Judges 12:3 net — When I saw that you were not going to help, I risked my life and advanced against the Ammonites, and the LORD handed th…

NET Bible

"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?”"

— Judges 12:3, NET Bible

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Judges 12:3 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • 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?”

  • 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? ”

  • 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 Yahweh delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?"”

  • DRB

    “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?”

  • BBE

    “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?”

  • KJVA

    “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?”

Judges 12 — Context

1

Civil Strife Mars the Victory The Ephraimites assembled and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah,“Why did you go and fight with the Ammonites without asking us to go with you? We will burn your house down right over you!”

2

Jephthah said to them,“My people and I were in a struggle and the Ammonites were oppressing me greatly. I asked for your help, but you did not deliver me from their power.

3

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?”

4

Jephthah assembled all the men of Gilead and they fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because the Ephraimites insulted them, saying,“You Gileadites are refugees in Ephraim, living within Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s territory.”

5

The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan River opposite Ephraim. Whenever an Ephraimite fugitive said,“Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him,“Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said,“No,”

6

then they said to him,“Say‘Shibboleth!’” If he said,“Sibboleth”(and could not pronounce the word correctly), they grabbed him and executed him right there at the fords of the Jordan. On that day forty-two thousand Ephraimites fell dead.

Judges 12:3 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Judges 12:3 say?
Judges 12:3 in the NET Bible reads: “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?””
Where is Judges 12:3 in the Bible?
Judges 12:3 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, chapter 12, verse 3.
Who wrote Judges?
Judges is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Samuel). It was written c. 1050–1000 BC.
What is the book of Judges about?
Judges chronicles the cycle of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance that defined Israel between Joshua and Samuel. Through twelve raised-up deliverers — including Deborah, Gideon, and Samson — God repeatedly rescues a people who keep doing what is right in their own eyes.
What are the major themes of Judges?
Judges explores themes including Apostasy, Deliverance, Cycles of Sin, Need for a King, Mercy. These themes shape the meaning and context of Judges 12:3.
What translation should I read Judges 12:3 in?
Judges 12:3 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Judges 12:3?
Judges 12:3 reads (NET): “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?”” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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