About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible::

About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible: I was uncertain of how to accomplish this, mindful of Revelation 22:18-19, which says that nobody is to add to, or to take away from what was written in the Bible. After lots of prayerful contemplation, the Lord had it on my heart that I’m not to change the meaning of what is written in the Bible. He has also shown ways to add to people’s understating of that meaning, without altering the meaning, by putting that info within [brackets]. This is primarily accomplished with the KJV Bible and lots of prayers, but at times, BibleGateway.com, Biblehub.com, NIV Bible, Webster Dictionary, and other internet resources, as needed. Debra Seiling

About Understanding the Bible:

Understanding the Bible: After reading Isaiah 28:10 many times over the years and not totally understanding it, it recently became apparent to me that the Lord God has this passage as the means for understanding the Bible. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. Isaiah 28:10 KJV. Being prayerful about this passage, and looking up 'precept' in the Webster's Dictionary, it gave this passage a whole new meaning, once 'commandment' is substituted for 'precept'. Within brackets are additional words the Lord had on my heart to aid in understanding the meaning. For commandment must be [built up] upon commandment; commandment upon commandment; line upon line, line upon line; [developing understanding] here a little, and there a little.

The Table Format:

The Table Format: I was overwhelmed with how to explain the process for determining if someone had leprosy in Leviticus 13, which seemed very complicated. After praying, "Lord, if this is difficult for me to understand after reading it many times, how can this be explained to others?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was for me to put it into a vertical chart to visually see the process. This made it much easier for me to follow the progression. After doing so, I prayed, "Lord, how can this be conveyed to readers, so that they can understand this process?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was to put it within the lines of a table. Being a stiff-necked, stubborn person, as it's often called in the Bible, I prayed, asking the Lord God if He's sure that's really what He wanted me to do? I reluctantly put Leviticus 13 into a table format. When I read this difficult leprosy process within a table format, it suddenly became easier for me to understand. That's because it builds line upon line, as explained in the Understanding the Bible section. Shortly after that, the Lord God had it on my heart, to put all of The Books of the Bible in Smaller Chunks within a table format, to aid in understanding, line upon line.

7/01/2023

Judges 17:1-13 Micah Takes Back His Mother’s Silver

 

Micah Takes Back His Mother’s Silver

Judges 17:1-13    The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks]

There was a man from Mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. He [told] his mother, [I took back] the 1,100 shekels of silver that were taken from you [that] you [cursed] & [spoke about privately to me] & it is with me. 

She said, [May the Lord bless you,] my son. When [Micah returned] the 1,100 shekels of silver to his mother, she] said, I had [totally] dedicated the sliver to the Lord for my son to make a [carved] image & a [molded] image. [Leviticus 19:4 You [shall] not turn to idols, nor make [for] yourselves [molded] gods. I Am the Lord your God.]

Therefore I will restore it to you now. [Micah] restored the money to his mother, yet [she] took 200 shekels of silver & gave them to the [silversmith,] who made an [carved] image & a [molded] image.

They were in  the house of Micah, [who] had a house of gods & made an ephod [decorative vest often worn by the high priest] & a teraphim [household idol] & [appointed] 1 of his sons, who became his priest. 

In those days, there was no king in Israel, but every man did [what] was right in his own eyes. There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah [from] the family of Judah, who was a Levite & he [temporarily stayed] there.

The man [left] from Bethlehem Judah to [stay] where he could find a place & he came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, [on] his [journey.] Micah said to him, [Where did] you come [from?] 

And [the man] said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah & I go to [stay] where I might find a place. Micah said to him, [Live] with me & be to me [like] a father & a priest & I will give you 10 shekels of silver, a suit of [clothing & food each] year.

So, the Levite went in & was content to [live] with [Micah.] The young man was [like] one of his sons to him. Micah [appointed] the young man [who was a] Levite, [who] became his priest & was in the house of Micah. Micah said, Now I know that the Lord will do good [to] me, [since] I have a Levite [as] my priest.


6/30/2023

Judges 16:1-31 Samson is Blinded, but Prevails in the End

 

Samson is Blinded, but Prevails in the End

Judges 16:1-31    The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks]

Then, Samson went to Gaza & saw a [prostitute] there & was [intimate with] her. The Gazites were told, Samson has come [here] & they [blocked] him in & laid in wait [quietly through the] night, in the [city’s] gate & [said,] We shall kill [Samson] in the morning when it’s [daylight.]

