7 Jephthah said to the elders, “Did you not shun me and drive me out from the house of my father? Why do you come to me now when you have trouble?” 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That being so, we have now returned to you, that you may go with us ⌊to fight⌋f against the ⌊Ammonites⌋g and become for us as head of all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me back ⌊to fight⌋h against the ⌊Ammonites⌋,i and Yahweh gives them ⌊over to me⌋,j will I be your head?” 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Yahweh will be a ⌊witness⌋k between us; we will act according to your word.” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh at Mizpah.

12 And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the ⌊Ammonites⌋,l saying, “What is between you and me that you have come to me to make war against my land?” 13 And the king of the ⌊Ammonites⌋m said to Jephthah’s messengers, “Because Israel took my land from the Arnon up to the Jabbok and the Jordan when they came up from Egypt; so then, restore it peacefully.” 14 Once again Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the ⌊Ammonites⌋,n 15 and he said to him, “Thus says Jephthah, ‘Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the ⌊Ammonites⌋,o 16 because when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the ⌊Red Sea⌋p and went to Kadesh. 17 Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let us cross through your land,” but the king of Edom would not listen. And they also sent messengers to the king of Moab, but he was not willing. So Israel stayed in Kadesh. 18 Then they traveled through the wilderness, went around the land of Edom and Moab, and came to ⌊the east⌋q side of the land of Moab, and theyr encamped beyond the Arnon; and they did not go into the territory of Moab because the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites,s king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us cross through your land ⌊to our country⌋.’t