Judges 12

Ephraim Fights with Jephthah

12Then 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!"H376H669H6817H5674H6828H559H3316H5674H3898H1121H5983H7121H3212H8313H1004H7842Jephthah 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.H3316H559H5971H1961H3966H376H7379H1121H5983H2199H3467H30273So 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?"H7200H3467H7760H5315H3709H5674H1121H5983H3068H5414H3027H5927H3117H38984The 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.H3316H6908H582H1568H3898H669H582H1568H5221H669H559H1568H6412H669H8432H669H8432H45195Jephthah 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,"H1568H3920H4569H3383H669H669H6412H559H5674H582H1568H559H673H5596they 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.H559H559H7641H559H5451H3559H1696H3559H270H7819H4569H3383H5307H6256H669H705H8147H5057Jephthah judged Israel for six years. When he died, he was buried in one of the towns of Gilead.H3316H8199H3478H8337H8141H4191H3316H1569H6912H5892H1568

Ibzan Becomes Israel’s Judge

8After Jephthah died, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel.H310H78H1035H8199H34789He 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.H7970H1121H7970H1323H7971H2351H935H7970H1323H2351H1121H8199H3478H7651H814110When he died, he was buried at Bethlehem.H4191H78H6912H1035

Elon Becomes Israel’s Judge

11After Ibzan died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun judged Israel for ten years.H310H356H2075H8199H3478H8199H3478H6235H814112When he died, he was buried at Aijalon in Zebulun.H356H2075H4191H6912H357H776H2074

Abdon Becomes Israel’s Judge

13After Elon died, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel.H310H5658H1121H1985H6553H8199H347814He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years.H705H1121H7970H1121H1121H7392H7657H5895H8199H3478H8083H814115When he died, he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.H5658H1121H1985H6553H4191H6912H6552H776H669H2022H6003