1:1 After the death of Saul, 1 when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, 2 he stayed at Ziklag 3 for two days. 1:2 On the third day a man arrived from the camp of Saul with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. 4 When he approached David, the man 5 threw himself to the ground. 6
1:3 David asked him, “Where are you coming from?” He replied, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 1:4 David inquired, “How were things going? 7 Tell me!” He replied, “The people fled from the battle and many of them 8 fell dead. 9 Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead!” 1:5 David said to the young man 10 who was telling him this, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 11 1:6 The young man who was telling him this 12 said, “I just happened to be on Mount Gilboa and came across Saul leaning on his spear for support. The chariots and leaders of the horsemen were in hot pursuit of him. 1:7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me. I answered, ‘Here I am!’ 1:8 He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him, ‘I’m 13 an Amalekite.’ 1:9 He said to me, ‘Stand over me and finish me off! 14 I’m very dizzy, 15 even though I’m still alive.’ 16 1:10 So I stood over him and put him to death, since I knew that he couldn’t live in such a condition. 17 Then I took the crown which was on his head and the 18 bracelet which was on his arm. I have brought them here to my lord.” 19
1:11 David then grabbed his own clothes 20 and tore them, as did all the men who were with him. 1:12 They lamented and wept and fasted until evening because Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s people, and the house of Israel had fallen by the sword.
1:13 David said to the young man who told this to him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I am an Amalekite, the son of a resident foreigner.” 21 1:14 David replied to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to reach out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” 1:15 Then David called one of the soldiers 22 and said, “Come here and strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died. 1:16 David said to him, “Your blood be on your own head! Your own mouth has testified against you, saying ‘I have put the Lord’s anointed to death.’”
1:17 Then David chanted this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan. 1:18 (He gave instructions that the people of Judah should be taught “The Bow.” 23 Indeed, it is written down in the Book of Yashar.) 24
1:19 The beauty 25 of Israel lies slain on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
1:20 Don’t report it in Gath,
don’t spread the news in the streets of Ashkelon, 26
or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,
the daughters of the uncircumcised will celebrate!
1:21 O mountains of Gilboa,
may there be no dew or rain on you, nor fields of grain offerings! 27
For it was there that the shield of warriors was defiled; 28
the shield of Saul lies neglected without oil. 29
1:22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of warriors,
the bow of Jonathan was not turned away.
The sword of Saul never returned 30 empty.
1:23 Saul and Jonathan were greatly loved 31 during their lives,
and not even in their deaths were they separated.
They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.
1:24 O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet 32 as well as jewelry,
who put gold jewelry on your clothes.
1:25 How the warriors have fallen
in the midst of battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your high places!
1:26 I grieve over you, my brother Jonathan!
You were very dear to me.
Your love was more special to me than the love of women.
1:27 How the warriors have fallen!
The weapons of war 33 are destroyed!
11:1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father. 34 11:2 Gilead’s wife also gave 35 him sons. When his wife’s sons grew up, they made Jephthah leave and said to him, “You are not going to inherit any of our father’s wealth, 36 because you are another woman’s son.” 11:3 So Jephthah left 37 his half-brothers 38 and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him. 39
11:4 It was some time after this when the Ammonites fought with Israel. 11:5 When the Ammonites attacked, 40 the leaders 41 of Gilead asked Jephthah to come back 42 from the land of Tob. 11:6 They said, 43 “Come, be our commander, so we can fight with the Ammonites.” 11:7 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “But you hated me and made me leave 44 my father’s house. Why do you come to me now, when you are in trouble?” 11:8 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That may be true, 45 but now we pledge to you our loyalty. 46 Come with us and fight with the Ammonites. Then you will become the leader 47 of all who live in Gilead.” 48 11:9 Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, “All right! 49 If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, 50 I will be your leader.” 51 11:10 The leaders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will judge any grievance you have against us, 52 if we do not do as you say.” 53 11:11 So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement 54 before the Lord in Mizpah.
11:12 Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying, “Why have 55 you come against me to attack my land?” 11:13 The Ammonite king said to Jephthah’s messengers, “Because Israel stole 56 my land when they 57 came up from Egypt – from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan. 58 Now return it 59 peaceably!”
11:14 Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite king 11:15 and said to him, “This is what Jephthah says, ‘Israel did not steal 60 the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites. 11:16 When they left 61 Egypt, Israel traveled 62 through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh. 11:17 Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please allow us 63 to pass through your land.” But the king of Edom rejected the request. 64 Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate. 65 So Israel stayed at Kadesh. 11:18 Then Israel 66 went through the desert and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; 67 they did not go through Moabite territory (the Arnon was Moab’s border). 11:19 Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, “Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.” 68 11:20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He 69 assembled his whole army, 70 camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel. 11:21 The Lord God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel and they defeated them. Israel took 71 all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land. 11:22 They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west. 72 11:23 Since 73 the Lord God of Israel has driven out 74 the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them? 75 11:24 You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us. 76 11:25 Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them? 77 11:26 Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for three hundred years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time? 11:27 I have not done you wrong, 78 but you are doing wrong 79 by attacking me. May the Lord, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’” 11:28 But the Ammonite king disregarded 80 the message sent by Jephthah. 81
11:29 The Lord’s spirit empowered 82 Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went 83 to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites. 84 11:30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, 11:31 then whoever is the first to come through 85 the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he 86 will belong to the Lord and 87 I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.” 11:32 Jephthah approached 88 the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord handed them over to him. 11:33 He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith – twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim! He wiped them out! 89 The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites. 90
11:34 When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out 91 to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines. 92 She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter. 11:35 When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said, “Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me! 93 You have brought me disaster! 94 I made an oath to the Lord, and I cannot break it.” 95 11:36 She said to him, “My father, since 96 you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised. 97 After all, the Lord vindicated you before 98 your enemies, the Ammonites.” 11:37 She then said to her father, “Please grant me this one wish. 99 For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.” 100 11:38 He said, “You may go.” He permitted her to leave 101 for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills. 102 11:39 After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin. 103 Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel. 104 11:40 Every year 105 Israelite women commemorate 106 the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days. 107