12:1 The Ephraimites assembled 4 and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go and fight 5 with the Ammonites without asking 6 us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!” 7
12:2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites. 8 I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power. 9
1 tn Heb “From days to days,” a Hebrew idiom for “annually.”
2 tn Heb “go to commemorate.” The rare Hebrew verb תָּנָה (tanah, “to tell; to repeat; to recount”) occurs only here and in 5:11.
3 tn The Hebrew text adds, “in the year.” This is redundant (note “every year” at the beginning of the verse) and has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
4 tn Heb “the men of Ephraim were summoned [or “were mustered”].”
5 tn Heb “cross over to fight.”
6 tn Or “calling”; or “summoning.”
7 tn Heb “Your house we will burn over you with fire.”
8 tn Heb A man of great strife I was and my people and the Ammonites.”
9 tn Heb “hand.”