¹Fuit illo tempore Jephte Galaadites vir fortissimus atque pugnator,At that time, there was a Gileadite, Jephthah,filius mulieris meretricis,a very strong man and a fighter, the son of a kept woman,qui natus est de Galaad.and he was born of Gilead.

¹Fuit illo tempore Jephte Galaadites vir fortissimus atque pugnator,At that time, there was a Gileadite, Jephthah,filius mulieris meretricis,a very strong man and a fighter, the son of a kept woman,qui natus est de Galaad.and he was born of Gilead.

²Habuit autem Galaad uxorem,Now Gilead had a wife,de qua suscepit filios:from whom he received sons.qui postquam creverant,And they, after growing up,ejecerunt Jephte,cast out Jephthah,dicentes:saying,Hæres in domo patris nostri esse non poteris,“You cannot inherit in the house of our father,quia de altera matre natus es.because you were born of another mother.”

²Habuit autem Galaad uxorem,Now Gilead had a wife,de qua suscepit filios:from whom he received sons.qui postquam creverant,And they, after growing up,ejecerunt Jephte,cast out Jephthah,dicentes:saying,Hæres in domo patris nostri esse non poteris,“You cannot inherit in the house of our father,quia de altera matre natus es.because you were born of another mother.”

³Quos ille fugiens atque devitans,And so,habitavit in terra Tob:fleeing and avoiding them,congregatique sunt ad eum viri inopes,he lived in the land of Tob.et latrocinantes,And men who were indigent and robbers joined with him,et quasi principem sequebantur.and they followed him as their leader.

³Quos ille fugiens atque devitans,And so,habitavit in terra Tob:fleeing and avoiding them,congregatique sunt ad eum viri inopes,he lived in the land of Tob.et latrocinantes,And men who were indigent and robbers joined with him,et quasi principem sequebantur.and they followed him as their leader.

⁴In illis diebus pugnabant filii Ammon contra Israël.In those days, the sons of Ammon fought against Israel.

⁴In illis diebus pugnabant filii Ammon contra Israël.In those days, the sons of Ammon fought against Israel.

⁵Quibus acriter instantibus perrexerunt majores natu de Galaad, ut tollerent in auxilium sui Jephte de terra Tob:And being steadfastly attacked, the elders of Gilead traveled so that they might obtain for their assistance Jephthah, from the land of Tob.

⁵Quibus acriter instantibus perrexerunt majores natu de Galaad, ut tollerent in auxilium sui Jephte de terra Tob:And being steadfastly attacked, the elders of Gilead traveled so that they might obtain for their assistance Jephthah, from the land of Tob.

⁶dixeruntque ad eum:And they said to him,Veni et esto princeps noster,“Come and be our leader,et pugna contra filios Ammon.and fight against the sons of Ammon.”

⁶dixeruntque ad eum:And they said to him,Veni et esto princeps noster,“Come and be our leader,et pugna contra filios Ammon.and fight against the sons of Ammon.”

⁷Quibus ille respondit:But he answered them:Nonne vos estis,“Are you not the ones who hated me,qui odistis me,and who cast me out of my father’s house?et ejecistis de domo patris mei?And yet now you come to me,et nunc venistis ad me necessitate compulsi.compelled by necessity?”

⁷Quibus ille respondit:But he answered them:Nonne vos estis,“Are you not the ones who hated me,qui odistis me,and who cast me out of my father’s house?et ejecistis de domo patris mei?And yet now you come to me,et nunc venistis ad me necessitate compulsi.compelled by necessity?”

⁸Dixeruntque principes Galaad ad Jephte:And the leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah,Ob hanc igitur causam nunc ad te venimus,“But it is due to this necessity that we have approached you now,ut proficiscaris nobiscum,so that you may set out with us,et pugnes contra filios Ammon,and fight against the sons of Ammon,sisque dux omnium qui habitant in Galaad.and be commander over all who live in Gilead.”

