CHAPTER 12
1 And, lo! dissension (a)rose in Ephraim; for they, that passed toward the north (or who crossed over to Zaphon), said to Jephthah, Why wentest thou to battle against the sons of Ammon, and wouldest not call us, (so) that we should go with thee. Therefore we shall burn (down) thine house.
2 To which he answered, Great strife was to me and to my people against the sons of Ammon, and I called you, that ye should give help to me, and you would not do so. (To whom he answered, There was great strife between me and my people and the Ammonites, and I called on you, to give me help, but ye would not do so.)
3 Which thing I saw, and putted my life in mine hands; and I passed (forth) to the sons of Ammon, and the Lord betook them into mine hands; what have I (done that I) deserved, that ye rise together against me into battle? (or what have I done that I deserve that ye rise up against me in battle?)
4 Therefore when all the men of Gilead were called to Jephthah, he fought against Ephraim; and [the] men of Gilead smote Ephraim; for he said (or for they said), Gilead is fugitive, either exiled, from Ephraim, and in the midst of Ephraim, and of Manasseh.
5 And the men of Gilead occupied the fords of (the) Jordan, by which Ephraim should turn again. And when a man, fleeing of the number of Ephraim, had come to the fords, and had said, I beseech, that ye suffer me pass; men of Gilead said to him, Whether thou art a man of Ephraim? And when he had said, I am not, (or And when a man, fleeing from the Ephraimites, had come to the crossing, and had said, I beseech thee, that ye allow me to cross over; the men of Gilead said to him, Art thou a man of Ephraim? And when he had said, I am not),
6 they asked him, Say thou therefore Shibboleth, which is interpreted, an ear of corn. Which answered, Sibboleth, and he might not bring forth (the word for) an ear of corn by the same letter. And anon they took and strangled him in that passing (over) of (the) Jordan; and two and forty thousand men of Ephraim felled down in that time. (they said to him, Then say thou Shibboleth, which is translated, an ear of corn. And he answered, Sibboleth, and he could not bring forth the word for an ear of corn. And at once they took and strangled him at that crossing of the Jordan River; and forty-two thousand men of Ephraim were killed at that time.)
7 And so Jephthah, a man of Gilead, deemed Israel six years; and (then) he died, and was buried in his city (of) Gilead.
8 Ibzan of Bethlehem, that had thirty sons, and so many daughters, deemed Israel after Jephthah; (And Ibzan of Bethlehem, who had thirty sons, and as many daughters, judged, or ruled, Israel after Jephthah;)
9 which daughters he sent out, and gave them to husbands, and he took wives to his sons of the same number, and he brought them into his house; and Ibzan deemed Israel seven years; (which daughters he sent away, and gave them to husbands, and he found the same number of wives for his sons, and he brought them into his household, or his family; and Ibzan judged Israel for seven years;)
10 and (then) he died, and was buried in Bethlehem.
11 Whose successor was Elon of Zebulun; and he deemed Israel ten years;
12 and he was dead, and buried in Zebulun. (and then he died, and was buried in Aijalon, in the land of Zebulun.)
13 After him Abdon, the son of Hillel, of Pirathon, deemed Israel;
14 the which Abdon had forty sons, and of them were thirty sons, going upon seventy colts of she-asses, and Abdon deemed Israel eight years; (and Abdon had forty sons, who in turn had thirty sons, and they all went upon seventy colts of female donkeys; and Abdon judged, or ruled, Israel for eight years;)
15 and (then) he died, and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill (country) of Amalek.