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Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible
THE MESSAGE
Judges 11:36
She said, "Dear father, if you made a vow to God , do to me what you vowed; God did his part and saved you from your Ammonite enemies."
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- CondensedParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
Then she said to him, “My father, you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me as you have said, for the Lord brought vengeance on your enemies, the Ammonites.”
Then she said to him, “My father, you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me as you have said, for the Lord brought vengeance on your enemies, the Ammonites.”
Hebrew Names Version
She 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.
She 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.
King James Version
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.
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.
Lexham English Bible
She said to him, "My father, you made an oath to Yahweh. Do to me according to what has gone out from your mouth, since Yahweh gave vengeance to you against your enemies, the Ammonites."
She said to him, "My father, you made an oath to Yahweh. Do to me according to what has gone out from your mouth, since Yahweh gave vengeance to you against your enemies, the Ammonites."
English Standard Version
And she said to him, "My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord ; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites."
And she said to him, "My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord ; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites."
New Century Version
Then his daughter said, "Father, you made a promise to the Lord . So do to me just what you promised, because the Lord helped you defeat your enemies, the Ammonites."
Then his daughter said, "Father, you made a promise to the Lord . So do to me just what you promised, because the Lord helped you defeat your enemies, the Ammonites."
New English Translation
She said to him, "My father, since you made an oath to the Lord , do to me as you promised. After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites."
She said to him, "My father, since you made an oath to the Lord , do to me as you promised. After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites."
Amplified Bible
And she said to him, "My father, you have made a vow to the LORD; do to me as you have vowed, since the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, the Ammonites."
And she said to him, "My father, you have made a vow to the LORD; do to me as you have vowed, since the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, the Ammonites."
New American Standard Bible
So she said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me just as you have said, since the LORD has brought you vengeance on your enemies, the sons of Ammon."
So she said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me just as you have said, since the LORD has brought you vengeance on your enemies, the sons of Ammon."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And she said vnto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the Lorde, doe with me as thou hast promised, seeing that the Lorde hath auenged thee of thine enemies the children of Ammon.
And she said vnto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the Lorde, doe with me as thou hast promised, seeing that the Lorde hath auenged thee of thine enemies the children of Ammon.
Legacy Standard Bible
En sy antwoord hom: My vader, as u u mond geopen het teenoor die HERE, maak met my soos uit u mond uitgegaan het nadat die HERE u volkome wraak verskaf het op u vyande, op die kinders van Ammon.
En sy antwoord hom: My vader, as u u mond geopen het teenoor die HERE, maak met my soos uit u mond uitgegaan het nadat die HERE u volkome wraak verskaf het op u vyande, op die kinders van Ammon.
Contemporary English Version
"Father," she said, "you made a sacred promise to the Lord , and he let you defeat the Ammonites. Now, you must do what you promised, even if it means I must die.
"Father," she said, "you made a sacred promise to the Lord , and he let you defeat the Ammonites. Now, you must do what you promised, even if it means I must die.
Complete Jewish Bible
She said to him, "Father, you made a vow to Adonai ; so do whatever you said you would do to me; because Adonai did take vengeance on your enemies the people of ‘Amon."
She said to him, "Father, you made a vow to Adonai ; so do whatever you said you would do to me; because Adonai did take vengeance on your enemies the people of ‘Amon."
Darby Translation
And she said to him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to Jehovah, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as Jehovah has taken vengeance for thee upon thine enemies, upon the children of Ammon.
And she said to him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to Jehovah, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as Jehovah has taken vengeance for thee upon thine enemies, upon the children of Ammon.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then his daughter said to Jephthah, "Father, you have made a promise to the Lord , so keep your promise. Do what you said you would do. After all, the Lord did help you defeat your enemies, the Ammonites."
Then his daughter said to Jephthah, "Father, you have made a promise to the Lord , so keep your promise. Do what you said you would do. After all, the Lord did help you defeat your enemies, the Ammonites."
George Lamsa Translation
And his daughter said to him, My father, if you have made a promise to God, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth; since the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
And his daughter said to him, My father, if you have made a promise to God, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth; since the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
Good News Translation
She told him, "If you have made a promise to the Lord , do what you said you would do to me, since the Lord has given you revenge on your enemies, the Ammonites."
She told him, "If you have made a promise to the Lord , do what you said you would do to me, since the Lord has given you revenge on your enemies, the Ammonites."