Samson [lay there until] midnight & arose & took the gate doors of the city & 2 posts, bar & all & put them on his shoulders & carried them up to the top of the hill that is before Hebron.

It [happened] afterward, that [Samson] loved a [different] woman, [named] Delilah, in the Valley of Sorek. The Philistine lords came up to [Delilah] & said, [Convince Samson] to [tell us in what] his great strength lies & [how] we [might] prevail against him & [tie him up] to afflict him.

Everyone of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver. Delilah said to Samson, I pray [that] you, tell me [in what] your strength lies & [with what] you might be [tied] to afflict you. Samson said to her, If they [tie] me with 7 [fresh bowstrings] that were never dried, then I shall be weak, [like] another man.

Then, the [Philistine] lords brought her 7 [fresh bowstrings that] hadn’t been dried & she [tied Samson] with them. Now, there were men lying in wait & [they secretly stayed] with her in the [room.] 

[Delilah] said to [Samson,] The Philistines are upon you, Samson. [Samson] broke the [fresh bowstrings] like a thread of [yarn] is broken when it touches fire. So [Samson’s] strength was not known. 

Delilah said to Samson, [Look,] you have mocked me & told me lies. Now, I pray [that] you tell me [with what] you might be [tied.] [Samson] said to her, If they tie me [tightly] with new ropes [that have never been used,] I will be as weak as [any other] man. 

[Then,] Delilah took new ropes & [tied Samson with them] & said to him, The Philistines [are] upon you, Samson. There were [men lying] in wait in the [room.] [Samson broke the ropes] off his arms like thread. Delilah said to Samson, You have mocked me [until now] & told me lies.

Tell me [with what] you might be [tied.] [Samson] said to [Delilah,] If you weave 7 locks of my hair with [the loom] & she fastened it with the pin & she said to [Samson,] The Philistines are upon you, Samson. 

He [awoke from] his sleep & went away with the pin of the beam [& the loom still attached to his hair.] [Delilah] said to [Samson,], How can you say, I love you, when your heart isn’t with me? 

You have mocked me these 3 times & you haven’t told me [in what] your great strength lies. It [happened after she pressured] him daily with her words & urged him, [until she troubled] his soul to death. 

[Samson opened up] his heart & told her, A razor hasn’t come upon my head, for I have been a Nazarite to God from my [birth.] If [my hair is shaved,] then my strength will go from me & I will become weak like any other man. 

When Delilah saw [that Samson] had told her all [on] his heart, she sent for the [Philistine] lords & [said,] Come up [now,] for [Samson] has [shared] all his heart [with] me & [they] came up to her, [with] the money in their [hands.] 

[Delilah] made [Samson] sleep upon her knees & called for a man, [who shaved] off the 7 locks [of hair] on [Samson’s] head. [Delilah] began to afflict [Samson] & his strength [was gone] from him.

She said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. He woke from his sleep & said, I will go out [like the] other times before & shake myself, but he [didn’t know] that the Lord [had] departed from him. 

But the Philistines took [Samson] & put out his eyes & brought him down to Gaza. They bound him in brass [shackles] & [forced him to] grind [grain] in the prison. [However] the hair of his head began to grow again after he was [shaved.]

Then, the [Philistine] lords gathered together to offer a [large] sacrifice to Dagon their god & to rejoice, for they said, Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hand.

When the people saw [Samson,] they praised their god. They said, Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands & the destroyer of our country, [who killed] many of us. When their hearts were merry, they said, Call for Samson, [so] he may [perform for us.] 

And they called for Samson, out of the prison & he [performed for] them. [Afterward,] they [stood Samson] between the pillars & [Samson told] the lad [who guided] him by the hand, [because he was blind,] [Allow] me, [so] I may feel the pillars [upon which the upper floor of the temple] stands, [so] I may lean on them. 

Now, the [temple] was full of all the [Philistine] lords, about 3,000 men & women on the roof, [who watched] while Samson [performed.] Samson called [out] to the Lord & said, O Lord God, I pray You remember me only this once, & strengthen me, O God, that I [might] be avenged of the Philistines for my 2 eyes.

Samson took hold of the 2 middle pillars upon which the [temple] stood & was [held] up, [with his right hand on one & his left hand on the other [pillar that supported the temple.] 

Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines & he bowed himself with all his might & the temple fell upon the [Philistine] lords & upon the people [in it.] So, the dead [Samson killed] at his death, were more than [those he killed throughout] his life.

