New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 Then 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!”
1
The Ephraimites were called up for battle and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight the Ammonites and not call us to go with you? We're going to burn down your house over you!"
2 Jephthah 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.
2
Jephthah replied to them, "My people and I were in a great conflict with the Ammonites. But when I cried out to you, you didn't rescue me from their power.
3 So 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?”
3
When I saw that you weren't going to rescue me, I risked my own life and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the LORD handed them over to me. So why have you marched against me today to fight me?"
4 The 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.
4
So Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought the Ephraimites. The Gileadites defeated the Ephraimites, because they had said, "You are fugitives from Ephraim! Gilead stands within Ephraim and Manasseh."
5 Jephthah 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,”
5
The Gileadites took control of the Jordan's crossing points into Ephraim. Whenever one of the Ephraimite fugitives said, "Let me cross," the Gileadites would ask him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No,"
6 they 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.
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they would tell him, "Then say shibboleth." But he would say, "sibboleth," because he couldn't pronounce it correctly. So they would seize him and kill him at the Jordan's crossing points. Forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites fell at that time.
7 Jephthah judged Israel for six years. When he died, he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead.
7
Jephthah led Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the towns in Gilead.
8 After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel.
8
After Jephthah, Ibzan from Bethlehem led Israel.
9 He 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.
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He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He married his thirty daughters to those outside his clan, and brought in thirty young women from outside for his sons. He led Israel for seven years.
10 When he died, he was buried at Bethlehem.
10
Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
11 After Ibzan died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun judged Israel for ten years.
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After Ibzan, Elon from Zebulun led Israel; he did so for ten years.
12 When he died, he was buried at Aijalon in Zebulun.
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Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13 After Elon died, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel.
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After Elon, Abdon, Hillel's son from Pirathon, led Israel.
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 mounted on seventy donkeys. He led Israel for eight years.
15 When he died, he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
15
Then Abdon, Hillel's son from Pirathon, died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the Amalekite highlands.
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Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible