When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters. When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. “Oh, my daughter!” he cried out. “You have completely destroyed me! You’ve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.” And she said, “Father, if you have made a vow to the LORD, you must do to me what you have vowed, for the LORD has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites. But first let me do this one thing: Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin.” “You may go,” Jephthah said. And he sent her away for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children. When she returned home, her father kept the vow he had made, and she died a virgin. So it has become a custom in Israel for young Israelite women to go away for four days each year to lament the fate of Jephthah’s daughter.
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Compare All Versions: Judges 11:34-40
4 Days
How can the heroes of the Bible inspire us to greatness? Join us in this four-day reading plan as Kristi Krauss motivates us with Ehud's cleverness, Deborah's leadership, Gideon's bravery, and Jephthah's self-esteem. Don't be surprised if these testimonies transform your life.
5 Days
Do you feel as if God has abandoned you? In life’s hardest moments, it can seem impossible to feel His presence. Rest assured; He hasn’t left your side. In this devotional, you’ll experience the nearness of God through one man’s inspiring journey. You’ll be encouraged and learn how you can trust in the Lord, regardless of your circumstances.
7 Days
168 is the number of hours that each human being has for a week. No more, no less. The Psalmist cried out, "Lord, teach us to count our days well!" In our fast-paced society, counting our HOURS has become vital. I invite you to reflect over the next few days on how to invest and allocate your time ACCORDING to GOD.
9 Days
No one is perfect! How can we manage our mistakes, failures and breakdowns? The bible is full of people who failed, yet most of them are used by God. From their failures we can learn that God will lead us into a life of victory.
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