⁸Dixeruntque principes Galaad ad Jephte:And the leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah,Ob hanc igitur causam nunc ad te venimus,“But it is due to this necessity that we have approached you now,ut proficiscaris nobiscum,so that you may set out with us,et pugnes contra filios Ammon,and fight against the sons of Ammon,sisque dux omnium qui habitant in Galaad.and be commander over all who live in Gilead.”

⁹Jephte quoque dixit eis:Jephthah also said to them:Si vere venistis ad me, ut pugnem pro vobis contra filios Ammon,“If you have come to me so that I may fight for you against the sons of Ammon,tradideritque eos Dominus in manus meas,and if the Lord will deliver them into my hands,ego ero vester princeps?will I truly be your leader?”

⁹Jephte quoque dixit eis:Jephthah also said to them:Si vere venistis ad me, ut pugnem pro vobis contra filios Ammon,“If you have come to me so that I may fight for you against the sons of Ammon,tradideritque eos Dominus in manus meas,and if the Lord will deliver them into my hands,ego ero vester princeps?will I truly be your leader?”

¹⁰Qui responderunt ei:They answered him,Dominus, qui hæc audit, ipse mediator ac testis est quod nostra promissa faciemus.“The Lord who hears these things is himself the Mediator and the Witness that we shall do what we have promised.”

¹⁰Qui responderunt ei:They answered him,Dominus, qui hæc audit, ipse mediator ac testis est quod nostra promissa faciemus.“The Lord who hears these things is himself the Mediator and the Witness that we shall do what we have promised.”

¹¹Abiit itaque Jephte cum principibus Galaad,And so Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead,fecitque eum omnis populus principem sui.and all the people made him their leader.Locutusque est Jephte omnes sermones suos coram Domino in Maspha.And Jephthah spoke all his words, in the sight of the Lord, at Mizpah.

¹¹Abiit itaque Jephte cum principibus Galaad,And so Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead,fecitque eum omnis populus principem sui.and all the people made him their leader.Locutusque est Jephte omnes sermones suos coram Domino in Maspha.And Jephthah spoke all his words, in the sight of the Lord, at Mizpah.

¹²Et misit nuntios ad regem filiorum Ammon,And he sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon,qui ex persona sua dicerent:who said on his behalf,Quid mihi et tibi est,“What is there between you and me,quia venisti contra me,that you would approach against me,ut vastares terram meam?so that you might lay waste to my land?”

¹²Et misit nuntios ad regem filiorum Ammon,And he sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon,qui ex persona sua dicerent:who said on his behalf,Quid mihi et tibi est,“What is there between you and me,quia venisti contra me,that you would approach against me,ut vastares terram meam?so that you might lay waste to my land?”

¹³Quibus ille respondit:And he responded to them,Quia tulit Israël terram meam,“It is because Israel took my land,quando ascendit de Ægypto,when he ascended from Egypt,a finibus Arnon usque Jaboc atque Jordanem:from the parts of Arnon, as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan.nunc ergo cum pace redde mihi eam.Now therefore, restore these to me with peace.”

¹³Quibus ille respondit:And he responded to them,Quia tulit Israël terram meam,“It is because Israel took my land,quando ascendit de Ægypto,when he ascended from Egypt,a finibus Arnon usque Jaboc atque Jordanem:from the parts of Arnon, as far as the Jabbok and the Jordan.nunc ergo cum pace redde mihi eam.Now therefore, restore these to me with peace.”

¹⁴Per quos rursum mandavit Jephte,And Jephthah again commissioned them,et imperavit eis ut dicerent regi Ammon:and he ordered them to say to the king of Ammon:

¹⁴Per quos rursum mandavit Jephte,And Jephthah again commissioned them,et imperavit eis ut dicerent regi Ammon:and he ordered them to say to the king of Ammon:

¹⁵Hæc dicit Jephte:“Jephthah says this:Non tulit Israël terram Moab,Israel did not take the land of Moab,nec terram filiorum Ammon:nor the land of the sons of Ammon.