Literal Translation
And she said to him, My father, you have opened your mouth to Jehovah. Do to me whatever has gone out of your mouth, since Jehovah has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, on the sons of Ammon.
And she said to him, My father, you have opened your mouth to Jehovah. Do to me whatever has gone out of your mouth, since Jehovah has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, on the sons of Ammon.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
She sayde: My father, yf thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the LORDE, then do vnto me as it is proceaded out of yi mouth, acordinge as the LORDE hath aueged the of thyne enemies the children of Ammon.
She sayde: My father, yf thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the LORDE, then do vnto me as it is proceaded out of yi mouth, acordinge as the LORDE hath aueged the of thyne enemies the children of Ammon.
American Standard Version
And she said unto him, My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah; do unto me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as Jehovah hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even on the children of Ammon.
And she said unto him, My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah; do unto me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as Jehovah hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even on the children of Ammon.
Bible in Basic English
And she said to him, My father, you have made an oath to the Lord; do then to me whatever you have said; for the Lord has sent a full reward on your haters, on the children of Ammon.
And she said to him, My father, you have made an oath to the Lord; do then to me whatever you have said; for the Lord has sent a full reward on your haters, on the children of Ammon.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And she sayde vnto him: My father, if thou haue opened thy mouth vnto the Lorde, then do with me according to it that proceeded out of thy mouth, for as much as the Lorde hath auenged thee of thyne enemies ye children of Ammon.
And she sayde vnto him: My father, if thou haue opened thy mouth vnto the Lorde, then do with me according to it that proceeded out of thy mouth, for as much as the Lorde hath auenged thee of thyne enemies ye children of Ammon.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And she said unto him: 'My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD; do unto 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.'
And she said unto him: 'My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD; do unto 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.'
King James Version (1611)
And she said vnto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the Lord, doe to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, euen of the children of Ammon.
And she said vnto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the Lord, doe to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, euen of the children of Ammon.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And she said to him, Father, hast thou opened thy mouth to the Lord? Do to me accordingly as the word went out of thy mouth, in that the Lord has wrought vengeance for thee on thine enemies of the children of Ammon.
And she said to him, Father, hast thou opened thy mouth to the Lord? Do to me accordingly as the word went out of thy mouth, in that the Lord has wrought vengeance for thee on thine enemies of the children of Ammon.
English Revised Version
And she said unto him, My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD; do unto 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.
And she said unto him, My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD; do unto 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.
Berean Standard Bible
"My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites."
"My father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me as you have said, for the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To whom sche answeride, My fadir, if thou openydist thi mouth to the Lord, do to me what euer thing thou bihiytist, while veniaunce and victorie of thin enemyes is grauntid to thee.
To whom sche answeride, My fadir, if thou openydist thi mouth to the Lord, do to me what euer thing thou bihiytist, while veniaunce and victorie of thin enemyes is grauntid to thee.
Young's Literal Translation
And she saith unto him, `My father -- thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah, do to me as it hath gone out from thy mouth, after that Jehovah hath done for thee vengeance on thine enemies, on the Bene-Ammon.'
And she saith unto him, `My father -- thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah, do to me as it hath gone out from thy mouth, after that Jehovah hath done for thee vengeance on thine enemies, on the Bene-Ammon.'
Update Bible Version
And she said to him, My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, since Yahweh has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the sons of Ammon.
And she said to him, My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, since Yahweh has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the sons of Ammon.
Webster's Bible Translation
And she said to him, My father, [if] thou hast opened thy mouth to 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 thy enemies, [even] of the children of Ammon.
And she said to him, My father, [if] thou hast opened thy mouth to 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 thy enemies, [even] of the children of Ammon.
World English Bible
She said to him, My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because Yahweh has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.
She said to him, My father, you have opened your mouth to Yahweh; do to me according to that which has proceeded out of your mouth, because Yahweh has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, even on the children of Ammon.
New King James Version
So she said to him, "My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon."
So she said to him, "My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon."
New Living Translation
And she said, "Father, if you have made a vow to the Lord , you must do to me what you have vowed, for the Lord has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites.
And she said, "Father, if you have made a vow to the Lord , you must do to me what you have vowed, for the Lord has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites.
New Life Bible
She said to him, "My father, you have made a promise to the Lord. Do to me what you have promised you would do. Because the Lord has punished the people of Ammon, who fought against you.
