0 SAB Judges 12

Judges

CHAPTER 12

A dispute about participating in a war causes a war
12:1-4

1 And 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.

After the Ammonite slaughter, the men of Ephraim said to Jephthah,
Why didn't you ask us to fight with you against the Ammonites?

Because you didn't ask us, we will burn your house (with fire). [1]

2 And 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.

Jephthah said to them,
I asked you to help, but you didn't do it.

3 And 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?

God delivered the Ammonites into my hand.

So why are you fighting against me?

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.

So Jephthah gathered the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim.

And the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, "You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim." [2]

42,000 killed for mispronouncing "Shibboleth"
12:5-6

5 And 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;

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.

The Gileadites crossed the Jordan River before the Ephraimites.

When the Ephraimites came to the river, the men of Gilead said to them,

Are you an Ephraimite?

If they said, "No", then they said to him,

Say "Shibboleth".

And they said, "Sibboleth", because they couldn't pronounce it correctly.

So the Gileadites killed 42,000 Ephraimites who were trying to cross the Jordan. [3]

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
12:7-15

7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then he died.

8 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

9 And 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.

10 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.

He was succeeded by Ibzan, who had 30 sons and 30 daughters, and took in 30 daughters from abroad for his sons.

Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. Then he died.

11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

Elon was judge for ten years. Then he died.

13 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.

14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.

15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

After Elon came Abdon, who had 40 sons and 30 nephews that rode on 70 ass colts.

Abdon judged Israel for eight years. Then he died.

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