Judges 12

1 And the men of Ephraim are called together, and pass over northward, and say to Jephthah, 'Wherefore has thou passed over to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and on us hast not called to go with thee? thy house we burn over thee with fire.'

But behold there arose a sedition in Ephraim. And passing towards the north, they said to Jephte: When thou wentest to fight against the children of Ammon, why wouldst thou not call us, that we might go with thee? Therefore we will burn thy house.

2 And Jephthah saith unto them, 'A man of great strife I have been (I and my people) with the Bene-Ammon, and I call you, and ye have not saved me out of their hand,

And he answered them: I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon: and I called you to assist me, and you would not do it.

3 and I see that thou art not a saviour, and I put my life in my hand, and pass over unto the Bene-Ammon, and Jehovah giveth them into my hand — and why have ye come up unto me this day to fight against me?'

And when I saw this, I put my life in my own hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hands. What have I deserved, that you should rise up to fight against me?

4 And Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead, and fighteth with Ephraim, and the men of Gilead smite Ephraim, because they said, 'Fugitives of Ephraim [are] ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim — in the midst of Manasseh.'

Then calling to him all the men of Galaad, he fought against Ephraim: and the men of Galaad defeated Ephraim, because he had said: Galaad is a fugitive of Ephraim, and dwelleth in the midst of Ephraim and Manasses.

5 And Gilead captureth the passages of the Jordan to Ephraim, and it hath been, when [any of] the fugitives of Ephraim say, 'Let me pass over,' and the men of Gilead say to him, 'An Ephramite thou?' and he saith, 'No;'

And the Galaadites secured the fords of the Jordan, by which Ephraim was to return. And when any one of the number of Ephraim came thither in the flight, and said: I beseech you let me pass: the Galaadites said to him: Art thou not an Ephraimite? If he said: I am not:

6 that they say to him, 'Say, I pray thee, Shibboleth;' and he saith, '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 and two chiefs.

They asked him: Say then, Scibboleth, which is interpreted, An ear of corn. But he answered, Sibboleth, not being able to express an ear of corn by the same letter. Then presently they took him and killed him in the very passage of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim two and forty thousand.

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

And Jephte the Galaadite judged Israel six years: and he died, and was buried in his city of Galaad.

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

After him Abesan of Bethlehem judged Israel:

9 and he hath thirty sons and thirty daughters, he hath sent without and thirty daughters hath brought in to his sons from without; and he judgeth Israel seven years.

He had thirty sons, and as many daughters, whom he sent abroad, and gave to husbands, and took wives for his sons of the same number, bringing them into his house. And he judged Israel seven years:

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

And he died, and was buried in Bethlehem.

11 And after him Elon the Zebulunite judgeth Israel, and he judgeth Israel ten years,

To him succeeded Ahialon a Zabulonite: and he judged Israel ten years:

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

And he died, and was buried in Zabulon.

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

After him Abdon, the son of Illel, a Pharathonite, judged Israel:

14 and he hath forty sons, and thirty grandsons, riding on seventy ass-colts, and he judgeth Israel eight years.

And he had forty sons, and of them thirty grandsons, mounted upon seventy ass colts, and he judged Israel eight years:

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

And he died, and was buried in Pharathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of Amalech.