¹⁵Hæc dicit Jephte:“Jephthah says this:Non tulit Israël terram Moab,Israel did not take the land of Moab,nec terram filiorum Ammon:nor the land of the sons of Ammon.

¹⁶sed quando de Ægypto conscenderunt,But when they ascended together from Egypt,ambulavit per solitudinem usque ad mare Rubrum,he walked through the desert as far as the Red Sea,et venit in Cades.and he went into Kadesh.

¹⁶sed quando de Ægypto conscenderunt,But when they ascended together from Egypt,ambulavit per solitudinem usque ad mare Rubrum,he walked through the desert as far as the Red Sea,et venit in Cades.and he went into Kadesh.

¹⁷Misitque nuntios ad regem Edom,And he sent messengers to the king of Edom,dicens:saying,Dimitte me ut transeam per terram tuam.‘Permit me to pass through your land.’Qui noluit acquiescere precibus ejus.But he was not willing to agree to his petition.Misit quoque ad regem Moab,Likewise,quihe sent to the king of Moab,et ipse transitum præbere contempsit.who also refused to offer him passage.Mansit itaque in Cades,And so he delayed in Kadesh,

¹⁷Misitque nuntios ad regem Edom,And he sent messengers to the king of Edom,dicens:saying,Dimitte me ut transeam per terram tuam.‘Permit me to pass through your land.’Qui noluit acquiescere precibus ejus.But he was not willing to agree to his petition.Misit quoque ad regem Moab,Likewise,quihe sent to the king of Moab,et ipse transitum præbere contempsit.who also refused to offer him passage.Mansit itaque in Cades,And so he delayed in Kadesh,

¹⁸et circuivit ex latere terram Edomand he circled around the side of the land of Edom and the land of Moab.et terram Moab:And he arrived opposite the eastern region of the land of Moab.venitque contra orientalem plagam terræ Moab,And he made camp across the Arnon.et castrametatus est trans Arnon:But he was not willing to enter the borders of Moab.nec voluit intrare terminos Moab.(Of course,(Arnon quippe confinium est terræ Moab.)Arnon is the border of the land of Moab.)

¹⁸et circuivit ex latere terram Edomand he circled around the side of the land of Edom and the land of Moab.et terram Moab:And he arrived opposite the eastern region of the land of Moab.venitque contra orientalem plagam terræ Moab,And he made camp across the Arnon.et castrametatus est trans Arnon:But he was not willing to enter the borders of Moab.nec voluit intrare terminos Moab.(Of course,(Arnon quippe confinium est terræ Moab.)Arnon is the border of the land of Moab.)

¹⁹Misit itaque Israël nuntios ad Sehon regem Amorrhæorum,And so Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites,qui habitabat in Hesebon,who was living at Heshbon.et dixerunt ei:And they said to him,Dimitte ut transeam per terram tuam usque ad fluvium.“Permit me to cross through your land as far as the river.”

¹⁹Misit itaque Israël nuntios ad Sehon regem Amorrhæorum,And so Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites,qui habitabat in Hesebon,who was living at Heshbon.et dixerunt ei:And they said to him,Dimitte ut transeam per terram tuam usque ad fluvium.“Permit me to cross through your land as far as the river.”

²⁰Qui et ipse Israël verba despiciens,But he, too, despising the words of Israel,non dimisit eum transire per terminos suos:would not permit him to cross through his borders.sed infinita multitudine congregata,Instead, gathering an innumerable multitude,egressus est contra eum in Jasa,he went out against him at Jahaz,et fortiter resistebat.and he resisted strongly.

²⁰Qui et ipse Israël verba despiciens,But he, too, despising the words of Israel,non dimisit eum transire per terminos suos:would not permit him to cross through his borders.sed infinita multitudine congregata,Instead, gathering an innumerable multitude,egressus est contra eum in Jasa,he went out against him at Jahaz,et fortiter resistebat.and he resisted strongly.

