Judges 12

1 And behold, a sedition rose up in Ephraim. Then, while passing by toward the north, they said to Jephthah: “When you were going to fight against the sons of Ammon, why were you unwilling to summon us, so that we might go with you? Therefore, we will burn down your house.”

`Lo! forsothe discencioun roos in Effraym; for whi thei, that passiden ayens the north, seiden to Jepte, Whi yedist thou to batel ayens the sones of Amon, and noldist clepe vs, that we schulden go with thee? Therfor we schulen brenne thin hows.

2 And he answered them: “I and my people were in a great conflict against the sons of Ammon. And I called you, so that you might offer assistance to me. And you were not willing to do so.

To whiche he answeride, Greet strijf was to me and to my puple ayens the sones of Amon, and Y clepide you, that ye schulden `yyue help to me, and ye nolden do.

3 And discerning this, I put my life in my own hands, and I crossed to the sons of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hands. What am I guilty of, that you would rise up in battle against me?”

`Which thing Y siy, and puttide my lijf in myn hondis; and Y passide to the sones of Amon, and `the Lord bitook hem in to myn hondis; what haue Y disseruyd, that ye ryse togidere ayens me in to batel?

4 And so, calling to himself all the men of Gilead, he fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck down Ephraim, because he had said, “Gilead is a fugitive from Ephraim, and he lives in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.”

Therfor whanne alle the men of Galaad weren clepid to hym, he fauyt ayens Effraym; and the men of Galaad smytiden Effraym; for he seide, Galaad is `fugitif ether exilid fro Effraym, and dwellith in the myddis of Effraym and of Manasses.

5 And the Gileadites occupied the fords of the Jordan, along which Ephraim was to return. And when anyone from the number of Ephraim had arrived, fleeing, and had said, “I beg that you permit me to pass,” the Gileadites would say to him, “Could you be an Ephraimite?” And if he said, “I am not,”

And the men of Galaad ocupieden the forthis of Jordan, bi whiche Effraym schulden turne ayen. And whanne a man fleynge of the noumbre of Effraym hadde come to tho forthis, and hadde seid, Y biseche, that thou suffre me passe; men of Galaad seiden to hym, Whether thou art a man of Effraym? And whanne he seide, Y am not,

6 they would ask him, then say ‘Shibboleth,’ which is translated as ‘ear of grain.’ But he would answer ‘Sibboleth,’ not being able to express the word for an ear of grain in the same letters. And immediately apprehending him, they would cut his throat, at the same crossing point of the Jordan. And in that time of Ephraim, forty-two thousand fell.

thei axiden hym, Seie thou therfor Sebolech, `whiche is interpretid, `an eer of corn. Which answeride, Thebolech, and myyte not brynge forth an eer of corn bi the same lettre. And anoon thei strangeliden hym takun in thilke passyng of Jordan; and two and fourti thousynde of Effraym felden doun in that tyme.

7 And so Jephthah, the Gileadite, judged Israel for six years. And he died, and he was buried in his city in Gilead.

And so Jepte, `a man of Galaad, demyde Israel sixe yeer; and he `was deed, and biried in his citee Galaad.

8 After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

Abethsan of Bethleem, that hadde thretti sones, and so many douytris, demyde Israel aftir Jepte;

9 He had thirty sons, and the same number of daughters, whom he sent away to be given to husbands. And he accepted wives for his sons of the same number, bringing them into his house. And he judged Israel for seven years.

whiche douytris he sente out, and yaf to hosebondis, and he took wyues to hise sones of the same noumbre, and brouyte in to hys hows; which demyde Israel seuene yeer;

10 And he died, and he was buried in Bethlehem.

and he `was deed, and biried in Bethleem.

11 After him succeeded Elon, a Zebulunite. And he judged Israel for ten years.

Whos successour was Hailon of Zabulon; and he demyde Israel ten yeer;

12 And he died, and he was buried in Zebulun.

and he was deed, and biried in Zabulon.

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

Aftir hym Abdon, the sone of Ellel, of Pharaton, demyde Israel;

14 And he had forty sons, and from them thirty grandsons, all riding upon seventy young donkeys. And he judged Israel for eight years.

which Abdon hadde fourti sones, and of hem thretti sones, stiynge on seuenti coltis of femal assis, `that is, mulis, and he demyde Israel eiyte yeer;

15 And he died, and he was buried at Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, on the mountain of Amalek.

and he `was deed, and biried in Pharaton, in the loond of Effraym, in the hil of Amalech.