Jephthah Defeats Ephraim 1 UST The men of the tribe of Ephraim got ready for battle. They crossed the Jordan River and went northeast to where Jephthah was. They said to Jephthah,“You should not have gone to fight the Ammonites without asking us to help you. We will burn down your house with you inside 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 UST Jephthah replied to them,“My people and I were in a big fight with the Ammonites. I called for you to help me against them, but you did not come. 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 UST When I saw that you would not help me, I risked my own life and led my men against the Ammonites. Yahweh helped me defeat them. So you should not have 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 UST The Ephraimites insulted the Gileadites. They said,“You Gileadites are just runaway people from Ephraim. You live between Ephraim and Manasseh.”{ Because the Ephraimites insulted them,} Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead. They fought against the men of Ephraim and defeated them. 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 UST The men of Gilead blocked the places where people could cross the Jordan River. They did this to stop the Ephraimites from escaping. Some of the soldiers from Ephraim tried to cross the river. The men of Gilead asked everyone who wanted to cross,“Are you from the tribe of Ephraim?” If a man 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 UST the men of Gilead would tell him,“Say the word‘Shibboleth.’” The Ephraimites could not pronounce that word correctly. They would say“Sibboleth” instead. When they said that, the men of Gilead knew they were from Ephraim. Then they would catch them and kill them at the river crossing. At that time they killed 42, 000 people from the tribe of Ephraim. 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 UST Jephthah, who came from the region of Gilead, led the people of Israel for six years. Then he died. People buried him 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 UST After Jephthah died, a man whose name was Ibzan became the next leader of Israel. Ibzan was from the town of Bethlehem. BSB BSB: After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9 UST Ibzan had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He let all his daughters marry men from other clans. He brought in 30 young women from other clans to marry his sons. Ibzan led 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 UST Then Ibzan died, and people buried him in the town of Bethlehem. BSB BSB: Then Ibzan died, and he was buried in Bethlehem.
11 UST After Ibzan died, a man whose name was Elon became the next leader of Israel. Elon was from the tribe of Zebulun. He led Israel for ten years. BSB BSB: After Ibzan, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel ten years.
12 UST Then Elon the Zebulunite died. People buried him in the town of Aijalon. That town was in the territory that belonged to the tribe of Zebulun. BSB BSB: Then Elon the Zebulunite died, and he was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13 UST After Elon died, a man whose name was Abdon became the next leader of Israel. Abdon was the son of Hillel. He came from the town of Pirathon. BSB BSB: After Elon, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel.
14 UST Abdon had 40 sons and 30 grandsons. He was rich enough to buy donkeys for all of them to ride. Abdon led 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 UST Then Abdon son of Hillel died, and people buried him in his home town of Pirathon. This town was in the territory that belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. It was in the hill country where the Amalekite people used to live. 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.
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