²¹Tradiditque eum Dominus in manus Israël cum omni exercitu suo:But the Lord delivered him, with his entire army, into the hands of Israel.qui percussit eum,And he struck him down,et possedit omnem terram Amorrhæi habitatoris regionis illius,and he possessed all the land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that region,

²¹Tradiditque eum Dominus in manus Israël cum omni exercitu suo:But the Lord delivered him, with his entire army, into the hands of Israel.qui percussit eum,And he struck him down,et possedit omnem terram Amorrhæi habitatoris regionis illius,and he possessed all the land of the Amorite, the inhabitant of that region,

²²et universos fines ejus,with all its parts,de Arnon usque Jaboc,from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok,et de solitudine usque ad Jordanem.and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.

²²et universos fines ejus,with all its parts,de Arnon usque Jaboc,from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok,et de solitudine usque ad Jordanem.and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.

²³Dominus ergo Deus Israël subvertit Amorrhæum,Therefore, it was the Lord, the God of Israel,pugnante contra illum populo suo Israël,who overthrew the Amorites, by means of his people Israel fighting against them.et tu nunc vis possidere terram ejus?And now you wish to possess his land?

²³Dominus ergo Deus Israël subvertit Amorrhæum,Therefore, it was the Lord, the God of Israel,pugnante contra illum populo suo Israël,who overthrew the Amorites, by means of his people Israel fighting against them.et tu nunc vis possidere terram ejus?And now you wish to possess his land?

²⁴nonne ea quæ possidet Chamos deus tuus, tibi jure debentur?Are not the things that your god Chemosh possesses owed to you by right?quæ autem Dominus Deus noster victor obtinuit, in nostram cedent possessionem:And so, what the Lord our God has obtained by victory falls to us as a possession.

²⁴nonne ea quæ possidet Chamos deus tuus, tibi jure debentur?Are not the things that your god Chemosh possesses owed to you by right?quæ autem Dominus Deus noster victor obtinuit, in nostram cedent possessionem:And so, what the Lord our God has obtained by victory falls to us as a possession.

²⁵nisi forte melior es Balac filio Sephor rege Moab;Or are you, perhaps, better than Balak,aut docere potes,the son of Zippor, the king of Moab?quod jurgatus sit contra Israël,Or are you able to explain what his argument was against Israel,et pugnaverit contra eum,and why he fought against him?

²⁵nisi forte melior es Balac filio Sephor rege Moab;Or are you, perhaps, better than Balak,aut docere potes,the son of Zippor, the king of Moab?quod jurgatus sit contra Israël,Or are you able to explain what his argument was against Israel,et pugnaverit contra eum,and why he fought against him?

²⁶quando habitavit in Hesebon et viculis ejus,And though he has lived in Heshbon, and its villages,et in Aroër et villis illius,and in Aroer, and its villages,vel in cunctis civitatibus juxta Jordanem, per trecentos annos.and in all the cities near the Jordan for three hundred years, why have you,Quare tanto tempore nihil super hac repetitione tentastis?for such long a time, put forward nothing about this claim?

²⁶quando habitavit in Hesebon et viculis ejus,And though he has lived in Heshbon, and its villages,et in Aroër et villis illius,and in Aroer, and its villages,vel in cunctis civitatibus juxta Jordanem, per trecentos annos.and in all the cities near the Jordan for three hundred years, why have you,Quare tanto tempore nihil super hac repetitione tentastis?for such long a time, put forward nothing about this claim?

²⁷Igitur non ego pecco in te,Therefore, I am not sinning against you,sed tu contra me male agis,but you are doing evil against me,indicens mihi bella non justa.by declaring an unjust war against me.Judicet Dominus arbiter hujus diei inter Israël, et inter filios Ammon.May the Lord be the Judge and the Arbiter this day, between Israel and the sons of Ammon.”