She said to him, "My father, you have made a promise to the Lord. Do to me what you have promised you would do. Because the Lord has punished the people of Ammon, who fought against you.
New Revised Standard
She said to him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord , do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has given you vengeance against your enemies, the Ammonites."
She said to him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord , do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has given you vengeance against your enemies, the Ammonites."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And she said unto him - My father! Thou hast opened wide thy mouth unto Yahweh, Do with me, according to that which hath gone forth out of thy mouth, - after that Yahweh hath exacted for thee an avenging from thine enemies, from the sons of Ammon.
And she said unto him - My father! Thou hast opened wide thy mouth unto Yahweh, Do with me, according to that which hath gone forth out of thy mouth, - after that Yahweh hath exacted for thee an avenging from thine enemies, from the sons of Ammon.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And she answered him: My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to the Lord, do unto me whatsoever thou hast promised, since the victory hath been granted to thee, and revenge of thy enemies.
And she answered him: My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to the Lord, do unto me whatsoever thou hast promised, since the victory hath been granted to thee, and revenge of thy enemies.
Revised Standard Version
And she said to him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone forth from your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites."
And she said to him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone forth from your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So she said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon."
So she said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon."
Contextual Overview
29 God 's Spirit came upon Jephthah. He went across Gilead and Manasseh, went through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there approached the Ammonites. Jephthah made a vow before God : "If you give me a clear victory over the Ammonites, then I'll give to God whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in one piece from among the Ammonites—I'll offer it up in a sacrificial burnt offering." 32Then Jephthah was off to fight the Ammonites. And God gave them to him. He beat them soundly, all the way from Aroer to the area around Minnith as far as Abel Keramim—twenty cities! A massacre! Ammonites brought to their knees by the People of Israel. 34Jephthah came home to Mizpah. His daughter ran from the house to welcome him home—dancing to tambourines! She was his only child. He had no son or daughter except her. When he realized who it was, he ripped his clothes, saying, "Ah, dearest daughter—I'm dirt. I'm despicable. My heart is torn to shreds. I made a vow to God and I can't take it back!" 36 She said, "Dear father, if you made a vow to God , do to me what you vowed; God did his part and saved you from your Ammonite enemies." 37 And then she said to her father, "But let this one thing be done for me. Give me two months to wander through the hills and lament my virginity since I will never marry, I and my dear friends." 38"Oh yes, go," he said. He sent her off for two months. She and her dear girlfriends went among the hills, lamenting that she would never marry. At the end of the two months, she came back to her father. He fulfilled the vow with her that he had made. She had never slept with a man. It became a custom in Israel that for four days every year the young women of Israel went out to mourn for the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite. 40 Jephthah the Gileadite was one tough warrior. He was the son of a whore, but Gilead was his father. Meanwhile Gilead's legal wife had given him other sons, and when they grew up, his wife's sons threw Jephthah out. They told him: "You're not getting any of our family inheritance—you're the son of another woman." So Jephthah fled from his brothers and went to live in the land of Tob. Some riffraff joined him and went around with him. Some time passed. And then the Ammonites started fighting Israel. With the Ammonites at war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. They said to Jephthah: "Come. Be our general and we'll fight the Ammonites." But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead: "But you hate me. You kicked me out of my family home. So why are you coming to me now? Because you are in trouble. Right?" The elders of Gilead replied, "That's it exactly. We've come to you to get you to go with us and fight the Ammonites. You'll be the head of all of us, all the Gileadites." Jephthah addressed the elders of Gilead, "So if you bring me back home to fight the Ammonites and God gives them to me, I'll be your head—is that right?" They said, " God is witness between us; whatever you say, we'll do." Jephthah went along with the elders of Gilead. The people made him their top man and general. And Jephthah repeated what he had said before God at Mizpah. Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites with a message: "What's going on here that you have come into my country picking a fight?" The king of the Ammonites told Jephthah's messengers: "Because Israel took my land when they came up out of Egypt—from the Arnon all the way to the Jabbok and to the Jordan. Give it back peaceably and I'll go." Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites with the message: "Jephthah's word: Israel took no Moabite land and no Ammonite land. When they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the desert as far as the Red Sea, arriving at Kadesh. There Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom saying, ‘Let us pass through your land, please.' But the king of Edom wouldn't let them. Israel also requested permission from the king of Moab, but he wouldn't let them cross either. They were stopped in their tracks at Kadesh. So they traveled across the desert and circled around the lands of Edom and Moab. They came out east of the land of Moab and set camp on the other side of the Arnon—they didn't set foot in Moabite territory, for Arnon was the Moabite border. Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites at Heshbon the capital. Israel asked, ‘Let us pass, please, through your land on the way to our country.' But Sihon didn't trust Israel to cut across his land; he got his entire army together, set up camp at Jahaz, and fought Israel. But God , the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his troops to Israel. Israel defeated them. Israel took all the Amorite land, all Amorite land from Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan. It was God , the God of Israel, who pushed out the Amorites in favor of Israel; so who do you think you are to try to take it over? Why don't you just be satisfied with what your god Chemosh gives you and we'll settle for what God , our God, gives us? Do you think you're going to come off better than Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab? Did he get anywhere in opposing Israel? Did he risk war? All this time—it's been three hundred years now!—that Israel has lived in Heshbon and its villages, in Aroer and its villages, and in all the towns along the Arnon, why didn't you try to snatch them away then? No, I haven't wronged you. But this is an evil thing that you are doing to me by starting a fight. Today God the Judge will decide between the People of Israel and the people of Ammon." But the king of the Ammonites refused to listen to a word that Jephthah had sent him. God 's Spirit came upon Jephthah. He went across Gilead and Manasseh, went through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there approached the Ammonites. Jephthah made a vow before God : "If you give me a clear victory over the Ammonites, then I'll give to God whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in one piece from among the Ammonites—I'll offer it up in a sacrificial burnt offering." Then Jephthah was off to fight the Ammonites. And God gave them to him. He beat them soundly, all the way from Aroer to the area around Minnith as far as Abel Keramim—twenty cities! A massacre! Ammonites brought to their knees by the People of Israel. Jephthah came home to Mizpah. His daughter ran from the house to welcome him home—dancing to tambourines! She was his only child. He had no son or daughter except her. When he realized who it was, he ripped his clothes, saying, "Ah, dearest daughter—I'm dirt. I'm despicable. My heart is torn to shreds. I made a vow to God and I can't take it back!" She said, "Dear father, if you made a vow to God , do to me what you vowed; God did his part and saved you from your Ammonite enemies." And then she said to her father, "But let this one thing be done for me. Give me two months to wander through the hills and lament my virginity since I will never marry, I and my dear friends." "Oh yes, go," he said. He sent her off for two months. She and her dear girlfriends went among the hills, lamenting that she would never marry. At the end of the two months, she came back to her father. He fulfilled the vow with her that he had made. She had never slept with a man. It became a custom in Israel that for four days every year the young women of Israel went out to mourn for the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
forasmuch: Judges 16:28-30, 2 Samuel 18:19, 2 Samuel 18:31, 2 Samuel 19:30, Acts 20:24, Acts 21:13, Romans 16:4, Philippians 2:30
Reciprocal: Numbers 30:2 - vow a vow Psalms 66:14 - uttered Jeremiah 44:17 - whatsoever
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And she said unto him, my father, [if] thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord,.... The conditional word "if" may be left out, as it is not in the original text; for her father had told her that he had opened his mouth, or made a vow to the Lord, and had no doubt explained it to her what it was, though it is not expressed; she knew it respected her, as it had issued, and was concerning her, as appears by her later request:
do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; which is a remarkable instance of filial subjection and obedience to a parent, and which perhaps was strengthened by a like mistaken notion as that of her father concerning the vow, that it could not be dispensed with; and therefore was moved under a sense of religion, as well as filial duty, to express herself in this manner, as well as by what follows:
forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon: such was her public spirit, and the grateful sense she had of the divine goodness, in giving victory over Israel's enemies, and delivering them from them, with vengeance on them, she cared not what was done to her; yea, desired that what was vowed might be performed.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The touching submission of Jephthah’s daughter to an inevitable fate shows how deeply-rooted at that time was the pagan notion of the propriety of human sacrifice.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Judges 11:36. And she said unto him — What a pattern of filial piety and obedience! She was at once obedient, pious, and patriotic. A woman to have no offspring was considered to be in a state of the utmost degradation among the Hebrews; but she is regardless of all this, seeing her father is in safety, and her country delivered.
