| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then the men of Ephraim 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!” | 1Then the men of Ephraim assembled and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why have you crossed over to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down with you inside!” |
| 2And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. | 2But Jephthah replied, “My people and I had a serious conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called, you did not save me out of their hands. |
| 3So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” | 3When I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come today to fight against me?” |
| 4Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.” | 4Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.” |
| 5The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” | 5The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,” |
| 6then they would say to him, “Then say, ‘Shibboleth’!” And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites. | 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. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed. |
| 7And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead. | 7Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. |
| 8After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. | 8After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. |
| 9He had thirty sons. And he gave away thirty daughters in marriage, and brought in thirty daughters from elsewhere for his sons. He judged Israel seven years. | 9He had thirty sons, as well as thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage to men outside his clan; and for his sons he brought back thirty wives from elsewhere. Ibzan judged Israel seven years. |
| 10Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem. | 10Then Ibzan died, and he was buried in Bethlehem. |
| 11After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years. | 11After Ibzan, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel ten years. |
| 12And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. | 12Then Elon the Zebulunite died, and he was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. |
| 13After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. | 13After Elon, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel. |
| 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. | 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years. |
| 15Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains of the Amalekites. | 15Then Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, died, and he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. |
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