Leadership Verses

Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken {thereto}. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not {consent}: and Israel abode in Kadesh.

And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.

And now {art} thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over {unto} the children of Ammon.

{That} the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. {yearly: Heb. from year to year} {to lament: or, to talk with}

Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites {are} fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, {and} among the Manassites.

And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was {so}, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, {Art} thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;

And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in {one of} the cities of Gilead.

And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, {whom} he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.