Judges 12:3

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!”

² 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.

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.”

⁵ The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, “Let me cross over,” the Gileadites would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered, “No,”

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: 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?”
KJV: 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?
WEB: 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?”
ASV: And when I saw that ye saved me not, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
DARBY: And when I saw that ye would not save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah gave them into my hand. Why then are ye come up to me this day, to fight against me?
BLB: And I saw that you would not deliver [me], and I took my life in my hands, and passed over against the sons of Ammon. And YHWH delivered them into my hand. Why have you⁺ come up to me this day to fight against me?”

ÅB: og da jeg så at dere ikke ville hjelpe, satte jeg mitt liv på spill og dro avsted mot Ammons barn, og Herren gav dem i min hånd. Hvorfor kommer dere da farende mot meg idag og vil stride mot meg?
OTB: Da jeg innså at dere ikke ville hjelpe, risikerte jeg livet mitt og dro over for å kjempe mot ammonittene, og Herren ga meg seier over dem. Så hvorfor har dere kommet i dag for å kjempe mot meg?»
B1930: og da jeg så at I ikke vilde hjelpe, satte jeg mitt liv på spill og drog avsted mot Ammons barn, og Herren gav dem i min hånd. Hvorfor kommer I da farende mot mig idag og vil stride mot mig?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Job 13:14
Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands?
Read in context
1 Samuel 19:5
He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”
Read in context
1 Samuel 28:21
When the woman came to Saul and saw how distraught he was, she said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice. I took my life in my hands and did as you told me.
Read in context
Psalms 119:109
I constantly take my life in my hands, yet I do not forget Your law.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 13:12
Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”
Read in context
Revelation 12:11
They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
Read in context
Romans 16:4
who have risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
Read in context
Judges 11:27
I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
Read in context