Then, his brethren & all of his [father’s] house came down & took [Samson’s body] & buried him between Zorah & Eshtaol in the place [they buried] Manoah, his father. [Samson] judged Israel for 20 years.


6/29/2023

Judges 15:1-20 Samson’s Wife Has Been Given to His Friend

 

Samson’s Wife Has Been Given to His Friend

Judges 15:1-20    The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks]

[After some time during] the wheat harvest, Samson visited his wife with a kid [goat] & said [to her father,] I [want to go be intimate] with my wife in the [room,] but her father wouldn’t [allow Samson] to go in.

Her father said, I [truly] thought you had [totally] hated her, [so] I gave her to your companion. Isn’t her younger sister [prettier] than she [is?] I pray [that] you take her instead. 

Samson said, Now, I shall be blameless, if I do [something to cause] the Philistines displeasure. Samson went [out] & caught 300 foxes & turned [the foxes] tail to tail & put [torches between each pair of] tails & set the [torches] on fire. 

[Samson] let the [foxes] go in the standing corn of the Philistines & burned up both the [corn stalks] & the standing corn [along] with the vineyards & olives. [Then,] the Philistines [asked,] Who has done this?

They answered, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he [took Samson’s] wife & [gave] her to [Samson’s] companion. The Philistines came up & burned her & her father with fire. 

And Samson said to them, Though you have done this, I [will still] be avenged of you & after that, I will [stop.] [Samson struck them down] hip & thigh [deep] with a [large] slaughter. 

[Samson lived] in the top of Rock Etam. Then, the Philistines went up & [camped] in Judah & spread themselves in Lehi. The men of Judah [asked the Philistines,] Why have you come up against us? 

They answered, We have come up to [tie] Samson [up] & to do to [Samson] as he had done to us. Then, 3,000 men of Judah went to the top of the Rock of Etam & said to Samson, Don’t you know the Philistines are rulers over us?

[Why] have you done this to us? [Samson] said to them, I have done to them, [just] as they have done to me. And the [men of Judah] said to him, We have come to [tie you up] & deliver you into the hand of the Philistines.

Samson [asked] them, Swear to me that you won’t [kill me] yourselves. They [said to Samson], No; but we will [tie you up tightly] & deliver you into the [Philistine’s hands,] but we surely won’t kill you. 

And they [tied Samson up] with 2 new cords & brought him from the rock. When [Samson] came into Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him & the Spirit of the Lord came upon [Samson] mightily & the cords on his arms came loosened from off his hands, [like] flax that was burnt with fire.

[Samson] found a new jawbone of a [donkey] & took it [in] his hand & killed 1,000 men [there.] Samson said, With the jawbone of a [donkey,] I have slain 1,000 men, heaps upon heaps. 

When he [finished] speaking, [Samson threw] away the jawbone [from] his hand & called that place Ramath Lehi. He was [very thirsty] & called on the Lord & said, You have given this great deliverance into the hand of Your servant, [but] shall I now die [of] thirst & fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?

But God [opened up] a hollow place that was in the [jawbone] & water came out [of it] & [after Samson drank,] his spirit [returned] & he revived. [For this reason, Samson] called [its] name En Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. [Samson] judged Israel for 20 years, in the days of the Philistines.


6/28/2023

Judges 14:1-20 Samson Marries a Philistine Woman

 

Samson Marries a Philistine Woman

Judges 14:1-20    The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks]

Samson went down to Timnath & saw a woman [there] of the daughters of the Philistines. He [went to] his father & mother & told [them,] I have seen a woman in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines. Therefore, now get her for her for me to [marry.]

His [parents asked] him, Isn’t there [any] woman among the daughters of your [relatives,] or [among your] people, that you go to take a wife [from] the uncircumcised Philistines?

Samson [asked] his father, Get her for me, for [I am pleased with her.] His [parents didn’t know this] was of the Lord [God,] for [at that time] the Philistines [ruled] over Israel & [the Lord God looked] for an occasion against the Philistines.

[When] Samson went down [with] his [parents] to Timnath & came to the vineyards of Timnath & [saw] a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon [Samson] & he [tore the lion like] he would’ve [torn] a kid [goat, since] he had [no weapon] in his hand. 

He [didn’t tell] his [parents] what he had done. [When Samson] went down & talked with the woman, Samson was pleased [with her.] After a time, [Samson returned] to take her [as his wife] & he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion & [he saw] there was a swarm of bees & honey in the [lion’s] carcass. 

