Yiftoch the Gilodi was supremely powerful. He was the son of a woman innkeeper. Gilod fathered Yiftoch.

Gilod's wife bore him sons. When the woman's sons matured, they ejected Yiftoch, telling him, "You have no birthright in our father's house, as you are the child of a different wife."

Yiftoch fled from his brothers' presence, and settled in the land of Tov. Idlers collected around Yiftoch, and travelled with him.

Years passed, and the Bnei Ammon waged war against Yisroel.

It happened that, when the Bnei Ammon waged war against Yisroel, the elders of Gilod went to bring Yiftoch from the land of Tov.

They said to Yiftoch, "Come, be our commander! Let us fight the Bnei Ammon!"

Yiftoch retorted to the elders of Gilod, "Did you not hate me, and eject me from my father's house? Why have you approached me now, when you are in trouble?"

The elders of Gilod replied to Yiftoch, "For this very reason we have returned to you now. Come along with us and fight the Bnei Ammon, and you will be, for us, head of all those who inhabit Gilod."

Yiftoch said to the elders of Gilod, "If you repatriate me to fight the Bnei Ammon, and Adonoy delivers them over to me, I will be your head."

The elders of Gilod declared to Yiftoch, "May Adonoy take heed of what has passed between us, if we do not fulfill your stipulations."

Yiftoch accompanied the elders of Gilod, and the people designated him as their head and commander. Yiftoch articulated all his stipulations before Adonoy, at Mitzpah.

Yiftoch dispatched emissaries to the king of the Bnei Ammon, saying, "What is there between us that you have encroached upon me by engaging in warfare in my country?"

The king of the Bnei Ammon replied to Yiftoch's emissaries, "Because Yisroel annexed my country when ascending from Mitzrayim; from Arnon to the Yabok to the Yardein. Restore them now in peace."

Yiftoch continued further, and dispatched emissaries to the king of the Bnei Ammon.

He said to him, "Yiftoch declares the following: Yisroel never annexed the country of Moav and the country of the Bnei Ammon.

For, when ascending from Mitzrayim, Yisroel travelled in the wilderness until the Reed sea, until they reached Kodeish.

Yisroel dispatched emissaries to the king of Edom, saying, 'Please allow me to traverse your country,' but the king of Edom paid no heed. They dispatched to the king of Moav, as well, and he refused. Yisroel remained at Kodeish.

They then continued through the wilderness, circumvented the land of Edom and the land of Moav, [they] arrived at the east of the land of Moav, and camped opposite Arnon. They never encroached upon the Moabite border, for Arnon is the Moabite border.

Yisroel then dispatched emissaries to Sichon, king of the Emorites, king of Cheshbon. Yisroel said to him, 'Please, let us traverse your country until our destination.'

Sichon would not place his faith in Yisroel by permitting them to cross his border. Sichon assembled all his people, camped at Yahetzah, and waged war with Yisroel.

Adonoy, God of Yisroel, delivered Sichon and his entire people into Yisroel's hand; and they struck them down. Yisroel took possession of all the land of the Emorites, who inhabited that land.

They took possession of everything within the Emorite borders, from Arnon to the Yabok, from the wilderness to the Yardein.

Now Adonoy, God of Yisroel, ejected the Emorites from before His people Yisroel, and you think to take possession of it?

Will you not take possession of everything that your god, K'mosh bestows upon you? So, whomever Adonoy our God ejects before us, [that land] we shall take into our possession.

Now, are you superior to Balak ben Tzipor, king of Moav? Did he clash with Yisroel? Did he wage war against them?

When Yisroel occupied Cheshbon and its villages, Areor and its villages, and all the cities adjoining Arnon, for three hundred years; why did you not recoup them at that time?

I have not wronged you, yet you act badly towards me by waging war against me. May Adonoy who sits in judgement decide today between the Bnei Yisroel and the Bnei Amman."

The king of the Bnei Ammon paid no heed to the message Yiftoch sent him.

The spirit of Adonoy then visited Yiftoch. He travelled through Gilod and Menasheh, and crossed Mitzpeh Gilod. From Mitzpeh Gilod, he crossed to the Bnei Ammon.

Yiftoch articulated a vow to Adonoy, and declared, "If you actually deliver the Bnei Ammon into my hand.

This shall be: Whatsoever steps from the door of my home toward me at my peaceful return from the Bnei Ammon—will belong to Adonoy. and I shall bring it as an olah offering."

Yiftoch crossed to the Bnei Ammon to wage war against them. Adonoy delivered them into his hand.

He struck them down from Aroer until you reach Minnis—twenty cities—until the plain of the vineyards, an exceedingly damaging blow. The Bnei Ammon were then subjugated to the Bnei Yisroel.

Yiftoch arrived at Mitzpah, at his home. Now his daughter went out towards him with drums and dancing. There was only her, she alone; he did not have, from her, a son or daughter.

When he saw her, he ripped his garments, and exclaimed, "Aahha, my daughter! You have surely brought me to my knees! And you are among those who ruined me! For I have mouthed an oath before Adonoy, and I can never recant!."

She said to him, "My father, you have mouthed an oath before Adonoy. Do with me exactly as you said, considering that Adonoy has wreaked vengeance for you against your enemies, the Bnei Ammon."

She told her father, "Let this be done for my sake—release me for two months, so that I may proceed to grieve on the hills. I shall weep over my maidenhood, I and my companions."

He replied, "You may go." He released her for two months. She went with her companions, and wept over her maidenhood on the hills.

It happened that, at the end of two months, she returned to her father, and he carried into effect, with her, the vow which he had pronounced. She had never been intimate with anyone. She became the subject of a law in Yisroel.

The daughters of Yisroel journeyed annually to grieve for the daughter of Yiftoch, the Gilodite, four days a year.