Jephthah Defeats Ephraim 1 UDB The men of the tribe of Ephraim called together their soldiers, and they crossed the Jordan River and went to the town of Zaphon to talk with Jephthah. They said to him, "Why did you not ask us to help your army fight the Ammonites. So we will burn down your house while you are in it." BSB BSB: Then the men of Ephraim assembled and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why have you crossed over to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down with you inside!”
2 UDB Jephthah replied, "The Ammonites oppressed us. And I asked you to come and rescue us from them, but you refused. When I called to you, you did not come to our rescue. BSB BSB: But Jephthah replied, “My people and I had a serious conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called, you did not save me out of their hands.
3 UDB When I saw that you would not come to help us, I risked my own life by leading our people to pass through the people of Ammon. And Yahweh helped us to defeat them. So why do you come to fight against me today?" BSB BSB: When I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come today to fight against me?”
4 UDB Then Jephthah called together the soldiers of Gilead to fight against the soldiers of Ephraim. They attacked them because men of the tribe of Ephraim said, "You men from Gilead are just refugees here in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh." BSB BSB: Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”
5 UDB The Gileadites captured the low places in the Jordan River where people could cross over the river and go to the territory of Ephraim. If someone from the tribe of Ephraim came to the ford to try to escape, he would say, "Allow me to cross the river." Then the men of Gilead would ask him, "Are you from the tribe of Ephraim?" If he said "No," BSB BSB: The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,”
6 UDB they would say to him, "Say the word 'Shibboleth.'" The men of Ephraim could not pronounce that word correctly. So if the person from the tribe of Ephraim said "Sibboleth," they would know that he was lying and that he was really from the tribe of Ephraim, and they would kill him there at the ford. So the men of Gilead killed forty-two thousand people from the tribe of Ephraim at that time. BSB BSB: they 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. So at that time 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.
7 UDB Jephthah, the man from Gilead, served as a judge and leader over Israel for six years. Then he died and was buried in one of the towns of Gilead. BSB BSB: Jephthah judged Israel six years, and when he died, he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon 8 UDB After Jephthah died, a man named Ibzan, from Bethlehem, became a leader and a judge over Israel. BSB BSB: After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9 UDB He had thirty sons and he gave thirty daughters away in marriage. He brought in thirty daughters from families outside his clan. He was a leader and a judge over Israel for seven years. BSB BSB: He had thirty sons, as well as thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage to men outside his clan; and for his sons he brought back thirty wives from elsewhere. Ibzan judged Israel seven years.
10 UDB When died, he was buried in Bethlehem. BSB BSB: Then Ibzan died, and he was buried in Bethlehem.
11 UDB After Ibzan died, a man named Elon, from the tribe of Zebulun, became a leader of Israel. He was their leader for ten years. BSB BSB: After Ibzan, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel ten years.
12 UDB Then he died and was buried in the city of Aijalon in the area where the tribe of Zebulun lives. BSB BSB: Then Elon the Zebulunite died, and he was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13 UDB After Elon died, a man named Abdon son of Hillel, from the city of Pirathon, became a leader and a judge over Israel. BSB BSB: After Elon, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel.
14 UDB He had forty sons and thirty grandsons. They had seventy donkeys. Abdon was a leader and a judge over Israel for eight years. BSB BSB: He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years.
15 UDB When Abdon died, he was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. BSB BSB: Then Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, died, and he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.