Further Disobedience and Oppression
6 The people of Israel bagain did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the cBaals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they dforsook the Lord and edid not serve him. 7 So the fanger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, 8 and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.
10 And the people of Israel gcried out to the Lord, saying, h“We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” 11 And the Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you ifrom the Egyptians and jfrom the Amorites, kfrom the Ammonites and lfrom the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and the mAmalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore nI will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; olet them save you in the time of your distress.” 15 And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; pdo to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they qput away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient rover the misery of Israel.
17 Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah. 18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be shead over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Jephthah’s Tragic Vow
29 Then mthe Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.
32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. 33 And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel.
