| New International Version | King James Bible |
| 1The 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." | 1And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. |
| 2Jephthah 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. | 2And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. |
| 3When 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?" | 3And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me? |
| 4Jephthah 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." | 4Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. |
| 5The 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," | 5And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; |
| 6they 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. | 6Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. |
| 7Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in Gilead. | 7And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. |
| 8After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel. | 8And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. |
| 9He 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. | 9And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. |
| 10Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem. | 10Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. |
| 11After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. | 11And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. |
| 12Then Elon died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. | 12And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. |
| 13After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel. | 13And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. |
| 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel eight years. | 14And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. |
| 15Then Abdon son of Hillel died and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. | 15And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites. |
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