Judges 12

1 The men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said to Jephthah, “Why did you pass over to fight against the children of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house around you with fire!”

Now the men of Ephraim came together and took up arms and went over to Zaphon; and they said to Jephthah, Why did you go over to make war against the children of Ammon without sending for us to go with you? Now we will put your house on fire over you.

2 Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not save me out of their hand.

And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were in danger, and the children of Ammon were very cruel to us, and when I sent for you, you gave me no help against them.

3 When I saw that you did not save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me today, to fight against me?”

So when I saw that there was no help to be had from you, I put my life in my hand and went over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord gave them into my hands: why then have you come up to me this day to make war on me?

4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the middle of Ephraim, and in the middle of Manasseh.”

Then Jephthah got together all the men of Gilead and made war on Ephraim; and the men of Gilead overcame Ephraim.

5 The Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever a fugitive of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No;”

And the Gileadites took the crossing-places of Jordan against the Ephraimites; and when any of the men of Ephraim who had gone in flight said, let me go over; the men of Gilead said to him, Are you an Ephraimite? And if he said, No;

6 then they said to him, “Now say ‘Shibboleth;’” and he said “Sibboleth”; for he could not manage to pronounce it correctly, then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time, forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell.

Then they said to him, Now say Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth, and was not able to say it in the right way; then they took him and put him to death at the crossing-places of Jordan; and at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites were put to death.

7 Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in the cities of Gilead.

Now Jephthah was judge of Israel for six years. And Jephthah the Gileadite came to his death, and his body was put to rest in his town, Mizpeh of Gilead.

8 After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

And after him, Ibzan of Beth-lehem was judge of Israel.

9 He had thirty sons. He sent his thirty daughters outside his clan, and he brought in thirty daughters from outside his clan for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.

He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he sent to other places, and he got thirty wives from other places for his sons. And he was judge of Israel for seven years.

10 Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.

And Ibzan came to his death and his body was put to rest at Beth-lehem.

11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

And after him, Elon the Zebulonite was judge of Israel; and he was judge of Israel for ten years.

12 Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

And Elon the Zebulonite came to his death, and his body was put to rest in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

13 After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

And after him, Abdon, the son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, was judge of Israel.

14 He had forty sons and thirty sons’ sons who rode on seventy donkey colts. He judged Israel eight years.

He had forty sons and thirty sons' sons who went on seventy young asses; and he was judge of Israel for eight years.

15 Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

And Abdon, the son of Hillel, came to his death, and his body was put to rest in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekites.