Judges 12

EasyEnglish Bible

Jephthah and Ephraim's tribe argue^[a]

12 The men of Ephraim's tribe joined together to make an army. They crossed over the Jordan River to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, ‘Why did you go to fight against the Ammonites without us? You should have asked us to go with you. Now we will burn down your house with you inside it!’

² Jephthah replied, ‘I did ask for your help! That was when my people and I first had a quarrel with the Ammonites. But you refused to rescue us. ³ When I realized that you would not come to help us, we attacked the Ammonites ourselves. I put my life in danger. But the Lord put the Ammonites under my power. So why have you come to attack me now?’

⁴ Jephthah brought together all the men of Gilead. They fought against the men of Ephraim's tribe. The men of Gilead won the fight. They were angry because the men of Ephraim had insulted them. They had said, ‘You people of Gilead have run away to live on the land of Ephraim and Manasseh.’

⁵ After that, Gilead's army put guards at the places where people could go across the Jordan River. They wanted to stop people from Ephraim going across the river. If one of Ephraim's soldiers was trying to escape, they would ask him, ‘Do you belong to Ephraim's tribe?’ The man would say, ‘No, I do not!’

⁶ Then they would tell him, ‘Say, “Shibboleth!” ’ People from Ephraim could not say that word properly. So if the man said, ‘Sibboleth,’ they would take hold of him and kill him. That day, they killed 42,000 soldiers of Ephraim at those places on the Jordan River.

⁷ Jephthah led Israel for six years. Then he died and they buried him in his own town in Gilead.

Ibzan, Elon and Abdon

⁸ After Jephthah died, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel. ⁹ He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He let his daughters marry men from other clans. He also brought 30 young women from other clans to marry his sons. Ibzan led Israel for seven years. ¹⁰ Then he died and they buried him in Bethlehem.

¹¹ After he died, Elon from Zebulun led Israel for ten years. ¹² Then Elon died and they buried him in Aijalon, a town in the land of Zebulun's tribe.

¹³ After Elon, Hillel's son Abdon led Israel. He came from Pirathon. ¹⁴ He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons. They rode on 70 donkeys. Abdon led Israel for eight years. ¹⁵ Then he died. They buried him at Pirathon, a town in the land of Ephraim's tribe. That was in the hill country of the Amalekites.