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Judges

Describes a time when Israel was ruled by judges and the cycle of turning away from God, facing trouble, and then returning to Him.

Chapter 12

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1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.

*The men of Ephraim came together and went north. They asked Jephthah why he fought the Ammonites without them. They threatened to burn his house down if they didn't join him in battle.

2 And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.

*Jephthah told them, "We fought badly with the people of Ammon. When I asked for your help, you didn't save me."

3 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?

*When I realized you weren't saving me, I decided to take matters into my own hands and face the children of Ammon. The Lord helped me defeat them. So why are you here fighting me now?

4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.

*Then Jephthah brought together all the men from the area of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The men from Gilead defeated Ephraim because they said, "You Gileadites are deserters from Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites."

5 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;

*The Gileadites protected the Jordan River crossings before the Ephraimites got there. When some Ephraimites escaped and asked to cross, the Gileadites asked if they were Ephraimites. If they said no, 9700000 9700000 9700000 9700000

6 Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

*Then they told him to say "Shibboleth." He said it as "Sibboleth" because he couldn't pronounce it correctly. They killed him near the Jordan River, and at that time, 42,000 Ephraimites were killed.

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

*Jephthah ruled over Israel for six years. After that, he passed away and was buried in a city in Gilead.

8 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

*After that, Ibzan from Bethlehem was the leader of Israel.

9 And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

*He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He sent them to other places and brought back 30 more daughters for them. Then he ruled over Israel for 7 years.

10 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.

*Then Ibzan passed away and was buried in Bethlehem.

11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

*After that, Elon, a person from Zebulun, led and ruled Israel for ten years.

12 And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

*Elon from Zebulun passed away and was buried in Aijalon, which is in Zebulun's land.

13 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.

*After that, Abdon, Hillel's son and a Pirathonite, became the leader to guide and make decisions for Israel.

14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.

*He had 40 sons and 30 nephews who rode on 70 donkeys. He ruled over Israel for 8 years.

15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

*Abdon, son of Hillel from Pirathon, passed away and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, on an Amalekite mountain.

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* work in progress, there will be mistakes

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