[Samson] took [some of the honey] in his hands & went on eating [it] & he came to his [parents] & gave them [some honey] & they [ate it.] He [didn’t tell his parents] that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

So, [Samson’s] father went down to the woman & Samson made a [wedding] feast there [for her, since that’s what] the young men used to do. When they saw [Samson,] they brought 30 companions to be with him.

And Samson gave [the 30 companions] a riddle & said to them, I will now put forth a riddle to you & if you can [correctly] answer it within 7 days of the feast, I will give you 30 sheets & 30 [changes] of [clothing.] But if you can’t [answer] it, then you shall give me 30 sheets & 30 [changes] of clothing.

They said to [Samson, tell us] your riddle, [so] may hear it. [Samson] said to them, Out of the eater came forth meat & out of the strong came forth sweetness & the [companions] couldn’t [answer] the riddle [after] 3 days.

On the 7th day, the [companions] said to Samson’s wife, [Convince Samson,] your husband, [to tell you the answer to] the riddle, [or] we will burn you & your father’s house with fire. [Did you invite us here] to take [away] all that we have? 

Samson’s wife [cried] before him & said, You [must] hate me & [don’t] love me. You have put forth a riddle to the children of my people & haven’t told it [to] me. And [Samson] said to her, [Look,] I haven’t told it [to either] my father [or] mother, shall I tell it [to] you?

She wept before [Samson] the 7 days that the [wedding] feast lasted & it [happened] on the 7th day, [Samson] told her. Because [she pressured] him & she told [the answer of] the riddle to the [young Philistine men] of her people.

Before [sunset,] the men of the city said to [Samson] on the 7th day, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? And [Samson] said, If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer, you [wouldn’t] have found out my riddle.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon [Samson] & he went down to Ashkelon & [killed] 30 men & took their [plunder] & gave their [changes] of garments to [those who answered] the riddle.

And [Samson’s] anger [grew] & he went up to his father’s house, but Samson’s wife was given to his companion, [who was Samson’s] friend.


6/27/2023

Judges 13:1-25 Manoah’s Wife Conceives a Son, Samson

 

Manoah’s Wife Conceives a Son, Samson

Judges 13:1-25    The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks]

The children [people] of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord & the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years. Manoah was of the family of Danites, of Zorah. 

[Judges 2:11-13 And the children [people] of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord & served Baalim. And they [abandoned] the Lord God of their [forefathers,] [Who] brought them out of the land of Egypt. And [they] followed other gods of the people [around] them & bowed themselves down to them & provoked the Lord to anger. And they [abandoned] the Lord & served Baal & Ashtaroth.]

[He] & his wife [were childless.] The Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman & said to her, [Watch, although] you are now [childless,] you shall conceive & [give birth to] a son.

Therefore, I pray [that] you now [don’t] drink [any] wine nor strong drink & [don’t] eat any unclean thing. For [when] you conceive & [have your] son, he shall be a Nazarite to God from [his birth.]

He shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines & no razor shall [be used] on his head. Then the woman came & told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me & his [appearance] was like [that] of an Angel of God, [very awesome.] 

But I [didn’t] ask him [where] he was [from & he didn’t tell] me his name. But he said to me, [Look,] you shall conceive & [give birth to] a son & now [shouldn’t] drink [any] wine or strong drink [or] eat any unclean thing, [because] the child shall be a Nazarite of God from [his birth to] his death.

Then, Manoah [asked] the Lord, O my Lord [God,] let the man of God You [sent] come again to us & teach us what we [need to] do [for] the child that shall be born. God [listened] to [Manoah’s] voice & the Angel of the God came again to the woman as she sat in the field, but Manoah, her husband, wasn’t with her. 

The woman [hurried] & ran & [showed] her husband & said to him, [Look,] the man [has] appeared to me, [who] came the other day. And Manoah arose & went after his wife & came to the man & [asked] him, Are you the man [who] spoke to the woman & he said, I am. 

Manoah said, Now, let your words [happen.] How shall we [raise] the child & how shall we [treat] him? The Angel of the Lord said, Let the woman beware [to do what] I said to her. 

She may not eat [or] drink anything that comes [from a] vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. [She should do] all that I commanded her. Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, I pray [that] you, let us detain you, until we [prepare] a kid [goat] & [get it] ready for you.

The Angel of the Lord said, [Even if] you detain me, I won’t eat of your bread & if you [make] a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord, [because Manoah didn’t know] he was an Angel of the Lord.

