Judges 12

1 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.

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.”

2 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.

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.

3 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?

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?”

4 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.

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.”

5 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;

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,”

6 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.

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.

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

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

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

After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

9 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.

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.

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

And he died, and he was buried in Bethlehem.

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

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

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

And he died, and he was buried in Zebulun.

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

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

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

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

15 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.

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