
27Therefore, I am not sinning against you, but you are doing evil against me, by declaring an unjust war against me. May the Lord be the Judge and the Arbiter this day, between Israel and the sons of Ammon.”
28But the king of the sons of Ammon was not willing to agree to the words of Jephthah that he commissioned by the messengers.
29Therefore, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon Jephthah, and circling around Gilead, and Manasseh, and also Mizpah of Gilead, and crossing from there to the sons of Ammon,
30he made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you will deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands,
31whoever will be the first to depart from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, the same will I offer as a holocaust to the Lord.”
32And Jephthah crossed to the sons of Ammon, so that he might fight against them. And the Lord delivered them into his hands.
33And he struck them down from Aroer, as far as the entrance to Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel, which is covered with vineyards, in an exceedingly great slaughter. And the sons of Ammon were humbled by the sons of Israel.
34But when Jephthah returned to Mizpah, to his own house, his only daughter met him with timbrels and dances. For he had no other children.
35And upon seeing her, he tore his garments, and he said: “Alas, my daughter! You have cheated me, and you yourself have been cheated. For I opened my mouth to the Lord, and I can do nothing else.”
36And she answered him, “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me whatever you have promised, since victory has been granted to you, as well as vengeance against your enemies.”
37And she said to her father: “Grant to me this one thing, which I request. Permit me, that I may wander the hillsides for two months, and that I may mourn my virginity with my companions.”
38And he answered her, “Go.” And he released her for two months. And when she had departed with her friends and companions, she wept over her virginity in the hillsides.
39And when the two months expired, she returned to her father, and he did to her just as he had vowed, though she knew no man. From this, the custom grew up in Israel, and the practice has been preserved,
40such that, after each year passes, the daughters of Israel convene as one, and they lament the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, for four days.
Reina-Valera 1909
1EXISTÍA entonces Jephté, Galaadita, hombre valiente, hijo de una ramera, al cual había engendrado Galaad.
2Y la mujer de Galaad también le había parido hijos; los cuales cuando fueron grandes, echaron fuera á Jephté, diciéndole: No heredarás en la casa de nuestro padre, porque eres bastardo.
3Huyendo pues Jephté á causa de sus hermanos, habitó en tierra de Tob; y juntáronse con él hombres ociosos, los cuales con él salían.
4Y aconteció que después de días los hijos de Ammón hicieron guerra contra Israel:
5Y como los hijos de Ammón tenían guerra contra Israel, los ancianos de Galaad fueron para volver á Jephté de tierra de Tob;
6Y dijeron á Jephté: Ven, y serás nuestro capitán, para que peleemos con los hijos de Ammón.
7Y Jephté respondió á los ancianos de Galaad: ¿No me habéis vosotros aborrecido, y me echasteis de la casa de mi padre? ¿por qué pues venís ahora á mí cuando estáis en aflicción?
8Y los ancianos de Galaad respondieron á Jephté: Por esta misma causa tornamos ahora á ti, para que vengas con nosotros, y pelees contra los hijos de Ammón, y nos seas cabeza á todos los que moramos en Galaad.
9Jephté entonces dijo á los ancianos de Galaad: Si me volvéis para que pelee contra los hijos de Ammón, y Jehová los entregare delante de mí, ¿seré yo vuestra cabeza?
10Y los ancianos de Galaad respondieron á Jephté: Jehová oiga entre nosotros, si no hiciéremos como tú dices.
11Entonces Jephté vino con los ancianos de Galaad, y el pueblo lo eligió por su cabeza y príncipe; y Jephté habló todas sus palabras delante de Jehová en Mizpa.
12Y envió Jephté embajadores al rey de los Ammonitas, diciendo: ¿Qué tienes tú conmigo que has venido á mí para hacer guerra en mi tierra?
13Y el rey de los Ammonitas respondió á los embajadores de Jephté: Por cuanto Israel tomó mi tierra, cuando subió de Egipto, desde Arnón hasta Jaboc y el Jordán; por tanto, devuélvelas ahora en paz.
14Y Jephté tornó á enviar otros embajadores al rey de los Ammonitas,
15Para decirle: Jephté ha dicho así: Israel no tomó tierra de Moab, ni tierra de los hijos de Ammón:
16Mas subiendo Israel de Egipto, anduvo por el desierto hasta el mar Bermejo, y llegó á Cades.
17Entonces Israel envió embajadores al rey de Edom, diciendo: Yo te ruego que me dejes pasar por tu tierra. Mas el rey de Edom no los escuchó. Envió también al rey de Moab; el cual tampoco quiso: quedóse por tanto Israel en Cades.
18Después, yendo por el desierto, rodeó la tierra de Edom y la tierra de Moab, y viniendo por el lado oriental de la tierra de Moab, asentó su campo de estotra parte de Arnón, y no entraron por el término de Moab: porque Arnón término es de Moab.
19Y envió Israel embajadores á Sehón rey de los Amorrheos, rey de Hesbón, diciéndole: Ruégote que me dejes pasar por tu tierra hasta mi lugar.
20Mas Sehón no se fió de Israel para darle paso por su término; antes juntando Sehón toda su gente, puso campo en Jaas, y peleó contra Israel.
21Empero Jehová el Dios de Israel entregó á Sehón y á todo su pueblo en mano de Israel, y venciólos: y poseyó Israel toda la tierra del Amorrheo que habitaba en aquel país.
