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.'

Then the Ephraimites were called up and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go and fight the Ammonites without summoning us to go with you? We're going to burn your house down with you inside it!”

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,

“I was a man with a great fight on my hands,” Jephthah replied. “I and my people were fighting the Ammonites. When I called on you for help, you didn't come and help save me from them.

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?'

When I realized that you weren't going to help, I took my life in my hands and went to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord made me victorious over them. So why have you come here today to attack 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.'

Jephthah summoned all of the men of Gilead and fought against the Ephraimites. The men of Gilead killed them because the Ephraimites taunted them, saying, “You Gileadites are nothing more than escapees living among Ephraim and Manasseh.”

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;'

The Gileadites took control of the fords over the Jordan River that led to Ephraim's territory, and when an Ephraimite escapee from the battle would come and ask, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would question him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,”

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 would tell him, “Say Shibboleth.” If he was from Ephraim he would say “Sibboleth” because he couldn't pronounce it right, and they'd grab him and kill him there at the Jordan fords. A total of 42,000 were killed at that time.

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

Jephthah led Israel as judge for six years. Then he died and was buried in one of Gilead's towns.

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

After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel as a judge.

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 thirty daughters. He married off his daughters to men of other tribes, and he brought in thirty wives from other tribes to marry his sons. Ibzan led Israel as judge for seven years.

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

Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

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

After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel as judge for ten years.

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

Then he died and was buried at Aijalon in the territory of Zebulun.

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

After him, Abdon, son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel as judge.

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

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode seventy donkeys. He led Israel as judge for 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.

Then he died and was buried at Pirathon in the territory of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.