Judges 12:1-3

Civil Strife Mars the Victory

12:1 The Ephraimites assembled and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go and fight with the Ammonites without asking us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!”

12:2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were entangled in controversy with the Ammonites. I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power. 12:3 When I saw that you were not going to help, I risked my life and advanced against the Ammonites, and the Lord handed them over to me. Why have you come up 10  to fight with me today?”


tn Heb “the men of Ephraim were summoned [or “were mustered”].”

tn Heb “cross over to fight.”

tn Or “calling”; or “summoning.”

tn Heb “Your house we will burn over you with fire.”

tn Heb A man of great strife I was and my people and the Ammonites.”

tn Heb “hand.”

tn Heb “you were no deliverer.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX has “no one was helping.”

tn Heb “I put my life in my hand.”

tn Heb “crossed over to.”

10 tn The Hebrew adds “against me” here. This is redundant in English and has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.