[Then,] Manoah [asked] the Angel of the Lord, What is your name, [so] we may honor you [when these things happen?] And the Angel of the Lord said to him, Why [do you ask] my name, [since] it’s a secret? Manoah took a kid [goat] with a [meat/grain] offering & [sacrificed] it on a rock to the Lord. 

The Angel did wondrously as Manaoh & his wife looked on, for when the flame from the altar went up toward heaven, the Angel of the Lord [went up] in the flame from the altar. [After] Manoah & his wife [saw this, they] fell on their faces to the ground.

But the Angel of the Lord [never appeared] again to Manoah & his wife, [but] Manoah knew he was an Angel of the Lord & said to his wife, Surely we shall die, because we have seen God.

But his wife said to [Manoah,] If the Lord [wanted] to kill us, He wouldn’t have received a burnt offering & a [meat/grain] offering [from us] & wouldn’t have [shown] & told us all these things.

[When] the woman [gave birth] to a son, [they named him,] Samson & the child grew & the Lord blessed him & the Spirit of the Lord [God] began to move [Samson,] at times, in the camp of Dan between Zorah & Eshtaol.


6/26/2023

Judges 12:1-15 Jephthah Judged Israel 6 Years

 

Jephthah Judged Israel 6 Years

Judges 12:1-15    The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks]

The men of Ephraim gathered together & went north & said to Jephthah, [Why did] you [cross] over to fight against the children [people] of Ammon, but didn’t call us to go with you? We will burn your house down with you [in it.]

Jephthah said to them, My people & I were in [a huge struggle] with the [people] of Ammon & when I called you, you didn’t deliver me out of their hands.

When I saw that, you [didn’t] deliver me, I [risked my own life] & [crossed] over to [fight] against the [Amonnites] & the Lord delivered them into my hand. [Why] then [have] you come [to fight] against me this day? 

Jepththah gathered all the men of Gilead & fought with Ephraim & [struck down] Ephraim, because they said, That the Gileadites are the fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites & Manassites.

The Gileadites took the passages [shallow crossing places] of [the] Jordan [River] from the Ephraimites. When those Ephraimites escaped & said, Let me go over [the river,] the men of Gilead [asked] him, Are you an Ephraimite?

[If] they said, No, then they said to them, Now say: Shibboleth, because [the Epraimites] couldn’t pronounce it  [correctly.] Then they took him & [would strike down those] at the passage of [the] Jordan [River.] 

At that time, they [struck down] 42,000 [Ephraimites there.] Jephthah, the Gileadite, judged Israel 6 years & died & was buried in 1 of the cities of Gilead.

After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem, judged Israel for 7 years & had 30 sons & 30 daughters, whom he sent abroad & [he] took 30 daughters from abroad for his sons. Ibzan died & was buried in Bethlehem. 

After him, Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel [for] 10 years. [When] Elon died, [he] was buried in Aijalon, in the country of Zebulun. After him, Abdon, [Hillel’s] son, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. 

He had 40 sons & 30 nephews that rode on 40 [donkey] colts. He judged Israel for 8 years & [when] Aijalon died, [he] was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the Mount of the Amalekites.


6/25/2023

Judges 11:1-40 Jepthah’s Put in Charge to Battle Against the People of Ammon

 

Jepthah’s Put in Charge to Battle Against the People of Ammon

Judges 11:1-40    The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks]

Now, Jephthah, the Gileadite, was a mighty man of valor & was the son of a harlot. And Gilead [fathered] Jephthah. Gilead’s wife [bore] him sons.

[When Gilead’s] wife’s sons grew up, they [drove] out Jephthah & said to him, You shall not inherit [from] our father’s house, [since] you are the son of a strange woman. 

Then, Jephthah fled from his [brothers] & [lived] in the land of Tob & he [joined] with some [worthless] men [who] went out with him. It [happened after some time,] that the children [people] of Ammon made war against Israel. 

[Then, Gileads’] elders went to [get] Jephthah out of the land of Tob & they said to Jephthah, Come & be our captain, [so] we may fight with the children [people] of Ammon. And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Didn’t you hate me & [drive] me out of my father’s house?

Why [have] you come to me now, when you are in [trouble?] The elders said to Jephthah, We now turn to you, [so] you go with us to fight against the [people] of Ammon & be our [leader] over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the [people] of Ammon & the Lord delivers them before me, shall I be your [leader?] The elders said to Jephthah, [Let] the Lord be a witness between us, if we don’t do according to your words.

