Judges · Chapter 11

[ edit] There was alſo in þat tyme Jeptee Galadites, a man mooſt ſtrong and fyȝter, þe ſone of a womman ſtrompet, þat is born of Galaad. Forſoþe Galaad hadde a wijf, of whom he took ſones, þe whiche aftirward þat þei weren waxen, keſten out Jeptee, ſeiynge, Eyre in þe hows of oure fader þou ſhalt not mowe be, for of avowtreſſe modir þou art born. Whom he fleynge and ſhonnynge dwellide in þe loond of Tob; and þere ben gedrid to hym nedi men and ſtelynge, and as prince þei ſueden.

In þoo days fouȝten þe ſones of Amon aȝens Yrael; þe whiche ſharpli inſtoondynge, þe more þurȝ birþ wenten fro Galaad for to take into her help Jeptee of þe loond of Tob; and þei ſeiden to hym, Com, and be oure prince, and fiȝt aȝens þe ſones of Amon. To whom he anſwerde, Ben not ȝe, þat hatiden me, and keſten out fro þe hows of my fader, and nowe ȝe ben comen to me þurȝ nede conſtreyned? And þe princis of Galaad ſeiden to Jepte, For þis cauſe þanne nowe to þee we ben comen, þat þou goo wiþ vs, and fiȝt aȝens þe ſones of Amon, and be duyk of alle þat dwellen in Galaad.

Forſoþe Jeptee ſeide to hem, If vereyli ȝe ben comen to me, þat I fiȝte for ȝow aȝen þe ſones of Amon, and þe Lord take hem into myn hoondis, ſhal Y be ȝoure prynce? Þe whiche anſwerden to hym, Þe Lord, þat þes þingis heriþ, he meene and witnes is, þat oure biheeſtis we ſhulen doo. And ſo Jeptee ȝede wiþ þe princis of Galaad, and þe puple made hym þeir prince; and Jeptee ſpak alle his wordis before þe Lord in Maſpha. And he ſente meſſagers to þe kyng of þe ſones of Amon, þe which of his perſone ſhulde ſeye, What to me and to þee is, for þou art comun aȝens me, þat þou waſte my loond?

To whom he anſwerde, For Yrael took my loond, whanne he ſtiede vp fro Egipt, fro þe cooſtis of Arnon vnto Jaboþ and Jordan, nowe þanne wiþ pees ȝeeld to me it. Bi whom eft Jeptee ſente, and comaundide to hem, þat þei ſhulden ſeye to þe kyng of Amon, Þes þingis ſeiþ Jeptee, Yrael took not þe loond of Moab, ne þe loond of þe ſones of Amon; but whanne fro Egipt þei ſtyeden, he ȝede bi wildernes vnto þe Reed See, and cam into Cades; and he ſente meſſagers to þe kyng of Edom, ſeiynge, Let me, þat I paſſe bi þi loond; þe which wold not aſſente to his preiers.

And he ſente to þe kyng of Moab, þe which and he diſpiſide to ȝyue paſſynge; and ſo he abood in Cades, and enuyrounde aſide þe loond of Edom, and þe loond of Moab; and he cam to þe eeſt cooſt of þe loond of Moab, and he ſette tentis biȝonde Arnon, and he wold not entre þe teermys of Moab; forſoþe Arnon is niȝ cooſt to þe loond of Moab. And ſo Yrael ſente meſſagers to Seon, þe kyng of Ammorreis, þat dwellide in Eſebon; and ſeide to hym, Leete me, þat Y paſſe bi þi loond vnto þe flood. Þe which and he, diſpiſynge þe wordis of Yrael, leete hym not paſſe bi his teermys, but a multitude wiþ outen eend gedrid wente out aȝens hym into Geſſa, and ſtrongli wiþſtood.

And þe Lord took hym into þe hoondis of Yrael wiþ al his ooſt; þe which ſmoot hym, and weeldide al þe loond of Ammorree, þe dweller of þat regioun, and al þe coſtus of it fro Arnon vnto Jaboch, and fro þe wildernes vnto Jordan. Þe Lord þan God of Yrael turnede vpſedoun Amorre, fiȝtynge aȝens hym to his puple Yrael. And þou nowe wolt weelde þe loond of hym? Wheþer not þoo þingis, þe whiche weeldiþ Camos, þi god, to þee þurȝ riȝt ben owid?

Forſoþe þingis þat þe Lord oure God ouercomer heelde, in oure poſſeſſioun ſhulen falle; but perauenture þow be betere þan Baalach, þe ſone of Sephor, kyng of Moab, oþere þou mayſt teche, þat he ſtroue aȝens Yrael, and fauȝte aȝens hym, whanne he dwelte in Eſebon, and in þe litil touns of it, and in Aroer and hys litil touns, and in alle þe cytees beȝonde Jordan, by þre hundred ȝeer. Whi ſo mych tyme no þing vpon þis aſkynge þou aſaydiſt? Þerfor I ſynne not in þee, but þou aȝens me doſt yuel, bryngynge into me bataylys not ryȝtwiſe; deme þe Lord, domyſman of þis day, bitwexe Yrael and þe ſones of Amon.

And þe kyng of þe ſones of Amon wold not aſſente to þe wordis of Jeptee, þe whiche bi meſſagers he ſente. Þanne is doon vpon Jeptee þe ſpyrit of þe Lord, and he enuyrounnynge Galaad and Manaſſe, Maſpha and Galaad, and þens paſſynge to þe ſones of Amon, he vowede avowe to þe Lord, ſeiynge, If þou takiſt þe ſones of Amon into myn hoondis, who ſo euere firſt were gon out fro þe ȝatis of myn hous, and aȝen comeþ to me turnynge aȝen wiþ pees fro þe ſones of Amon, I ſhal offre hym brent ſacrifice to þe Lord.

And Jeptee paſſide forþ to þe ſones of Amon, for to fiȝte aȝens hem, whom þe Lord took into þe hoondis of hym; and he ſmoot fro Aroer for to þat þou come into Mennyþ, twenti citees, and vnto Abel, þat is wiþ vynes ſet, wiþ a wel greet veniaunce; and þe ſones of Amon ben mekid of þe ſones of Yrael. Forſoþe to Jeptee turnynge aȝens into Maſpha, his hous, aȝencam to hym his oonli goten douȝter wiþ tymbrys and chorys; forſoþe he hadde noon oþer free children. Þe whiche ſeen, he kitte his cloþis, and ſeiþ, Allas! douȝter myn, þou haſt diſſeyued me, and þi ſelf art deſſeyued; forſoþe Y haue openyd my mouþ to þe Lord, and I ſhal not mowe doo oþer þing.

To whom ſhe anſwerde, Fader myn, if þou haſt openyd þi mouþ to þe Lord, do to me what euere þing þou haſt bihoot, grauntid to þee veniaunce and victorye of þin enemyes. And ſhe ſeide to þe fader, Þis oonli ȝif to me, þat I praye; leete me, þat two monþis Y enuyroun þe hillis, and weyle my maydenhod wiþ my felawis. To whom he anſwerde, Go. And he lafte hir two monþis. And whanne ſhe was goon wiþ felawis and hir compeers, ſhe wepte hyr maydenhod in þe hillis. And fulfillid two monþis, ſhe is turned aȝen to hir fader, and he dyde to hire, as he auowide; þe which knewe not man.

Þerfor maner ſpronge in Yrael, and vſage is kept, þat after þe ſercle of o ȝeer þe douȝtris of Yrael comen to gidre in oon, and weylen þe douȝter of Jeptee Galadyte foure dayes.