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And yee are risen vp against my fathers house this day, and haue slayne his children, about seuentie persons vpon one stone, and haue made Abimelech the sonne of his mayde seruant, King ouer the men of Shechem, because hee is your brother)

And the children of Israel wrought wickednesse againe in the sight of the Lord, and serued Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistims, and forsooke the Lord and serued not him.

Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he solde them into the hands of the Philistims, and into the handes of the children of Ammon:

Who from that yere vexed and oppressed the children of Israel eighteene yeres, euen all the children of Israel that were beyond Iorden, in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

Moreouer, the children of Ammon went ouer Iorden to fight against Iudah, and against Beniamin, and against the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore tormented.

Then the children of Israel cryed vnto the Lorde, saying, We haue sinned against thee, euen because we haue forsaken our owne God, and haue serued Baalim.

And the Lord sayd vnto the children of Israel, Did not I deliuer you from the Egyptians & from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon and from the Philistims?

And the children of Israel sayde vnto the Lorde, We haue sinned: doe thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please thee: onely we pray thee to deliuer vs this day.

Then the children of Ammon gathered themselues together, and pitched in Gilead: and the children of Israel assembled themselues, and pitched in Mizpeh.

And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, Whosoeuer will beginne the battell against the children of Ammon, the same shal be head ouer all the inhabitants of Gilead.

And Gileads wife bare him sonnes, and when the womans children were come to age, they thrust out Iphtah, and sayd vnto him, Thou shalt not inherite in our fathers house: for thou art the sonne of a strange woman.

And in processe of time the children of Ammon made warre with Israel.

And when the children of Ammon fought with Israel, the Elders of Gilead went to fet Iphtah out of the land of Tob.

And they saide vnto Iphtah, Come and be our captaine, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

Then the Elders of Gilead saide vnto Iphtah, Therefore we turne againe to thee now, that thou mayest goe with vs, and fight against the children of Ammon, and bee our head ouer all the inhabitants of Gilead.

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?

Then Iphtah sent messengers vnto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to doe with me, that thou art come against me, to fight in my lande?

And the King of the children of Ammon answered vnto the messengers of Iphtah, Because Israel tooke my lande, when they came vp from Egypt, fro Arnon vnto Iabbok, & vnto Iorden: now therefore restore those lands quietly.

Yet Iphtah sent messengers againe vnto the King of the children of Ammon,

And said vnto him, Thus saith Iphtah, Israel tooke not the lande of Moab, nor the lande of the children of Ammon.