New Century Version NCV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 The men of Ephraim called all their soldiers together and crossed the river to the town of Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why didn't you call us to help you fight the Ammonites? We will burn your house down with you in it."
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The men of Efrayim assembled, crossed into Tzafon and said to Yiftach, "Why didn't you call us to go with you when you went over to fight the people of 'Amon? We're ready to burn down your house with you in it!"
2 Jephthah answered them, "My people and I fought a great battle against the Ammonites. I called you, but you didn't come to help me.
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Yiftach answered, "When my people and I were in a serious dispute with the people of 'Amon, I called you; and you didn't rescue me from their power.
3 When I saw that you would not help me, I risked my own life and went against the Ammonites. The Lord handed them over to me. So why have you come to fight against me today?"
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When I saw that you weren't rescuing me, I put my life in my own hands and went over to attack the people of 'Amon; and ADONAI gave them over into my power. So why have you come up today to fight me?"
4 Then Jephthah called the men of Gilead together and fought the men of Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, "You men of Gilead are nothing but deserters from Ephraim -- living between Ephraim and Manasseh."
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Then Yiftach gathered together all the men of Gil'ad and fought with Efrayim, and the men of Gil'ad defeated Efrayim; because they were saying, "You Gil'ad men who live in Efrayim and M'nasheh have deserted Efrayim!"
5 The men of Gilead captured the crossings of the Jordan River that led to the country of Ephraim. A person from Ephraim trying to escape would say, "Let me cross the river." Then the men of Gilead would ask him, "Are you from Ephraim?" If he replied no,
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The men of Gil'ad cut off Efrayim from the crossings over the Yarden, and whenever anyone from Efrayim tried to escape and said, "Let me go across," the men of Gil'ad would ask him, "Are you from Efrayim?" and if he said, "No,"
6 they would say to him, "Say the word 'Shibboleth.'" The men of Ephraim could not say that word correctly. So if the person from Ephraim said, "Sibboleth," the men of Gilead would kill him at the crossing. So forty-two thousand people from Ephraim were killed at that time.
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they would tell him to say "Shibbolet." If he said, "Sibbolet," because he could not make his mouth pronounce it right, they took hold of him and killed him on the spot at the Yarden crossing; at that time 42,000 men of Efrayim died.
7 Jephthah was a judge for Israel for six years. Then Jephthah, the man from Gilead, died and was buried in a town in Gilead. Ibzan, the Judge
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Yiftach judged Isra'el for six years. Then Yiftach from Gil'ad died, and he was buried in one of the cities of Gil'ad.
8 After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem was a judge for Israel.
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After him Ibtzan of Beit-Lechem judged Isra'el.
9 He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He let his daughters marry men who were not in his family group, and he brought thirty women who were not in his tribe to be wives for his sons. Ibzan judged Israel for seven years.
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He had thirty sons, and he had thirty daughters whom he sent abroad; he brought thirty women from abroad in to marry his sons. He judged Isra'el for seven years.
10 Then he died and was buried in Bethlehem. Elon, the Judge
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Then Ibtzan died and was buried at Beit-Lechem.
11 After Ibzan died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun was a judge for Israel. He judged Israel for ten years.
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After him Elon from Z'vulun judged Isra'el; he judged Isra'el for ten years.
12 Then Elon, the man of Zebulun, died and was buried in the city of Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. Abdon, the Judge
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Then Elon from Z'vulun died and was buried at Ayalon, in the territory of Z'vulun.
13 After Elon died, Abdon son of Hillel from the city of Pirathon was a judge for Israel.
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After him Avdon the son of Hillel from Pir'aton judged Isra'el.
14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years.
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He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Isra'el for eight years.
15 Then Abdon son of Hillel died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains where the Amalekites lived.
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Then Avdon the son of Hillel from Pir'aton died and was buried at Pir'aton in the territory of Efrayim, in the 'Amalek hills.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.