Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, August 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Judges 11:9

Jephthah said to the elders, "Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the Lord gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Jephthah;   Prayer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jephthah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ammonites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ammonites;   Jephthah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Head;   Jephthah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Elder;   Leadership;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Vow;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jephthah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jephthah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ammon, Ammonites;   Gilead;   Jephthah;   Judges (1);   Levi;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Jephtha;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jephthah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ambassador,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Jephthah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Courts, Judicial;   Jephthah;   Judges, Book of:;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Fable;   Jephthah;   King;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Jephthah said to them, “If you are bringing me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, I will be your leader.”
Hebrew Names Version
Yiftach said to the Zakenim of Gil`ad, If you bring me home again to fight with the children of `Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
King James Version
And 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?
Lexham English Bible
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight against the Ammonites, and Yahweh gives them over to me, will I be your head?"
English Standard Version
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head."
New Century Version
Then Jephthah answered, "If you take me back to Gilead to fight the Ammonites and the Lord helps me win, I will be your ruler."
New English Translation
Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, "All right! If you take me back to fight with the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me, I will be your leader."
Amplified Bible
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you take me back [home] to fight against the Ammonites and the LORD gives them over to me, will I [really] become your head?"
New American Standard Bible
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD gives them up to me, will I become your head?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Iphtah said vnto the Elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home againe to fight against the children of Ammon, if the Lord giue them before me, shall I be your head?
Legacy Standard Bible
Daarop antwoord Jefta die oudstes van Gílead: As julle my laat terugkom om teen die kinders van Ammon te veg en die HERE hulle aan my oorgee, dan moet ek julle hoof word.
Contemporary English Version
"All right," Jephthah said. "If I go back with you and the Lord lets me defeat the Ammonites, will you really make me your ruler?"
Complete Jewish Bible
Yiftach answered them, "If you bring me back home to fight the army of ‘Amon, and Adonai defeats them for me, I will be your head."
Darby Translation
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If ye take me back to fight against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah give them up before me, shall I be your head?
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Jephthah said to the elders from Gilead, "If you want me to come back to Gilead and fight the Ammonites, I will do it. But if the Lord helps me win, I will be your new leader."
George Lamsa Translation
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me back to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your chief?
Good News Translation
Jephthah said to them, "If you take me back home to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives me victory, I will be your ruler."
Literal Translation
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon, and Jehovah gives them up before me, shall I be your head?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iephthae sayde vnto the Elders of Gilead: Yf ye fetch me agayne to fighte agaynst the childre of Ammon, and the LORDE delyuer them before me shal I then be youre heade?
American Standard Version
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Jehovah deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
Bible in Basic English
Then Jephthah said to the responsible men of Gilead, If you take me back to make war against the children of Ammon, and if with the help of the Lord I overcome them, will you make me your head?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iephthah sayde vnto the elders of Gilead: If ye bring me home againe to fight against the children of Ammon, then yf the Lorde deliuer them before me, shall I be your head?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead: 'If ye bring me back home to fight with the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, I will be your head.'
King James Version (1611)
And Iephthah said vnto the Elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home againe to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliuer them before me; shall I be your Head?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jephthae said to the elders of Galaad, If ye turn me back to fight with the children of Ammon, and the Lord should deliver them before me, then will I be your head.
English Revised Version
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
Berean Standard Bible
But Jephthah asked them, "If you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me, will I really be your leader?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Jepte seide to hem, Whether ye camen verili to me, that Y fiyte for you ayens the sones of Amon, and if the Lord schal bitake hem in to myn hondis, schal Y be youre prince?
Young's Literal Translation
And Jephthah saith unto the elders of Gilead, `If ye are taking me back to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and Jehovah hath given them before me -- I, am I to you for a head?'
Update Bible Version
And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight with the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh delivers them before me, shall I be your head?
Webster's Bible Translation
And Jephthah said to 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?
World English Bible
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Yahweh deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
New King James Version
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them to me, shall I be your head?"
New Life Bible
Jephthah said to the leaders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight the men of Ammon and the Lord gives them to me, will I become your head?"
New Revised Standard
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight with the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead - If ye do bring me back to do battle with the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh deliver them up before me, shall, I myself, become your head?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Jephte also said to them: If you be come to me sincerely, that I should fight for you against the children of Ammon, and the Lord shall deliver them into my hand, shall I be your prince?
Revised Standard Version
Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight with the Ammonites, and the LORD gives them over to me, I will be your head."
THE MESSAGE
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?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you take me back to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD gives them up to me, will I become your head?"

Contextual Overview

4 At about this time, the Ammonites began their war against Israel. 5 When the Ammonites attacked, the elders of Gilead sent for Jephthah in the land of Tob. 6 The elders said, "Come and be our commander! Help us fight the Ammonites!" 7 But Jephthah said to them, "Aren't you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father's house? Why do you come to me now when you're in trouble?" 8 "Because we need you," the elders replied. "If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead." 9 Jephthah said to the elders, "Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the Lord gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?" 10 "The Lord is our witness," the elders replied. "We promise to do whatever you say." 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their ruler and commander of the army. At Mizpah, in the presence of the Lord , Jephthah repeated what he had said to the elders.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If ye bring: Numbers 32:20-29

Reciprocal: Judges 8:23 - I will

Cross-References

Genesis 10:5
Their descendants became the seafaring peoples that spread out to various lands, each identified by its own language, clan, and national identity.
Genesis 10:10
He built his kingdom in the land of Babylonia, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh.
Genesis 10:20
These were the descendants of Ham, identified by clan, language, territory, and national identity.
Genesis 10:25
Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg (which means "division"), for during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups. His brother's name was Joktan.
Genesis 11:1
At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words.
Genesis 11:14
When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber.
Genesis 11:31
One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram's wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there.
Genesis 11:32
Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.
Acts 17:26
From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
1 Corinthians 14:23
Even so, if unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead,.... Considering the former usage he had met with from them, and the character which he himself bore, and the fickleness of men, when their turn is served, was willing to make a sure bargain with them:

if ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon; that is, should he consent to go along with them, and fight their battle for them:

and the Lord deliver them before me; or into his hands, on whom he depended for success, and not on his own courage and valour, and military skill:

shall I be your head? not only captain general of their forces during the war, but the chief ruler of them when that was ended.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jephthah made his own aggrandisement the condition of his delivering; his country. The circumstances of his birth and long residence in a pagan land were little favorable to the formation of the highest type of character. Yet he has his record among the faithful Hebrews 11:32.


 
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