שֹׁפְטִים 12

1 וַיִּצָּעֵק֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶפְרַ֔יִם וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר צָפ֑וֹנָה וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ לְיִפְתָּ֜ח מַדּ֣וּעַ ׀ עָבַ֣רְתָּ ׀ לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם בִּבְנֵי־עַמּ֗וֹן וְלָ֙נוּ֙ לֹ֤א קָרָ֙אתָ֙ לָלֶ֣כֶת עִמָּ֔ךְ בֵּיתְךָ֕ נִשְׂרֹ֥ף עָלֶ֖יךָ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃

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 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִפְתָּח֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אִ֣ישׁ רִ֗יב הָיִ֛יתִי אֲנִ֛י וְעַמִּ֥י וּבְנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן מְאֹ֑ד וָאֶזְעַ֣ק אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־הוֹשַׁעְתֶּ֥ם אוֹתִ֖י מִיָּדָֽם׃

“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 וָֽאֶרְאֶ֞ה כִּֽי־אֵינְךָ֣ מוֹשִׁ֗יע וָאָשִׂ֨ימָה נַפְשִׁ֤י בְכַפִּי֙ וָֽאֶעְבְּרָה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה בְּיָדִ֑י וְלָמָ֞ה עֲלִיתֶ֥ם אֵלַ֛י הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה לְהִלָּ֥חֶם בִּֽי׃

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 וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ יִפְתָּח֙ אֶת־כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם אֶת־אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיַּכּוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י גִלְעָ֜ד אֶת־אֶפְרַ֗יִם כִּ֤י אָמְרוּ֙ פְּלִיטֵ֤י אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ אַתֶּ֔ם גִּלְעָ֕ד בְּת֥וֹךְ אֶפְרַ֖יִם בְּת֥וֹךְ מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃

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 וַיִּלְכֹּ֥ד גִּלְעָ֛ד אֶֽת־מַעְבְּר֥וֹת הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן לְאֶפְרָ֑יִם וְֽ֠הָיָה כִּ֣י יֹאמְר֞וּ פְּלִיטֵ֤י אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ אֶעֱבֹ֔רָה וַיֹּ֨אמְרוּ ל֧וֹ אַנְשֵֽׁי־גִלְעָ֛ד הַֽאֶפְרָתִ֥י אַ֖תָּה וַיֹּ֥אמֶֽר ׀ לֹֽא׃

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 וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לוֹ֩ אֱמָר־נָ֨א שִׁבֹּ֜לֶת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר סִבֹּ֗לֶת וְלֹ֤א יָכִין֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר כֵּ֔ן וַיֹּאחֲז֣וּ אוֹת֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁחָט֖וּהוּ אֶל־מַעְבְּר֣וֹת הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן וַיִּפֹּ֞ל בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ מֵֽאֶפְרַ֔יִם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁנַ֖יִם אָֽלֶף׃

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 וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט יִפְתָּ֛ח אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים וַיָּ֗מָת יִפְתָּח֙ הַגִּלְעָדִ֔י וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּעָרֵ֥י גִלְעָֽד׃ פ

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

8 וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֤ט אַֽחֲרָיו֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִבְצָ֖ן מִבֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃

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

9 וַיְהִי־ל֞וֹ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים בָּנִ֗ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים בָּנוֹת֙ שִׁלַּ֣ח הַח֔וּצָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים בָּנ֔וֹת הֵבִ֥יא לְבָנָ֖יו מִן־הַח֑וּץ וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִֽים׃

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 וַיָּ֣מָת אִבְצָ֔ן וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּבֵ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃ פ

Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

11 וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֤ט אַֽחֲרָיו֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵיל֖וֹן הַזְּבֽוּלֹנִ֑י וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עֶ֥שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃

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

12 וַיָּ֖מָת אֵל֣וֹן הַזְּבֽוּלֹנִ֑י וַיִּקָּבֵ֥ר בְּאַיָּל֖וֹן בְּאֶ֥רֶץ זְבוּלֻֽן׃ פ

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

13 וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט אַחֲרָ֖יו אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַבְדּ֥וֹן בֶּן־הִלֵּ֖ל הַפִּרְעָתוֹנִֽי׃

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

14 וַיְהִי־ל֞וֹ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים בָּנִ֗ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁים֙ בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים רֹכְבִ֖ים עַל־שִׁבְעִ֣ים עֲיָרִ֑ם וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה שָׁנִֽים׃

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

15 וַיָּ֛מָת עַבְדּ֥וֹן בֶּן־הִלֵּ֖ל הַפִּרְעָתוֹנִ֑י וַיִּקָּבֵ֤ר בְּפִרְעָתוֹן֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֶפְרַ֔יִם בְּהַ֖ר הָעֲמָלֵקִֽי׃ פ

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