Judges Chapter 12

Judges 12 — English translation

Translation: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition. Verse numbers match the Hebrew text below.

1. 1Ephraim’s contingent mustered and crossed [the Jordan] to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you march to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’ll burn your house down over you!”
2. 2Jephthah answered them, “I and my people were involved in a bitter conflict with the Ammonites; and I summoned you, but you did not save me from them.
3. 3When I saw that you were no saviors, I risked my life and advanced against the Ammonites; and G OD delivered them into my hands. Why have you come here now to fight against me?”
4. 4And Jephthah gathered all the Gileadites and fought Ephraim. The Gileadites defeated Ephraim; for they had said, “You, Gilead, are nothing but fugitives from Ephraim—being in Manasseh is like being in Ephraim.”
5. 5Gilead held the fords of the Jordan against Ephraim. And when any fugitive from Ephraim said, “Let me cross,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?”; if he said “No,”
6. 6they would say to him, “Then say shibboleth ”; but he would say “ sibboleth ,” not being able to pronounce it correctly. Thereupon they would seize him and slay him by the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand from Ephraim fell at that time.
7. 7Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead.
8. 8After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel.
9. 9He had thirty sons, and he married off thirty daughters outside the clan and likewise brought in thirty from outside the clan for his sons. He led Israel seven years.
10. 10Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
11. 11After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel; he led Israel for ten years.
12. 12Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon, in the territory of Zebulun.
13. 13After him, Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite led Israel.
14. 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy jackasses. He led Israel for eight years.
15. 15Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died. He was buried in Pirathon, in the territory of Ephraim, on the hill of the Amalekites.

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