Judges 12:3

Easy-to-Read Version

I saw that you would not help us, so I risked my own life. I went across the river to fight against the Ammonites. The Lord helped me defeat them. Now why have you come to fight against me today?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When I saw that you weren’t going to deliver me, I took my life in my own hands and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the Lord handed them over to me. Why then have you come today to fight against me?”

Hebrew Names Version
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 are you come up to me this day, to fight against me?

King James Version
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?

Lexham English Bible
I saw that you would not deliver us; I risked my own life, and I crossed over to the Ammonites, and Yahweh gave them into my hand. Why have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"

English Standard Version
And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"

New Century Version
When I saw that you would not help me, I risked my own life and went against the Ammonites. The Lord handed them over to me. So why have you come to fight against me today?"

New English Translation
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 to fight with me today?"

Amplified Bible
"So when I saw that you were not coming to help me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the LORD handed them over to me. So why have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"

New American Standard Bible
"When I saw that you were no deliverer, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and the LORD handed them over to me. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
So when I sawe that ye deliuered me not, I put my life in mine hands, and went vpon the children of Ammon: so the Lord deliuered them into mine handes. Wherefore then are ye come vpon me nowe to fight against me?

Legacy Standard Bible
En toe ek sien dat jy nie help nie, het ek my lewe gewaag en deurgetrek na die kinders van Ammon; en die HERE het hulle in my hand gegee. Waarom het julle dan vandag teen my opgetrek om teen my oorlog te voer?

Contemporary English Version
So when we realized you weren't coming, we risked our lives and attacked the Ammonites. And the Lord let us defeat them. There's no reason for you to come here today to attack me."

Complete Jewish Bible
When I saw that you weren't rescuing me, I put my life in my own hands and went over to attack the people of ‘Amon; and Adonai gave them over into my power. So why have you come up today to fight me?"

Darby Translation
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?

George Lamsa Translation
And when I saw that there was no one to deliver me, I risked my life, and crossed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hands; now why have you come up against me this day, to fight with me?

Good News Translation
When I saw that you were not going to, I risked my life and crossed the border to fight them, and the Lord gave me victory over them. So why are you coming up to fight me now?"

Literal Translation
And seeing that you did not save us, I put my life in my hand and passed over against the Ammonites, and Jehovah delivered them into my hand. And why have you come up to me today to fight with me?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan I sawe yt there was no helper, I put my soule in my honde, and wente agaynst the children of Ammon, and the LORDE delyuered them in to my hande. Wherfore come ye vp to me, to fighte agaynst me?

American Standard Version
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?

Bible in Basic English
So when I saw that there was no help to be had from you, I put my life in my hand and went over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord gave them into my hands: why then have you come up to me this day to make war on me?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when I sawe that ye deliuered me not, I put my lyfe in my handes, and went vpon the children of Ammon, and the Lorde deliuered them into my handes: Wherfore then are ye come vppon me nowe, to fight against me?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 the LORD delivered them into my hand; wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?'

King James Version (1611)
And when I sawe that ye deliuered me not, I put my life in my handes, and passed ouer against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliuered them into my hand: Wherfore then are ye come vp vnto me this day, to fight against me?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I saw that thou wert no helper, and I put my life in my hand, and passed on to the sons of Ammon; and the Lord delivered them into my hand: and wherefore are ye come up against me this day to fight with me?

English Revised Version
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 the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?

Berean Standard Bible
When I saw that you would not deliver 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?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`Which thing Y siy, and puttide my lijf in myn hondis; and Y passide to the sones of Amon, and `the Lord bitook hem in to myn hondis; what haue Y disseruyd, that ye ryse togidere ayens me in to batel?

Young's Literal Translation
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 hand -- and why have ye come up unto me this day to fight against me?'

Update Bible Version
And when I saw that you didn't save me, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh delivered them into my hand: why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?

Webster's Bible Translation
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: why then have ye come up to me this day, to fight against me?

World English Bible
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 Yahweh delivered them into my hand: why then are you come up to me this day, to fight against me?

New King James Version
So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"

New Living Translation
So when I realized you weren't coming, I risked my life and went to battle without you, and the Lord gave me victory over the Ammonites. So why have you now come to fight me?"

New Life Bible
I saw that you would not help me, so I took my life in my hands. I crossed over to fight the people of Ammon. And the Lord gave them into my hand. So why have you come today to fight against me?"

New Revised Standard
When I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hand, and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So, when I saw that thou wast not going to save, then put I my life in my hand, and passed over against the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh delivered them into my hand. Wherefore, then, have ye come up against me this day, to fight against me?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when I saw this, I put my life in my own hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon and the Lord delivered them into my hands. What have I deserved, that you should rise up to fight against me?