22Poseyeron también todo el término del Amorrheo desde Arnón hasta Jaboc, y desde el desierto hasta el Jordán.
23Así que Jehová el Dios de Israel echó los Amorrheos delante de su pueblo Israel: ¿y lo has de poseer tú?
24Si Chêmos tu dios te echase alguno, ¿no lo poseerías tú? Así poseeremos nosotros á todo aquel que echó Jehová nuestro Dios de delante de nosotros.
25¿Eres tú ahora en algo mejor que Balac hijo de Sephor, rey de Moab? ¿tuvo él cuestión contra Israel, ó hizo guerra contra ellos?
26Cuando Israel ha estado habitando por trescientos años á Hesbón y sus aldeas, á Aroer y sus aldeas, y todas las ciudades que están á los términos de Arnón, ¿por qué no las habéis reclamado en ese tiempo?
27Así que, yo nada he pecado contra ti, mas tú haces mal conmigo haciéndome guerra: Jehová, que es el juez, juzgue hoy entre los hijos de Israel y los hijos de Ammón.
28Mas el rey de los hijos de Ammón no atendió las razones de Jephté que le envió.
29Y el espíritu de Jehová fué sobre Jephté: y pasó por Galaad y Manasés; y de allí pasó á Mizpa de Galaad; y de Mizpa de Galaad pasó á los hijos de Ammón.
30Y Jephté hizo voto á Jehová, diciendo: Si entregares á los Ammonitas en mis manos,
31Cualquiera que me saliere á recibir de las puertas de mi casa, cuando volviere de los Ammonitas en paz, será de Jehová, y le ofreceré en holocausto.
32Pasó pues Jephté á los hijos de Ammón para pelear contra ellos; y Jehová los entregó en su mano.
33Y los hirió de grandísimo estrago desde Aroer hasta llegar á Minnith, veinte ciudades; y hasta la vega de las viñas. Así fueron domeñados los Ammonitas delante de los hijos de Israel.
34Y volviendo Jephté á Mizpa á su casa, he aquí que su hija le salió á recibir con adufes y danzas, y era la sola, la única suya; no tenía fuera de ella otro hijo ni hija.
35Y como él la vió, rompió sus vestidos diciendo: ¡Ay, hija mía! de verdad me has abatido, y tú eres de los que me afligen: porque yo he abierto mi boca á Jehová, y no podré retractarme.
36Ella entonces le respondió: Padre mío, si has abierto tu boca á Jehová, haz de mí como salió de tu boca, pues que Jehová ha hecho venganza en tus enemigos los hijos de Ammón.
37Y tornó á decir á su padre: Hágasme esto: déjame por dos meses que vaya y descienda por los montes, y llore mi virginidad, yo y mis compañeras.
38El entonces dijo: Ve. Y dejóla por dos meses. Y ella fué con sus compañeras, y lloró su virginidad por los montes.
39Pasados los dos meses volvió á su padre, é hizo de ella conforme á su voto que había hecho. Y ella nunca conoció varón.
40De aquí fué la costumbre en Israel que de año en año iban las doncellas de Israel á endechar á la hija de Jephté Galaadita, cuatro días en el año.
King James Version
1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
2And 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.
3Then 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.
4And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5And 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:
6And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
7And 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?
8And 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.
9And 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?
10And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
11Then 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.
12And 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?
13And 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.
14And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:
15And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
17Then 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.
18Then 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.
19And 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.
20But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21And 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.
22And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
23So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
24Wilt 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.
25And 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,
26While 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?
27Wherefore 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.
28Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
29Then 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.
30And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
31Then 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.
32So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
33And 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.
34And 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.
35And 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.
36And 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.
37And 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.
38And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39And 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,
40That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
World English Bible
1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor. He was the son of a prostitute. Gilead became the father of Jephthah.
2Gilead’s wife bore him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You will not inherit in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”
3Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Outlaws joined up with Jephthah, and they went out with him.
4After a while, the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5When the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah out of the land of Tob.
6They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.”
7Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?”
8The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight with the children of Ammon. You will be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
9Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them before me, will I be your head?”
10The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.”
11Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.
12Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What do you have to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?”
13The king of the children of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore that territory again peaceably.”
14Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the children of Ammon;
15and he said to him, “Jephthah says: Israel didn’t take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon;
16but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh,
17then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let me pass through your land;’ but the king of Edom didn’t listen. In the same way, he sent to the king of Moab, but he refused; so Israel stayed in Kadesh.
18Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they didn’t come within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
19Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to my place.’
20But Sihon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21The LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
22They possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.
23So now the LORD, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess them?
24Won’t you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever the LORD our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.
25Now are you anything better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them?
26Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along the side of the Arnon for three hundred years! Why didn’t you recover them within that time?
27Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me. May the LORD the Judge be judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.”
28However, the king of the children of Ammon didn’t listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
29Then the LORD’s Spirit came on Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed over to the children of Ammon.
30Jephthah vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, “If you will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,
31then it shall be, that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”
32So Jephthah passed over to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hand.
33He struck them from Aroer until you come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and to Abelcheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
35When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I can’t go back.”
36She said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.”
37Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me. Leave me alone two months, that I may depart and go down on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.”
38He said, “Go.” He sent her away for two months; and she departed, she and her companions, and mourned her virginity on the mountains.
39At the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She was a virgin. It became a custom in Israel
40that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.