Then, Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead & [they] made him the [leader & commander] over them & Jephthah [talked] before the Lord in Mizpeh. And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the [people] of Ammon, saying, What do you have to do with me, that you [have] come against me to fight in my land?

The king of the [people] of Ammon answered, [Jephthah’s] messengers, Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even to Jabbok & to Jordan. Therefore, now restore those lands [peacefully.] 

Jephthah sent messengers [back] to the king of Ammon & said, Jephthah says [this,] Israel [didn’t] take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the [people] of Ammon.

But when Israel came up from Egypt & walked through the wilderness into the Red Sea & came to Kadesh, then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, I pray [that] you let me pass through your land.

But the king of Edom wouldn’t [listen to it.] [Also,] they sent to the king of Moab, in [similar] manner, but he wouldn’t [agree] [to let them pass through the land] & Israel [stayed] in Kadesh.

Then, they went through the wilderness [around the outside borders of the lands] of Edom & Moab & came by the east side of Moab & pitched [tents] on the other side of Arnon, but [didn’t go inside] the border of Moab, [because] Arnon was the border of Moab.

Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the [Amorite’s] king, the king of Heshbon & [asked,] We pray [that] you, let us pass through your land [on the way to the Israelite’s land.]

But Sihon [didn’t] trust Israel to pass through [its] coast, but Sihon gathered all his people together & pitched [tents] in Jahaz & fought against [the Israelites.] The Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon & all his people into the [hands] of Israel & they [defeated] them.

So, Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. They possessed all the [coastal territory] of the Amorites from Jabbok & the wilderness, [all the way] to [the] Jordan [River.]

So now, the Lord God of Israel has [driven out] the Amorites before His people, Israel. [What right do you have to take it over?] [Why] not possess [what] Chemosh, your god gives you to possess?

We shall possess [land of whomever] the Lord our God [drives] out before us. Are you better than Balak, [Zippor’s] son, king of Moab? Did he ever [quarrel] or fight against Israel?

While Israel [still] dwelt in Heshbon & Arorer & [their] towns & all the cities along the [coastal borders] of Arnon [for] 300 years, why didn’t you recover them within that time? 

[For this reason,] I haven’t sinned against you, but you have done wrong by [fighting] against me. [Let] the Lord, the Judge, [decide & judge] this day between the [people] of Israel & the [people] of Ammon.

[But] the king of Ammon [didn’t pay attention] to the word of Jephthah, [that] he sent [to] him. Then, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah & he passed [through the land of] Gilead & Manasseh & [from] Mizpeh of Gilead he [crossed over] to the [people] of Ammon.

Jephthah [made] a vow [promise] to the Lord & said, If You shall deliver the [people] of Ammon into [my hands] without fail, then [whatever] comes [out] of the doors of my house to [greet] me, when I return in peace from the [people] of Ammon, I shall surely offer it up for a burnt offering, [which] surely shall be the Lord’s. 

So, Jephthah [crossed] over to the [people] of Ammon to fight against them & the Lord delivered them into his hands & he [defeated] them [from] Aroer, even [until] you come to Minnith, 20 cities, even to the [plains near] the vineyards [a.k.a. Abel-Keramim,] with a very [large] slaughter. 

[Like this,] the [people] of Ammon were [defeated] before the [people] of Israel. [When] Jephthah came to his house in Mizpeh, [he saw] his daughter, his only child, came out to [greet] him with [tambourines] & dances.

It [happened,] when he saw her, he [tore] his clothes & said, Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low & [I am troubled, because of you,] for I opened my mouth [in a vow] to the Lord & I can’t go [against it.] [Genesis 37:34 And Jacob [tore] his clothes & put sackcloth on his [waist] & mourned for his son many days.]

And she said to him, My father, if you opened your mouth to the Lord [to make a vow,] do to me according to what [you promised; because] the Lord has taken vengeance against your enemies, the [people] of Ammon, for you.

She [asked] her father, Let this thing be done for me & let me be alone [for] two months, [so] I may go up & down upon the mountains with my [friends to lament] my virginity. He said, Go. And he sent her away for two months with her [friends to lament] her virginity upon the mountains.

[After] two months, she returned & [hadn’t been intimate with a man.] He did with her, [as] he had vowed. And it [became] the custom that the daughters of Israel [& they would commemorate] the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, 4 days each year.