Revised Standard Version
And when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hand, and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into my hand; why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and the LORD gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"

Contextual Overview

¹ The men from the tribe of Ephraim called all their soldiers together. Then they went across the river to the city of Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why didn't you call us to help you fight the Ammonites? We will burn your house down with you in it." ² Jephthah answered them, "The Ammonites have been giving us many problems. So my people and I fought against them. I called you, but you didn't come to help us. ³ I saw that you would not help us, so I risked my own life. I went across the river to fight against the Ammonites. The Lord helped me defeat them. Now why have you come to fight against me today?" ⁴ Then Jephthah called the men of Gilead together. They fought against the men from the tribe of Ephraim because they had insulted the men of Gilead. They had said, "You men of Gilead are nothing but survivors of the men of Ephraim. Part of you belongs to Ephraim, and part of you belongs to Manasseh." The men of Gilead defeated the men of Ephraim. ⁵ The men of Gilead captured the places where people cross the Jordan River. Those places led to the country of Ephraim. Any time a survivor from Ephraim came to the river and said, "Let me cross," the men of Gilead would ask him, "Are you from Ephraim?" If he said, "No," ⁶ they would say, "Say the word ‘Shibboleth.'" The men of Ephraim could not say that word correctly. They pronounced the word "Sibboleth." So if the man said, "Sibboleth," then the men of Gilead knew he was from Ephraim. So they would kill him at the crossing place. They killed 42,000 men from Ephraim. ⁷ Jephthah was a judge for the Israelites for six years. Then Jephthah from Gilead died and was buried in his town in Gilead.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

put: Judges 9:17, 1 Samuel 19:5, 1 Samuel 28:21, Job 13:14, Psalms 119:109, Romans 16:4, Revelation 12:11

wherefore: Judges 11:27, 2 Chronicles 13:12

Reciprocal: Proverbs 15:1 - grievous

Cross-References

Genesis 18:18
Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed because of him.

Genesis 27:29
May the nations serve you and many people bow down to you. You will rule over your brothers. Your mother's sons will bow down to you and obey you. Whoever curses you will be cursed. Whoever blesses you will be blessed."

Genesis 28:14
You will have as many descendants as there are particles of dust on the earth. They will spread east and west, north and south. All the families on earth will be blessed because of you and your descendants.

Genesis 30:27
Laban said to him, "Please, let me say something. I know that the Lord has blessed me because of you.

Genesis 30:30
When I came, you had little. Now you have much, much more. Every time I did something for you, the Lord blessed you. Now it is time for me to work for myself—it is time to do things for my family."

Genesis 39:5
After Joseph was made the ruler over the house, the Lord blessed the house and everything that Potiphar owned. The Lord also blessed everything that grew in Potiphar's fields. The Lord did this because of Joseph.

Exodus 23:22
If you listen to what he says and do everything I tell you, then I will be an enemy to all of your enemies. I will be against everyone who is against you.

Numbers 24:9
Israel is like a lion, curled up and lying down. Yes, they are like a young lion, and no one wants to wake him! Anyone who blesses you will be blessed. And anyone who curses you will have great troubles."

Psalms 72:17
May the king be famous forever. May people remember his name as long as the sun shines. May all nations be blessed through him, and may they all bless him.

Matthew 25:40
"Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when I saw that ye delivered me not,.... Gave him no assistance against their common enemy, did not attempt to save him and his people out of their hands, but left them to defend themselves:

I put my life in my hands; ready to deliver it up in the defence of his country; the meaning is, that he exposed himself to the utmost danger, hazarded his life in going with a few troops into an enemy's country to fight him, and so liable to lose his life; which was in as much danger, as some observe, as any brittle thing contained in the hand is in danger of falling, or of being snatched out of it:

and passed over against the children of Ammon: took a long and fatiguing march over the land of Gilead into that of the children of Ammon, to fight with them:

and the Lord delivered them into my hand; gave him victory over them, which showed that his cause was just, and his call to engage in it clear:

wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day to fight against me? who rather should have come with thanks to him for the service he had done, not only for the Gileadites, but for all Israel; for had he not fought against the children of Ammon, and conquered them, they would have soon not only overrun and oppressed Gilead, but would have come over Jordan, and dispossessed the other tribes, and particularly Ephraim, as they had done already, Judges 10:9 so that it was base ingratitude in these people to come to fight against Jephthah, who had fought for them, and wrought salvation for them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I put my life in my hands - Compare 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Samuel 28:21. The phrase expresses the utmost possible risk, knowingly incurred.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 12:3. I put my life in my hands — I exposed myself to the greatest difficulties and dangers. But whence did this form of speech arise? Probably from a man's laying hold of his sword, spear, or bow. "This is the defender of my life; on this, and my proper use of it, my life depends." When a man draws his sword against his foe, his enemy will naturally aim at his life; and his sword in his hand is his sole defense. It is then, Fight and conquer, or die. Thus Jephthah took his life in his hand. This phrase occurs in some other places of Scripture; see 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Samuel 28:21. And the words of the Conqueror, Isaiah 63:5, seem to confirm the above view of the subject: I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered there was none to uphold; therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; i.e., by mine own arm I saved my life, and brought destruction on mine enemies.