Page 309 - bible

Book of Judges 303

thou wilt deliver the children of Ammon into my 40 That, from year to year, the daughters of
hands, Israel assemble together, and lament the daugh-
31 Whosoever shall first come forth out of the ter of Jephte the Galaadite, for four days.
doors of my house, and shall meet me, when I
return in peace from the children of Ammon, the
same will I offer a holocaust to the Lord. Chapter 12
32 And Jephte passed over to the children of
Ammon to fight against them: and the Lord de- But behold there arose a sedition in Ephraim.
livered them into his hands. And passing towards the north, they said to
33 And he smote them from Aroer till you Jephte: When thou wentest to fight against the
come to Mennith, twenty cities, and as far as children of Ammon, why wouldst thou not call
Abel, which is set with vineyards, with a very us, that we might go with thee? Therefore we
great slaughter: and the children of Ammon were will burn thy house.
humbled by the children of Israel. 2 And he answered them: I and my people
34 And when Jephte returned into Maspha, were at great strife with the children of Ammon:
to his house, his only daughter met him with and I called you to assist me, and you would not
timbrels and with dances: for he had no other do it.
children. 3 And when I saw this, I put my life in my
35 And when he saw her, he rent his garments, own hands, and passed over against the children
and said: Alas! my daughter, thou hast deceived of Ammon and the Lord delivered them into my
me, and thou thyself art deceived: for I have hands. What have I deserved, that you should
opened my mouth to the Lord, and I can do no rise up to fight against me?
other thing. 4 Then calling to him all the men of Galaad,
36 And she answered him: My father, if thou he fought against Ephraim: and the men of
hast opened thy mouth to the Lord, do unto me Galaad defeated Ephraim, because he had said:
whatsoever thou hast promised, since the victory Galaad is a fugitive of Ephraim, and dwelleth in
hath been granted to thee, and revenge of thy the midst of Ephraim and Manasses.
enemies. 5 And the Galaadites secured the fords of the
37 And she said to her father: Grant me only Jordan, by which Ephraim was to return. And
this, which I desire: Let me go, that I may go when any one of the number of Ephraim came
about the mountains for two months, and may thither in the flight, and said: I beseech you let
bewail my virginity with my companions. me pass: the Galaadites said to him: Art thou
38 And he answered her: Go. And he sent not an Ephraimite? If he said: I am not:
her away for two months. And when she was 6 They asked him: Say then, Scibboleth,
gone with her comrades and companions, she which is interpreted, An ear of corn. But he an-
mourned her virginity in the mountains. swered, Sibboleth, not being able to express an
39 And the two months being expired, she re- ear of corn by the same letter. Then presently
turned to her father, and he did to her as he had they took him and killed him in the very pas-
vowed, and she knew no man. From thence came sage of the Jordan. And there fell at that time
a fashion in Israel, and a custom has been kept: of Ephraim, two and forty thousand.