The Book of Judges

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- Kapitel 12 -

The men of the tribe of Ephraim called together their soldiers, and they crossed the Jordan River and went to the town of Zaphon to talk with Jephthah. They said to him, “Why did you not ask us to help your army fight the Ammonites. So we will burn down your house while you are in it.”

Jephthah replied, “The Ammonites oppressed us. And I asked you to come and rescue us from them, you refused. When I called to you, you did not come to our rescue.

When I saw that you would not come to help us, I risked my own life by leading our people to pass through the people of Ammon. And Yahweh helped us to defeat them. So why do you come to fight against me today?”

Then Jephthah called together the soldiers of Gilead to fight against the soldiers of Ephraim. They attacked them because men of the tribe of Ephraim said, “You men from Gilead are just refugees here in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh.

The Gileadites captured the low places in the Jordan River where people could cross over the river and go to the territory of Ephraim. If someone from the tribe of Ephraim came to the ford to try to escape, he would say, “Allow me to cross the river.” Then the men of Gilead would ask him, “Are you from the tribe of Ephraim?” If he said “No,”

they would say to him, “Say the word ‘Shibboleth.’” The men of Ephraim could not pronounce that word correctly. So if the person from the tribe of Ephraim said “Sibboleth,” they would know that he was lying and that he was really from the tribe of Ephraim, and they would kill him there at the ford. So the men of Gilead killed forty-two thousand people from the tribe of Ephraim at that time.

Jephthah, the man from Gilead, served as a judge and leader over Israel for six years. Then he died and was buried in one of the towns of Gilead.

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon

After Jephthah died, a man named Ibzan, from Bethlehem, became a leader and a judge over Israel.

He had thirty sons and he gave thirty daughters away in marriage. He brought in thirty daughters from families outside his clan. He was a leader and a judge over Israel for seven years.

When died, he was buried in Bethlehem.

After Ibzan died, a man named Elon, from the tribe of Zebulun, became a leader of Israel. He was their leader for ten years.

Then he died and was buried in the city of Aijalon in the area where the tribe of Zebulun lives.

After Elon died, a man named Abdon son of Hillel, from the city of Pirathon, became a leader and a judge over Israel.

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons. They had seventy donkeys. Abdon was a leader and a judge over Israel for eight years.

When Abdon died, he was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

The men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said to Jephthah, “Why did you pass over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didn’t call us to go with you? We will burn your house around you with fire!”

Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, you didn’t save me out of their hand.

When I saw that you didn’t save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me today, to fight against me?”

Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the middle of Ephraim, and in the middle of Manasseh.”

The Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever a fugitive of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No;”

then they said to him, “Now say ‘Shibboleth;’” and he said “Sibboleth”; for he couldn’t manage to pronounce it correctly, then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time, forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell.

Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in the cities of Gilead.

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon

After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

He had thirty sons. He sent his thirty daughters outside his clan, and he brought in thirty daughters from outside his clan for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.

Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.

After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.

He had forty sons and thirty sons’ sons who rode on seventy donkey colts. He judged Israel eight years.

Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.