Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe.

The XI. Chapter.

[ A] IEphthae a Gileadite was a valeaūt man of armes, but an harlottes chil∣de. Gilead begat Iephthae. But whan the wyfe had borne children vnto Gi∣lead, and the same wyues childrē were waxē greate, they thrust out Iephtae, and sayde vnto him: Thou shalt not be heire in oure fa¦thers house, for thou art another womās son¦ne. Thē fled he from his brethrē, and dwelt in the londe of Tob. And there resorted vn∣to him vagabūdes, and wēte out with him. And after a certayne tyme foughte the chil∣dren of Ammon with Israel.

Now whā the childrē of Ammon fough¦te thus with Israel, the Elders wente from Gilead to fetch Iephthae out of the londe of Tob, and sayde vnto him: Come, and be oure captayne, and fight agaynst the children of Ammon. But Iephthae sayde vnto the El¦des of Gilead: Are not ye they that hate me and haue thrust me out of my fathers hou∣se, and now come ye to me whan ye are in trouble?

The Elders of Gilead sayde: Therfore co¦me we now againe vnto the, that thou may¦est go with vs, and fighte agaynst the ch••l∣dren of Ammon, and be oure captayne ouer all that dwell in Gilead. Iephthae sayde vnto the Elders of Gilead: Yf ye fetch me agayne to fighte agaynst the childrē of Am¦mon, and the LORDE delyuer them before me shal I then be youre heade? The Elders of Gilead saide vnto Iephthae: The LORDE be hearer betwene vs, yf we do not as thou hast sayde. So Iephthae wēte with the Elders of Gilead. And the people made him heade and duke ouer them. And Iephthae spake all this before the LORDE at Mispa.

Then sente Iephthae messaungers to the kynge of the children of Ammon, and cau∣sed to saye vnto him: What hast thou to do with me, that thou cōmest vnto me to fight agaynst my londe? The kynge of the childrē of Ammō answered Iephthaes messaungers Because that Israel toke awaye my londe (whan they departed out of Egipte) from Arnon vnto Iabock, and vnto Iordane: ge∣ue it me agayne now therfore peaceably.

But Iephthae sent yet mo messaungers [ C] to y^e kynge of the children of Ammon, which sayde vnto him: Thus sayeth Iephthae: * 1.1 Is¦rael hath taken no londe, nether from the Moabites ner from the children of Ammon: for when they departed out of Egipte, Is∣rael walked thorow the wyldernes vnto the reed see, and came to Cades, and * 1.2 sent mes∣saungers to the kynge of the Edomites, and sayde: Let me go thorow thy londe. But the kynge of y^e Edomites wolde not heare thē. They sent lykewyse vnto the kynge of the Moabites, which wolde not also. Thus Is∣rael abode in Cades, and compased the lōde of the Edomites and Moabites, and came on the eastsyde of the londe of the Moabites and pitched beyonde Arnon, and came no•• within the coaste of the Moabites.* 1.3 For Ar¦non is the border of the Moabites.

And Israel sent messaungers vnto Si••hon the kynge of the Amorites at Heszbon,* 1.4 and caused to saye vnto him: Let me go tho¦row thy londe vnto my place. Neuertheles Sihon wolde not trust Israel to go thorow the border of his londe, but gathered all his [ D] people, and pitched at Iahza, and foughte with Israel. Howbeit the LORDE God of Is∣rael gaue Sihon with all his people in to Israels hāde, so that they slewe them. Thus Israel conquered all the londe of the Amori¦tes that dwelt in y^e same countre. And they toke possessiō of all the borders of the Amo¦rites,

from Arnon vnto Iabok, & from y^e wyl¦dernesse vnto Iordane. So y^e LORDE God of Israel droue awaye the Amorites before his people of Israel, and wilt thou cōquere them? Is it not so, yf thy God Camos gaue the oughte to possesse, woldest thou not pos∣sesse it? What so euer the LORDE oure God hath geuē vs before vs to possesse, that shal we conquere and take in possession.

[ E] Hast thou better right (thinkest thou) thē * 1.5 Balac the sonne of Ziphor, the kynge of y^e Moabites? Dyd he euer go to lawe or figh∣te agaynst Israel? Though Israel haue dwelt now vpō a thre hūdreth yeare in Hes∣bon, and in the vyllages therof, in Aroer and in the vyllages therof, and in all the cities that lye by Arnon. Why dyd not ye rescue it at the same tyme? I haue not offended the, & thou doest me euell to fighte agaynst me? The LORDE geue sentence this daie betwe¦ne Israel and the children of Ammon.

Neuertheles the kynge of the children of Ammon wolde not heare y^e wordes of Ieph¦thae, which he sent vnto him. Then came y^e sprete of the LORDE vpon Iephthae, and he wente thorow Gilea•• ••nd Manasse, and thorow Mispa which lieth in Gilead, and fro Mispa that lieth in Gilead, vnto y^e chil∣dren of Ammon.

[ F] And Iephthae vowed a vowe vnto the LORDE, and sayde: * 1.6 Yf thou wilt delyuer the childrē of Ammon in to my hande, what so euer commeth (first) out at the dore of my house in my waye, whan I returne agayne peaceably from the childrē of Ammon, that same shalbe the LORDES, and I wyl offre it for a burtn offerynge.

So Iephthae wente vpon the children of Ammon, to fighte against them. And y^e LOR¦DE gaue them in to his hande, and he smote thē from Ar••er tyll thou comest vnto Min¦nith, euen twentye cities, and vnto the play∣ne of y^e vynyardes a very greate slaughter, and thus were the children of Ammon sub∣dued before the children of Israel.

Now whan Iephthae came to Mispa vnto his house, beholde, his doughter wen∣te out to mete him with tabrettes and daun¦ces: and she was his onely childe, & he had els nether sonne ner doughter. And whan he sawe her, he rente his clothes, & sayde: Alas my doughter, thou makest my hert soroufull, and discomfortest me: for I haue opened my mouth vnto the LORDE, and can not call it agayne.

She sayde: My father, yf thou hast ope∣ned thy mouth vnto the LORDE, then do vnto me as it is proceaded out of y^e mouth, [ G] acordinge as the LORDE hath auēged the of thyne enemies the children of Ammon. And she sayde vnto hir father: Do this for me, geue me leue to go downe vpō the moun∣taynes two monethes, that I maye bewep•• my virginite with my playfeeres. He sayde: Go thy waye. And he let her go two mone∣thes. Then wente she with her playefeeres, and bewayled hir mayden heade vpon the mountaynes. And after two monethes she came agayne vnto hir father. And he dyd vnto her acordinge as he had vowed. And she had neuer bene in daunger of eny man. And it was a custome in Israel, that the doughters of Israel shulde go euery yeare, and mourne for the doughter of Iephthae the Gileadite, foure dayes in the yeare.

Notes

• * 1.1

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• * 1.2

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• * 1.3

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• * 1.4

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• * 1.5

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 22. a 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 23. a
• * 1.6

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