²⁷Igitur non ego pecco in te,Therefore, I am not sinning against you,sed tu contra me male agis,but you are doing evil against me,indicens mihi bella non justa.by declaring an unjust war against me.Judicet Dominus arbiter hujus diei inter Israël, et inter filios Ammon.May the Lord be the Judge and the Arbiter this day, between Israel and the sons of Ammon.”

²⁸Noluitque acquiescere rex filiorum Ammon verbis Jephte, quæ per nuntios mandaverat.But the king of the sons of Ammon was not willing to agree to the words of Jephthah that he commissioned by the messengers.

²⁸Noluitque acquiescere rex filiorum Ammon verbis Jephte, quæ per nuntios mandaverat.But the king of the sons of Ammon was not willing to agree to the words of Jephthah that he commissioned by the messengers.

²⁹Factus est ergo super Jephte spiritus Domini,Therefore, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon Jephthah,et circuiens Galaad et Manasse,and circling around Gilead, and Manasseh,Maspha quoque Galaad,and also Mizpah of Gilead,et inde transiens ad filios Ammon,and crossing from there to the sons of Ammon,

²⁹Factus est ergo super Jephte spiritus Domini,Therefore, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon Jephthah,et circuiens Galaad et Manasse,and circling around Gilead, and Manasseh,Maspha quoque Galaad,and also Mizpah of Gilead,et inde transiens ad filios Ammon,and crossing from there to the sons of Ammon,

³⁰votum vovit Domino,he made a vow to the Lord,dicens:saying,Si tradideris filios Ammon in manus meas,“If you will deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands,

³⁰votum vovit Domino,he made a vow to the Lord,dicens:saying,Si tradideris filios Ammon in manus meas,“If you will deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands,

³¹quicumque primus fuerit egressus de foribus domus meæ,whoever will be the first to depart from the doors of my house to meet me,mihique occurrerit revertenti cum pace a filiis Ammon,when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon,eum holocaustum offeram Domino.the same will I offer as a holocaust to the Lord.”

³¹quicumque primus fuerit egressus de foribus domus meæ,whoever will be the first to depart from the doors of my house to meet me,mihique occurrerit revertenti cum pace a filiis Ammon,when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon,eum holocaustum offeram Domino.the same will I offer as a holocaust to the Lord.”

³²Transivitque Jephte ad filios Ammon,And Jephthah crossed to the sons of Ammon,ut pugnaret contra eos:so that he might fight against them.quos tradidit Dominus in manus ejus.And the Lord delivered them into his hands.

³²Transivitque Jephte ad filios Ammon,And Jephthah crossed to the sons of Ammon,ut pugnaret contra eos:so that he might fight against them.quos tradidit Dominus in manus ejus.And the Lord delivered them into his hands.

³³Percussitque ab Aroër usque dum venias in Mennith,And he struck them down from Aroer, as far as the entrance to Minnith,viginti civitates,twenty cities,et usque ad Abel,and as far as Abel,quæ est vineis consita,which is covered with vineyards,plaga magna nimis:in an exceedingly great slaughter.humiliatique sunt filii Ammon a filiis Israël.And the sons of Ammon were humbled by the sons of Israel.

³³Percussitque ab Aroër usque dum venias in Mennith,And he struck them down from Aroer, as far as the entrance to Minnith,viginti civitates,twenty cities,et usque ad Abel,and as far as Abel,quæ est vineis consita,which is covered with vineyards,plaga magna nimis:in an exceedingly great slaughter.humiliatique sunt filii Ammon a filiis Israël.And the sons of Ammon were humbled by the sons of Israel.

³⁴Revertente autem Jephte in Maspha domum suam,But when Jephthah returned to Mizpah,occurrit ei unigenita filia sua cum tympanisto his own house,et choris:his only daughter met him with timbrels and dances.non enim habebat alios liberos.For he had no other children.

³⁴Revertente autem Jephte in Maspha domum suam,But when Jephthah returned to Mizpah,occurrit ei unigenita filia sua cum tympanisto his own house,et choris:his only daughter met him with timbrels and dances.non enim habebat alios liberos.For he had no other children.

