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.”

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 didn’t call us to go with you? We will burn your house around you with fire!”

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 at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, you didn’t save me out of their hand.

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 didn’t 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?”

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.”

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.”

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 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;”

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 said to him, “Now say ‘Shibboleth;’” and he said “Sibboleth”; for he couldn’t 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.

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

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

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

After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged 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 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.

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 judged Israel; and he judged Israel 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 the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged 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 sons’ sons who rode on seventy donkey colts. He judged Israel 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 the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.