| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 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!" | 1Then the people of Ephraim mobilized an army and crossed over the Jordan River to Zaphon. They sent this message to Jephthah: “Why didn’t you call for us to help you fight against the Ammonites? We are going to burn down your house 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. | 2Jephthah replied, “I summoned you at the beginning of the dispute, but you refused to come! You failed to help us in our struggle against Ammon. |
| 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?" | 3So when I realized you weren’t coming, I risked my life and went to battle without you, and the LORD gave me victory over the Ammonites. So why have you now come 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." | 4The people of Ephraim responded, “You men of Gilead are nothing more than fugitives from Ephraim and Manasseh.” So Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and attacked the men of Ephraim and defeated them. |
| 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," | 5Jephthah captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim tried to go back across, the men of Gilead would challenge him. “Are you a member of the tribe of Ephraim?” they would ask. If the man said, “No, I’m not,” |
| 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 tell him to say “Shibboleth.” If he was from Ephraim, he would say “Sibboleth,” because people from Ephraim cannot pronounce the word correctly. Then they would take him and kill him at the shallow crossings of the Jordan. In all, 42,000 Ephraimites were killed at that time. |
| 7Jephthah led Israel for six years; then he died and was buried in his city in Gilead. | 7Jephthah judged Israel for six years. When he died, he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead. Ibzan Becomes Israel’s Judge |
| 8After him Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel. | 8After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel. |
| 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 thirty sons and thirty daughters. He sent his daughters to marry men outside his clan, and he brought in thirty young women from outside his clan to marry his sons. Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. |
| 10then he died and was buried in Bethlehem. | 10When he died, he was buried at Bethlehem. Elon Becomes Israel’s Judge |
| 11After him Elon the Zebulunite led Israel for ten years. | 11After Ibzan died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun judged Israel for ten years. |
| 12Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. | 12When he died, he was buried at Aijalon in Zebulun. Abdon Becomes Israel’s Judge |
| 13After him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite led Israel. | 13After Elon died, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel. |
| 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel for eight years. | 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged 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. | 15When he died, he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. |
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