| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 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!" | 1A little while later, the army of Ephraim was mustered, and they crossed to Zaphon. They confronted Jephthah and asked, "Why did you cross over to fight the Ammonites without calling us to accompany you? We're going to burn your house down around you!" |
| 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. | 2But Jephthah replied to them, "My army and I were engaged in a serious fight with the Ammonites. I called for you, but you didn't deliver me from their control. |
| 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 wouldn't be delivering me, I took my own life in my hands, crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into my control. So why have you come here today to fight 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 mustered all the men of Gilead, fought the tribe of Ephraim, and defeated them, because they had been claiming, "You descendants of Gilead are fugitives in the midst of the tribes 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 descendants of Gilead seized control of the Jordan River's fords along the border of Ephraim's territory. Later on, when any fugitive from Ephraim asked them, "Let me cross over," the men from Gilead would ask him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said "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 would order him, "Pronounce the word 'Shibboleth' right now." If he said "Sibboleth," not being able to pronounce it correctly, they would seize him and slaughter him there at the fords of the Jordan River. During those days 42,000 descendants of Ephraim died that way. |
| 7Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in Gilead. | 7Jephthah governed Israel for six years. Then Jephthah died and was buried somewhere in the cities of Gilead. |
| 8After him Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel. | 8After he died, Ibzan from Bethlehem governed Israel for ten years. |
| 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; | 9He had 30 sons and 30 daughters, but he gave his daughters in marriage to outsiders and brought in 30 outsiders for his sons. He governed Israel for seven years, |
| 10then he died and was buried in Bethlehem. | 10then he died and was buried in Bethlehem. |
| 11After him Elon the Zebulunite led Israel for ten years. | 11Elon the Zebulunite governed Israel after him for ten years. |
| 12Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. | 12Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon within the territory of Zebulun. |
| 13After him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite led Israel. | 13Hillel the Pirathonite's son Abdon governed Israel after him. |
| 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. He governed Israel for 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. | 15Then he died and was buried at Pirathon in the territory of Ephraim, in the mountainous region of the Amalekites. |
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