| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1The men of Ephraim were called together and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why have you crossed over to fight against the Ammonites but didn't call us to go with you? We will burn your house down with you in it!" | 1Then 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!” |
| 2Then Jephthah said to them, "My people and I had a serious conflict with the Ammonites. So I called for you, but you didn't deliver me from their power. | 2Jephthah replied, “I summoned you at the beginning of the dispute, but you refused to come! You failed to help us in our struggle against Ammon. |
| 3When I saw that you weren't going to deliver me, I took my life in my own hands and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD handed them over to me. Why then have you come today to fight against me?" | 3So when I realized you weren’t coming, I risked my life and went to battle without you, and the LORD gave me victory over the Ammonites. So why have you now come to fight me?” |
| 4Then Jephthah gathered all of the men of Gilead. They fought and defeated Ephraim, because Ephraim had said, "You Gileadites are Ephraimite fugitives in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh." | 4The people of Ephraim responded, “You men of Gilead are nothing more than fugitives from Ephraim and Manasseh.” So Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and attacked the men of Ephraim and defeated them. |
| 5The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim. Whenever a fugitive from Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the Gileadites asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he answered, "No," | 5Jephthah captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim tried to go back across, the men of Gilead would challenge him. “Are you a member of the tribe of Ephraim?” they would ask. If the man said, “No, I’m not,” |
| 6they told him, "Please say Shibboleth." If he said, "Sibboleth," because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 from Ephraim died. | 6they would tell him to say “Shibboleth.” If he was from Ephraim, he would say “Sibboleth,” because people from Ephraim cannot pronounce the word correctly. Then they would take him and kill him at the shallow crossings of the Jordan. In all, 42,000 Ephraimites were killed at that time. |
| 7Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. | 7Jephthah judged Israel for six years. When he died, he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead. Ibzan Becomes Israel’s Judge |
| 8Ibzan, who was from Bethlehem, judged Israel after Jephthah | 8After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel. |
| 9and had 30 sons. He gave his 30 daughters in marriage to men outside the tribe and brought back 30 wives for his sons from outside the tribe. Ibzan judged Israel seven years, | 9He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He sent his daughters to marry men outside his clan, and he brought in thirty young women from outside his clan to marry his sons. Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. |
| 10and when he died, he was buried in Bethlehem. | 10When he died, he was buried at Bethlehem. Elon Becomes Israel’s Judge |
| 11Elon, who was from Zebulun, judged Israel after Ibzan. He judged Israel 10 years, | 11After Ibzan died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun judged Israel for ten years. |
| 12and when he died, he was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. | 12When he died, he was buried at Aijalon in Zebulun. Abdon Becomes Israel’s Judge |
| 13After Elon, Abdon son of Hillel, who was from Pirathon, judged Israel. | 13After Elon died, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel. |
| 14He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons, who rode on 70 donkeys. Abdon judged Israel eight years, | 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years. |
| 15and when he died, he was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. | 15When he died, he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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