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Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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New Life Version

Judges 12:2

Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were having much trouble with the people of Ammon. I did call you, but you did not take me away from them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ammonites;   Citizens;   Israel;   Judge;   Strife;   Treason;   War;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jephthah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ephraim, Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Shibboleth;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jephthah;   Judges, book of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Shibboleth;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ephraim, Wood of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Tribes of Israel, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ammon, Ammonites;   Levi;   Shibboleth;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ephraim ;   Forest;   Jephthah, Jephthae ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jephthah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Arnon;   Israel, History of the People;   Jephthah;   Judges, Period of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Accuser;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jephthah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Jephthah said to them, “My people and I had a bitter conflict with the Ammonites. So I called for you, but you didn’t deliver me from their power.
Hebrew Names Version
Yiftach 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.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were engaged in great conflict with the Ammonites; I called you, but you did not deliver me from their hand.
English Standard Version
And Jephthah said to them, "I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand.
New Century Version
Jephthah answered them, "My people and I fought a great battle against the Ammonites. I called you, but you didn't come to help me.
New English Translation
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.
Amplified Bible
And Jephthah said to them, "My people and I were in a major conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called you [for help], you did not rescue me from their hand.
New American Standard Bible
So Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were in a major dispute with the sons of Ammon; and I did call you, but you did not save me from their hand.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Iphtah said vnto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon, and when I called you, ye deliuered me not out of their handes.
Legacy Standard Bible
Maar Jefta sê vir hulle: Ek en my volk het 'n hewige twis met die kinders van Ammon gehad, en ek het julle opgeroep, maar julle het my nie uit hulle hand verlos nie.
Contemporary English Version
"But I did ask for your help," Jephthah answered. "That was back when the people of Gilead and I were having trouble with the Ammonites, and you wouldn't do a thing to help us.
Complete Jewish Bible
Yiftach answered, "When my people and I were in a serious dispute with the people of ‘Amon, I called you; and you didn't rescue me from their power.
Darby Translation
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.
Easy-to-Read Version
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.
George Lamsa Translation
And Jephthah said to them, O men! I and my people had strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hands.
Good News Translation
But Jephthah told them, "My people and I had a serious quarrel with the Ammonites. I did call you, but you would not rescue me from them.
Literal Translation
And Jephthah said to them, I have been a man of war, my people and I, having great strife with the sons of Ammon. And I called you, and you did not save me out of their hands.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iephthae sayde vnto the: I and my people had a greate matter with ye children of Ammon, and I cried vpon you, but ye helped me not out of their handes.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were in danger, and the children of Ammon were very cruel to us, and when I sent for you, you gave me no help against them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iephthah sayde vnto them, I & my people were at great stryfe with the children of Ammon: And when I called you, ye deliuered me not out of their handes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
And Iephthah saide vnto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon: and when I called you, ye deliuered me not out of their hands.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jephthae said to them, I and my people and the children of Ammon were very much engaged in war; and I called for you, and ye did not save me out of their hand.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
But Jephthah replied, "My people and I had a serious conflict with the Ammonites, and when I called, you did not deliver me out of their hands.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To whiche he answeride, Greet strijf was to me and to my puple ayens the sones of Amon, and Y clepide you, that ye schulden `yyue help to me, and ye nolden do.
Young's Literal Translation
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,
Update Bible Version
And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon; and when I called you, you didn't save me out of their hand.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Jephthah said to 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.
World English Bible
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.
New King James Version
And Jephthah said to them, "My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands.
New Living Translation
Jephthah replied, "I summoned you at the beginning of the dispute, but you refused to come! You failed to help us in our struggle against Ammon.
New Revised Standard
Jephthah said to them, "My people and I were engaged in conflict with the Ammonites who oppressed us severely. But when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Jephthah said unto them, Great strife, had, I and my people, even with the sons of Ammon; but, when I cried unto you for help, ye saved me not out of their hand.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he answered them: I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon: and I called you to assist me, and you would not do it.
Revised Standard Version
And Jephthah said to them, "I and my people had a great feud with the Ammonites; and when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand.
THE MESSAGE
Jephthah said, "I and my people had our hands full negotiating with the Ammonites. And I did call to you for help but you ignored me. When I saw that you weren't coming, I took my life in my hands and confronted the Ammonites myself. And God gave them to me! So why did you show up here today? Are you spoiling for a fight with me?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon; when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand.

Contextual Overview

1 Then the men of Ephraim got ready for war. They crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight the men of Ammon without calling us to go with you? With fire we will burn down your house with you in it." 2 Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were having much trouble with the people of Ammon. I did call you, but you did not take me away from them. 3 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?" 4 Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim. The men of Gilead won the war against Ephraim, because Ephraim said, "You people of Gilead are not respected among Ephraim and Manasseh." 5 The people of Gilead took the crossing places of the Jordan beside Ephraim. When any of the Ephraimite men ran away and said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead would say to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No," 6 they would say to him, "Then say ‘Shibboleth.'" But he would say, "Sibboleth," for he could not say it right. So they would take hold of him and kill him at the crossing places of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed. 7 Jephthah ruled Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died. He was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I and my: Judges 11:12-33

Reciprocal: Numbers 21:24 - Israel

Cross-References

Genesis 12:3
I will bring good to those who are good to you. And I will curse those who curse you. Good will come to all the families of the earth because of you."
Genesis 12:4
So Abram left as the Lord told him to do, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
Genesis 12:6
Abram passed through the land as far as the oak of Moreh at Shechem. The Canaanite people were living in the land at that time.
Genesis 12:8
Then he went from there to the mountain east of Bethel. He put up his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
Genesis 12:9
Then Abram traveled on, still going toward the Negev.
Genesis 12:10
Now there was no food in the land. So Abram went south to Egypt to stay there, because it was very hard to live in the land with no food.
Genesis 12:14
When Abram came into Egypt, the men of Egypt saw that the woman was very beautiful.
Genesis 12:16
And Pharaoh acted well toward Abram because of Sarai. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, and camels, and men and women servants.
Genesis 12:17
But the Lord sent much sickness upon Pharaoh and his house because of Abram's wife Sarai.
Genesis 12:18
Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at a great strife with the children of Ammon,.... As to the cause of the war, or the reason of his going over to fight the children of Ammon, it was a strife or contention between the Gileadites and them, concerning their country; which the children of Ammon claimed as theirs, and the Gileadites insisted on it they had a just right to it; by which it appeared that this was not a personal contention between Jephthah and them; and therefore the Ephraimites had no reason to fall so furiously upon him particularly; and it was a contention which chiefly concerned the two tribes and a half, and not the rest; and so could not be blamed for defending themselves alone if they could, without interesting others in the quarrel: but this is not all he has to say, he adds,

and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands; it seems he had called them to assist in driving the enemy out of their boarders when there, and they refused to help him; though it is not elsewhere said, and it is not denied by them, so that it was false what they alleged; or however, since they declined giving him any assistance, when the children of Ammon were in his country, he could not expect they would join him in an expedition into theirs.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When I called you ... - This circumstance is not related in the main narrative. It is likely to have occurred when Jephthah was first chosen leader by the Gileadites, and when Ephraim would probably ignore his pretensions.


 
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