Judges 12

1 `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.

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 did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house around you with fire!”

2 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.

Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not save me out of their hand.

3 `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?

When I saw that you did not 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 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.

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 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,

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 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.

then they said to him, “Now say ‘Shibboleth;’” and he said “Sibboleth”; for he could not 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 so Jepte, `a man of Galaad, demyde Israel sixe yeer; and he `was deed, and biried in his citee Galaad.

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

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

After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

9 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;

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 he `was deed, and biried in Bethleem.

Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.

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

After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

12 and he was deed, and biried in Zabulon.

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

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

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

14 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;

He had forty sons and thirty sons’ sons who rode on seventy donkey colts. He judged Israel eight years.

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

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.