Judges 12

¹And 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.

²And 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.

³And 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?

⁴Then 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.

⁵And 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;

⁶Then 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.

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

⁸And after him Ibzan of Beth–lehem judged Israel.

⁹And 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.

¹⁰Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth–lehem.

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

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

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

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

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

Judges 12

¹And the men of Ephraim are called together, and pass over northward, and say to Jephthah, `Wherefore has thou passed over to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and on us hast not called to go with thee? thy house we burn over thee with fire.'

²And Jephthah saith unto them, `A man of great strife I have been (I and my people) with the Bene-Ammon, and I call you, and ye have not saved me out of their hand,

³and I see that thou art not a saviour, and I put my life in my hand, and pass over unto the Bene-Ammon, and Jehovah giveth them into my handand why have ye come up unto me this day to fight against me?'

⁴And Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead, and fighteth with Ephraim, and the men of Gilead smite Ephraim, because they said, `Fugitives of Ephraim are ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraimin the midst of Manasseh.'

⁵And Gilead captureth the passages of the Jordan to Ephraim, and it hath been, when any of the fugitives of Ephraim say, `Let me pass over,' and the men of Gilead say to him, `An Ephramite thou?' and he saith, `No;'

⁶that they say to him, `Say, I pray thee, Shibboleth;' and he saith, `Sibboleth,' and is not prepared to speak rightand they seize him, and slaughter him at the passages of the Jordan, and there fall at that time, of Ephraim, forty and two chiefs.

⁷And Jephthah judged Israel six years, and Jephthah the Gileadite dieth, and is buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

⁸And after him Ibzan of Beth-Lehem judgeth Israel,

⁹and he hath thirty sons and thirty daughters, he hath sent without and thirty daughters hath brought in to his sons from without; and he judgeth Israel seven years.

¹⁰And Ibzan dieth, and is buried in Beth-Lehem.

¹¹And after him Elon the Zebulunite judgeth Israel, and he judgeth Israel ten years,

¹²and Elon the Zebulunite dieth, and is buried in Aijalon, in the land of Zebulun.

¹³And after him, Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, judgeth Israel,

¹⁴and he hath forty sons, and thirty grandsons, riding on seventy ass-colts, and he judgeth Israel eight years.

¹⁵And Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, dieth, and is buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekite.

Judges 12

²And 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.

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

⁸And after him Ibzan of Beth–lehem judged Israel.

⁹And 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.

¹⁰Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth–lehem.

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

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

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

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

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

Judges 12:1

KJV

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.

YLT

And the men of Ephraim are called together, and pass over northward, and say to Jephthah, `Wherefore has thou passed over to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and on us hast not called to go with thee? thy house we burn over thee with fire.'

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.

YLT

And Jephthah saith unto them, `A man of great strife I have been (I and my people) with the Bene-Ammon, and I call you, and ye have not saved me out of their hand,

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?

YLT

and I see that thou art not a saviour, and I put my life in my hand, and pass over unto the Bene-Ammon, and Jehovah giveth them into my handand why have ye come up unto me this day to fight against me?'

KJV

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.

YLT

And Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead, and fighteth with Ephraim, and the men of Gilead smite Ephraim, because they said, `Fugitives of Ephraim are ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraimin the midst of Manasseh.'

KJV

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;

YLT

And Gilead captureth the passages of the Jordan to Ephraim, and it hath been, when any of the fugitives of Ephraim say, `Let me pass over,' and the men of Gilead say to him, `An Ephramite thou?' and he saith, `No;'

KJV

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.

YLT

that they say to him, `Say, I pray thee, Shibboleth;' and he saith, `Sibboleth,' and is not prepared to speak rightand they seize him, and slaughter him at the passages of the Jordan, and there fall at that time, of Ephraim, forty and two chiefs.

KJV

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

YLT

And Jephthah judged Israel six years, and Jephthah the Gileadite dieth, and is buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

KJV

And after him Ibzan of Beth–lehem judged Israel.

YLT

And after him Ibzan of Beth-Lehem judgeth Israel,

KJV

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.

YLT

and he hath thirty sons and thirty daughters, he hath sent without and thirty daughters hath brought in to his sons from without; and he judgeth Israel seven years.

KJV

Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Beth–lehem.

YLT

And Ibzan dieth, and is buried in Beth-Lehem.

KJV

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

YLT

And after him Elon the Zebulunite judgeth Israel, and he judgeth Israel ten years,

KJV

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

YLT

and Elon the Zebulunite dieth, and is buried in Aijalon, in the land of Zebulun.

KJV

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

YLT

And after him, Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, judgeth Israel,

KJV

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

YLT

and he hath forty sons, and thirty grandsons, riding on seventy ass-colts, and he judgeth Israel eight years.

KJV

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.

YLT

And Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, dieth, and is buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill-country of the Amalekite.

Understanding King James Version vs Young's Literal Translation in Judges 12

King James Version (KJV)

The classic 1611 English translation known for its majestic prose and literary influence. Ideal for traditional study and memorization thanks to its formal style. A foundational English Bible used for centuries.

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

An extremely literal, word-for-word translation that preserves original verb tenses and phrasing. Best for close study and comparing structures from the source languages. The English can feel rigid, but it’s very useful for detailed analysis.

You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Judges 12 in the King James Version and Young's Literal Translation. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.

Key Comparison: Judges 12:1

KJV

"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."

YLT

"And the men of Ephraim are called together, and pass over northward, and say to Jephthah, `Wherefore has thou passed over to fight against the Bene-Ammon, and on us hast not called to go with thee? thy house we burn over thee with fire.'"