Judges 12:2
1 Then the men of Ephraim assembled and crossed the Jordan to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why have you crossed over to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down with you inside!”
But Jephthah replied, “My people and I had a serious conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called, you did not save me out of their hands.
3 When I saw that you would not save me, I risked my life and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come today to fight against me?”
4 Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- But Jephthah replied, “My people and I had a serious conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called, you did not save me out of their hands.
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- 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.
- ASV
- And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye saved me not out of their hand.
- DARBY
- And Jephthah said to them, I was at great strife, I and my people, with the children of Ammon; and I called you, but ye saved me not out of their hand.
- BLB
- And Jephthah said to them, “I have been a man of exceedingly great struggle—I and My people—with the sons of Ammon. And I called you⁺ and you⁺ did not deliver me out of their hands.
- ÅB
- Da sa Jefta til dem: Jeg og mitt folk lå i en hård strid med Ammons barn; da kalte jeg på dere, men dere hjalp meg ikke mot dem;
- OTB
- Jefta svarte: «Jeg og mitt folk var i en betydelig konflikt med ammonittene, og jeg kalte på dere, men dere reddet meg ikke fra deres hender.
- B1930
- Da sa Jefta til dem: Jeg og mitt folk lå i en hård strid med Ammons barn; da kalte jeg på eder, men I hjalp mig ikke mot dem;
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Judges 11:12–33
Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, “What do you have against me that you have come to fight against my land?”
Read in context