Judges 12

1And the men of Ephraim were called together, and passed over northwards, and said to Jephthah, Why didst thou pass over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire.

1But 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.

2And Jephthah said to them, I was at great strife, I and my people, with the children of Ammon; and I called you, but ye saved me not out of their hand.

2And 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.

3And when I saw that ye would not save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah gave them into my hand. Why then are ye come up to me this day, to fight against me?

3And 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?

4And Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye, Gilead, ye are fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim, [and] in the midst of Manasseh.

4Then 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.

5And Gilead took the fords of the Jordan before Ephraim; and it came to pass that when the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said to him, Art thou an Ephraimite? and he said, No.

5And 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:

6Then they said to him, Say now Shibboleth! and he said, Sibboleth, and did not manage to pronounce [it] rightly. Then they took him, and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty-two thousand.

6They 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.

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

7And Jephte, the Galaadite, judged Israel six years: and he died, and was buried in his city of Galaad.

8And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

8After him Abesan of Bethlehem judged Israel:

9And he had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent out of the house, and thirty daughters he took in from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

9He 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:

10And Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.

10And he died, and was buried in Bethlehem.

11And after him Elon, the Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

11To him succeeded Ahialon, a Zabulonite: and he judged Israel ten years:

12And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Ajalon in the land of Zebulun.

12And he died, and was buried in Zabulon.

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

13After him, Abdon, the son of Illel, a Pharathonite, judged Israel:

14And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy ass colts. And he judged Israel eight years.

14And he had forty sons, and of them thirty grandsons, mounted upon seventy ass colts, and he judged Israel eight years:

15And 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.

15And he died, and was buried in Pharathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of Amalech.