³⁵Qua visa,And upon seeing her,scidit vestimenta sua,he tore his garments,et ait:and he said:Heu me,“Alas,filia mea!my daughter!decepisti me,You have cheated me,et ipsa decepta es:and you yourself have been cheated.aperui enim os meum ad Dominum,For I opened my mouth to the Lord,et aliud facere non potero.and I can do nothing else.”

³⁵Qua visa,And upon seeing her,scidit vestimenta sua,he tore his garments,et ait:and he said:Heu me,“Alas,filia mea!my daughter!decepisti me,You have cheated me,et ipsa decepta es:and you yourself have been cheated.aperui enim os meum ad Dominum,For I opened my mouth to the Lord,et aliud facere non potero.and I can do nothing else.”

³⁶Cui illa respondit:And she answered him,Pater mi,“My father,si aperuisti os tuum ad Dominum,if you have opened your mouth to the Lord,fac mihi quodcumque pollicitus es,do to me whatever you have promised,concessa tibi ultionesince victory has been granted to you,atque victoria de hostibus tuis.as well as vengeance against your enemies.”

³⁶Cui illa respondit:And she answered him,Pater mi,“My father,si aperuisti os tuum ad Dominum,if you have opened your mouth to the Lord,fac mihi quodcumque pollicitus es,do to me whatever you have promised,concessa tibi ultionesince victory has been granted to you,atque victoria de hostibus tuis.as well as vengeance against your enemies.”

³⁷Dixitque ad patrem:And she said to her father:Hoc solum mihi præsta quod deprecor:“Grant to me this one thing, which I request.dimitte me ut duobus mensibus circumeam montes,Permit me, that I may wander the hillsides for two months,et plangam virginitatem meam cum sodalibus meis.and that I may mourn my virginity with my companions.”

³⁷Dixitque ad patrem:And she said to her father:Hoc solum mihi præsta quod deprecor:“Grant to me this one thing, which I request.dimitte me ut duobus mensibus circumeam montes,Permit me, that I may wander the hillsides for two months,et plangam virginitatem meam cum sodalibus meis.and that I may mourn my virginity with my companions.”

³⁸Cui ille respondit:And he answered her,Vade.“Go.”Et dimisit eam duobus mensibus.And he released her for two months.Cumque abiisset cum sociis ac sodalibus suis,And when she had departed with her friends and companions,flebat virginitatem suam in montibus.she wept over her virginity in the hillsides.

³⁸Cui ille respondit:And he answered her,Vade.“Go.”Et dimisit eam duobus mensibus.And he released her for two months.Cumque abiisset cum sociis ac sodalibus suis,And when she had departed with her friends and companions,flebat virginitatem suam in montibus.she wept over her virginity in the hillsides.

³⁹Expletisque duobus mensibus,And when the two months expired,reversa est ad patrem suum, et fecit ei sicut voverat,she returned to her father, and he did to her just as he had vowed,quæ ignorabat virum.though she knew no man.Exinde mos increbruit in Israël,From this, the custom grew up in Israel,et consuetudo servata est,and the practice has been preserved,

³⁹Expletisque duobus mensibus,And when the two months expired,reversa est ad patrem suum, et fecit ei sicut voverat,she returned to her father, and he did to her just as he had vowed,quæ ignorabat virum.though she knew no man.Exinde mos increbruit in Israël,From this, the custom grew up in Israel,et consuetudo servata est,and the practice has been preserved,

⁴⁰ut post anni circulum conveniant in unum filiæ Israël,such that, after each year passes, the daughters of Israel convene as one,et plangant filiam Jephte Galaaditæ diebus quatuor.and they lament the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, for four days.

⁴⁰ut post anni circulum conveniant in unum filiæ Israël,such that, after each year passes, the daughters of Israel convene as one,et plangant filiam Jephte Galaaditæ diebus quatuor.and they lament the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, for four days.