Judges 12 - Amplified Bible (AMP)

Jephthah and His Successors

12 The men of [the tribe of] Ephraim were summoned [to action], and they crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight with the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? [For that] we will burn your house down upon you.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a major conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called you [for help], you did not rescue me from their hand. 3 So when I saw that you were not coming to help me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord handed them over to me. So why have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” 4 Then Jephthah assembled all the men of Gilead and fought with [the tribe of] Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim, in the midst of [the tribes of] Ephraim and Manasseh.” 5 And the Gileadites took the [a]fords of the Jordan opposite the Ephraimites; and when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 6 they said to him, “Then say ‘Shibboleth.’” And he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not [b]pronounce it correctly. Then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites fell.

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

8 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage outside the family, and he brought in thirty daughters [-in-law] from outside for his sons. He judged Israel for seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

11 After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel for ten years. 12 Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

13 Now after him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys; and he judged Israel for eight years. 15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 12:5 I.e. narrow or shallow places where a river may be crossed by wading.
  2. Judges 12:6 Lit speak thus. The difference in pronunciation was between a Hebrew consonant with an ‘sh’ sound, which the Ephraimites evidently did not have in their dialect, and another consonant with a sharp ‘s’ sound. This difference was similar to that between the Hebrew greeting “Shalom,” and the greeting “Salaam” used in Islamic circles. Shibboleth has even been accepted into English as a word meaning “a peculiarity of pronunciation.” In Hebrew it refers to an ear or head of grain.

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Judges 12 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

12 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.' 2 And Jephthah saith unto them, `A man of great strife I ha...
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Judges 12 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

12 And, lo! dissension (a)rose in Ephraim; for they, that passed toward the north (who crossed over to Zaphon), said to Jephthah, Why wentest thou to battle against the sons of Ammon, and wouldest not call us, (so) that we should go with thee. Therefore we shall burn (down) thine house. 2 To which h...
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Judges 12 - World English Bible (WEB)

12 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 didn’t call us to go with you? We will burn your house around you with fire!” 2 Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were at great stri...
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Judges 12 - The Voice (VOICE)

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Judges 12 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

12 Then the men of Ephraim were summoned and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the children of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2 So Jephthah responded to them, “I and my people were in a bitt...
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Judges 12 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Intertribal Dissension12 The men of E′phraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people h...
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Judges 12 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Intertribal Dissension12 The men of E′phraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people h...
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Judges 12 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Intertribal Dissension12 The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you!” 2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were engage...
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Judges 12 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Intertribal Dissension12 The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, ‘Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you!’ 2 Jephthah said to them, ‘My people and I were engage...
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Judges 12 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Intertribal Dissension12 The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you!”(A)2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were engage...
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Judges 12 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Ephraim Fights with Jephthah12 Then the people of Ephraim mobilized an army and crossed over the Jordan River to Zaphon. They sent this message to Jephthah: “Why didn’t you call for us to help you fight against the Ammonites? We are going to burn down your house with you in it!” 2 Jephthah replied, ...
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Judges 12 - New Life Version (NLV)

Jephthah and Ephraim12 Then the men of Ephraim got ready for war. They crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight the men of Ammon without calling us to go with you? With fire we will burn down your house with you in it.” 2 Jephthah said to them, “I and my people ...
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Judges 12 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim12 Then (A)the men of Ephraim [a]gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!” 2 And Jephthah said ...
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Judges 12 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Jephthah and Ephraim12 The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon. They 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.’ 2 Jephthah answered, ‘I and my people were engaged in a...
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Judges 12 - New International Version (NIV)

Jephthah and Ephraim12 The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon.(A) They said to Jephthah,(B) “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you?(C) We’re going to burn down your house over your head.” 2 Jephthah answered, “I and my people were eng...
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Judges 12 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Jephthah Wins the Battle Over Ephraim12 The troops of Ephraim were called out. The troops went across the Jordan River to Zaphon. When they arrived, they said to Jephthah, “You went to fight against the Ammonites. Why didn’t you ask us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your he...
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Judges 12 - New English Translation (NET)

Civil Strife Mars the Victory12 The Ephraimites assembled[a] and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go and fight[b] with the Ammonites without asking[c] us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!”[d] 2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a st...
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