12:1 The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”
12:2 Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands.
12:3 When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?”
12:4 Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.”
12:5 The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he replied, “No,”
12:6 they said, “All right, say ‘Shibboleth.’” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.
12:7 Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in a town in Gilead.
12:8 After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel.
12:9 He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years.
12:10 Then Ibzan died, and was buried in Bethlehem.
12:11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years.
12:12 Then Elon died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
12:13 After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel.
12:14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel eight years.
12:15 Then Abdon son of Hillel died, and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
12:1 Then the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and they crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, Why did you cross over to fight against the children of Ammon and not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you.
12:2 And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were in great strife with the children of Ammon; but when I called out to you, you did not save me from their hand.
12:3 So when I saw that there would be no help from you, I put my life in my own hand and crossed over to the children of Ammon; and Jehovah delivered them into my hand. So why have you come up against me this day to fight against me?
12:4 And Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead together and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim because they said, You are fugitives from Ephraim, O Gilead, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.
12:5 And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when a fugitive of Ephraim said, Let me cross over, the men of Gilead would say to him, Are you an Ephraimite? And if he said, No,
12:6 They would say to him, Then say, Shibboleth. And he would say, Sibboleth; for he could not say it correctly. Then they would seize him and slay him at the fords of the Jordan. And at that time forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell.
12:7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. And Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
12:8 Then after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
12:9 And he had thirty sons; and he sent out thirty daughters abroad and brought in thirty foreign daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
12:10 And Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
12:11 Then after him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. And he judged Israel ten years.
12:12 And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
12:13 Then after him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.
12:14 And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode upon seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years.
12:15 And 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.