Judges 12

1 And the men of Ephraim are called together, and pass over northward, and say to Jephthah, “Why have you passed over to fight against the sons of Ammon, and have not called on us to go with you? We burn your house with fire over you.”

A call went out to the men of Ephraim; they passed through Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you pass through to fight against the people of Ammon and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you.”

2 And Jephthah says to them, “I have been a man of great strife (I and my people) with the sons of Ammon, and I call you, and you have not saved me out of their hand,

Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were in a great conflict with the people of Ammon. When I called you, you did not rescue me from them.

3 and I see that you are not a savior, and I put my life in my hand, and pass over to the sons of Ammon, and YHWH gives them into my hand—and why have you come up to me this day to fight against me?”

When I saw that you did not rescue me, When I saw that you did not rescue me, I put my life in my own hand and passed through against the people of Ammon, and Yahweh gave me victory. Why have you come to fight against me today?”

4 And Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead, and fights with Ephraim, and the men of Gilead strike Ephraim, because they said, “You Gileadites [are] fugitives of Ephraim, in the midst of Ephraim—in the midst of Manasseh.”

Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and he fought against Ephraim. The men of Gilead attacked the men of Ephraim because they said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim—in Ephraim and Manasseh.”

5 And Gilead captures the passages of the Jordan to Ephraim, and it has been, when [any of] the fugitives of Ephraim say, “Let me pass over,” and the men of Gilead say to him, “[Are] you an Ephraimite?” And he says, “No”;

The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim. When any of the survivors of Ephraim said, “Let me go over the river,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,”

6 that they say to him, “Now say, Shibboleth”; and he says, “Sibboleth,” and is not prepared to speak right—and they seize him, and slaughter him at the passages of the Jordan, and there fall at that time, of Ephraim, forty-two chiefs.

then they would say to him, “Say: Shibboleth,” and if he said “Sibboleth” (for he could not pronounce the word correctly), the Gileadites would seize him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.

7 And Jephthah judged Israel [for] six years, and Jephthah the Gileadite dies, and is buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead.

Jephthah served as a judge over Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

8 And after him Ibzan of Beth-Lehem judges Israel,

After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem served as a judge over Israel.

9 and he has thirty sons, and thirty daughters he gave away [in marriage], and thirty daughters he brought in from outside for his sons; and he judges Israel [for] seven years.

He had thirty sons. He gave away thirty daughters in marriage, and he brought in thirty daughters of other men for his sons, from the outside. He judged Israel for seven years.

10 And Ibzan dies, and is buried in Beth-Lehem.

Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

11 And after him Elon the Zebulunite judges Israel, and he judges Israel [for] ten years,

After him Elon the Zebulunite served as judge over Israel. He judged Israel for ten years.

12 and Elon the Zebulunite dies, and is buried in Aijalon, in the land of Zebulun.

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

13 And after him, Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, judges Israel,

After him, Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite served as a judge over Israel.

14 and he has forty sons, and thirty grandsons, riding on seventy donkey-colts, and he judges Israel [for] eight years.

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons. They rode on seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel for eight years.

15 And Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, dies, and is buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekite.

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