Judges 12

1 Then the men of Ephraim assembled and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why have you crossed over to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down with you inside!”

And the men of Ephraim were called together, and went northward, and said unto Yiphthach, Wherefore didst thou pass over to fight against the children of 'Ammon, and didst not call for us to go with thee? thy house will we burn over thee with fire.

2 But Jephthah replied, “My people and I had a serious conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called, you did not save me out of their hands.

And Yiphthach said unto them, I and my people were greatly engaged in strife with the children of 'Ammon; and I called you, but ye helped me not out of their hand.

3 When I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come today to fight against me?”

And when I saw that ye helped me not, I put my life in my hand, and passed over to the children of 'Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand; and why then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?

4 Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”

Then Yiphthach gathered together all the men of Gil'ad, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gil'ad smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim: Gil'ad is in the midst, between Ephraim and Menasseh.

5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,”

And the Gil'adites seized on the passages of the Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it came to pass, when the Ephraimites who had escaped said, Let me pass over; that the men of Gil'ad said unto him, Art thou an Ephrathite? and if he said, No;

6 they told him, “Please say Shibboleth.” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.

Then said they unto him, Do say, Shibboleth; but when he said, Sibboleth, and was not able to pronounce it correctly, they laid hold of him and slew him on the passages of the Jordan; and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

7 Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

And Yiphthach judged Israel six years; and then died Yiphthach the Gil'adite, and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gil'ad.

8 After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

And after him there judged Israel Ibzan of Beth-lechem.

9 He had thirty sons, as well as thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage to men outside his clan; and for his sons he brought back thirty wives from elsewhere. Ibzan judged Israel seven years.

And he had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in for his sons from abroad: and he judged Israel seven years.

10 Then Ibzan died, and he was buried in Bethlehem.

Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth-lechem.

11 After Ibzan, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel ten years.

And after him there judged Israel Elon the Zebulonite; and he judged Israel ten years.

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

Then died Elon the Zebulonite, and was buried in Ayalon in the country of Zebulun.

13 After Elon, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel.

And after him there judged Israel 'Abdon the son of Hillel the Pir'athonite.

14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years.

And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, that rode on seventy ass-colts; and he judged Israel eight years.

15 Then Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, died, and he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

Then died 'Abdon the son of Hillel the Pir'athonite, and was buried in Pir'athon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountain of the 'Amalekites.