| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The Ephraimites assembled and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why did you go and fight with the Ammonites without asking us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!" | 1The men of Ephraim were called together and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why have you crossed over to fight against the Ammonites but didn't call us to go with you? We will burn your house down with you in it!" |
| 2Jephthah said to them, "My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites. I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power. | 2Then Jephthah said to them, "My people and I had a serious conflict with the Ammonites. So I called for you, but you didn't deliver me from their power. |
| 3When I saw that you were not going to help, I risked my life and advanced against the Ammonites, and the LORD handed them over to me. Why have you come up to fight with me today?" | 3When I saw that you weren't going to deliver me, I took my life in my own hands and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD handed them over to me. Why then have you come today to fight against me?" |
| 4Jephthah assembled all the men of Gilead and they fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because the Ephraimites insulted them, saying, "You Gileadites are refugees in Ephraim, living within Ephraim's and Manasseh's territory." | 4Then Jephthah gathered all of the men of Gilead. They fought and defeated Ephraim, because Ephraim had said, "You Gileadites are Ephraimite fugitives in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh." |
| 5The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan River opposite Ephraim. Whenever an Ephraimite fugitive said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No," | 5The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim. Whenever a fugitive from Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the Gileadites asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he answered, "No," |
| 6then they said to him, "Say 'Shibboleth!'" If he said, "Sibboleth" (and could not pronounce the word correctly), they grabbed him and executed him right there at the fords of the Jordan. On that day forty-two thousand Ephraimites fell dead. | 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. At that time 42,000 from Ephraim died. |
| 7Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in 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 led Israel. | 8Ibzan, who was from Bethlehem, judged Israel after Jephthah |
| 9He had thirty sons. He arranged for thirty of his daughters to be married outside his extended family, and he arranged for thirty young women to be brought from outside as wives for his sons. Ibzan led Israel for seven years; | 9and had 30 sons. He gave his 30 daughters in marriage to men outside the tribe and brought back 30 wives for his sons from outside the tribe. Ibzan judged Israel seven years, |
| 10then he died and was buried in Bethlehem. | 10and when he died, he was buried in Bethlehem. |
| 11After him Elon the Zebulunite led Israel for ten years. | 11Elon, who was from Zebulun, judged Israel after Ibzan. He judged Israel 10 years, |
| 12Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. | 12and when he died, he was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. |
| 13After him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite led Israel. | 13After Elon, Abdon son of Hillel, who was from Pirathon, judged Israel. |
| 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel for eight years. | 14He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons, who rode on 70 donkeys. Abdon judged Israel eight years, |
| 15Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. | 15and when he died, he was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. |
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