Judges 11:27

Easy-to-Read Version

The Israelites have not sinned against you. But you are doing a very bad thing against them. May the Lord , the true Judge, decide whether the Israelites or the Ammonites are right."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by fighting against me. Let the Lord who is the judge decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”

Hebrew Names Version
I therefore have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me: the LORD, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Yisra'el and the children of `Ammon.

King James Version
Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the Lord the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

Lexham English Bible
I have not sinned against you; but you are the one who is doing wrong by making war against me. Let Yahweh judge today between the Israelites and the Ammonites."

English Standard Version
I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. The Lord , the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon."

New Century Version
I have not sinned against you, but you are sinning against me by making war on me. May the Lord , the Judge, decide whether the Israelites or the Ammonites are right."

New English Translation
I have not done you wrong, but you are doing wrong by attacking me. May the Lord , the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!'"

Amplified Bible
'So I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me; may the LORD, the [righteous] Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.'"

New American Standard Bible
'So I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore, I haue not offended thee: but thou doest me wrong to warre against me. The Lord the Iudge be iudge this day betweene the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon.

Legacy Standard Bible
So het ék dan nie teen u gesondig nie, maar ú handel so sleg met my om teen my oorlog te voer. Mag die HERE, die Regter, vandag oordeel tussen die kinders van Israel en die kinders van Ammon!

Contemporary English Version
I haven't done anything to you, but it's certainly wrong of you to start a war. I pray that the Lord will show whether Israel or Ammon is in the right.

Complete Jewish Bible
No, I have done you no wrong. But you are doing me wrong to war against me. May Adonai the Judge be judge today between the people of Isra'el and the people of ‘Amon.'"

Darby Translation
So I have not sinned against thee, but it is thou who doest me wrong in making war against me. Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon!

George Lamsa Translation
Now therefore I have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to make war against me; let the LORD judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

Good News Translation
No, I have not done you any wrong. You are doing wrong by making war on me. The Lord is the judge. He will decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites."

Literal Translation
So I have not sinned against you, and you are doing me wrong to fight against me. Jehovah the Judge shall judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I haue not offended the, & thou doest me euell to fighte agaynst me? The LORDE geue sentence this daie betwene Israel and the children of Ammon.

American Standard Version
I therefore have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

Bible in Basic English
So I have done no wrong against you, but you are doing wrong to me in fighting against me: may the Lord, who is Judge this day, be judge between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherfore I haue not synned agaynst thee, but thou doest me wrong to warre against me: The Lord therfore whiche is a iudge, be iudge this day betweene the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I therefore have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me; the LORD, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.'

King James Version (1611)
Wherefore, I haue not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to warre against mee: the Lord the Iudge, bee Iudge this day betweene the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And now I have not sinned against thee, but thou wrongest me in preparing war against me: may the Lord the Judge judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

English Revised Version
I therefore have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

Berean Standard Bible
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."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor not Y do synne ayens thee, but thou doist yuel ayens me, and bryngist in batels not iust to me; the Lord, iuge of this dai, deme bitwixe the sones of Israel and bitwixe the sones of Amon.

Young's Literal Translation
And I -- I have not sinned against thee, and thou art doing with me evil -- to fight against me. Jehovah, the Judge, doth judge to-day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'

Update Bible Version
I therefore haven't sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me: Yahweh, the Judge, shall be judge this day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

World English Bible
I therefore have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me: Yahweh, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

New King James Version
Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the LORD, the Judge, render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon."'

New Living Translation
Therefore, I have not sinned against you. Rather, you have wronged me by attacking me. Let the Lord , who is judge, decide today which of us is right—Israel or Ammon."

New Life Bible
I have not sinned against you. But you are doing wrong to me by making war against me. The Lord is the judge. May He decide today between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.'"

New Revised Standard
It is not I who have sinned against you, but you are the one who does me wrong by making war on me. Let the Lord , who is judge, decide today for the Israelites or for the Ammonites."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I, therefore, have not sinned against thee; but, thou, art doing me a wrong, in fighting against me, - Let Yahweh, the Judge, give judgment today, between the sons of Israel, and the sons of Ammon!

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore I do not trespass against thee, but thou wrongest me by declaring an unjust war against me. The Lord be judge, and decide this day, between Israel and the children of Ammon.

Revised Standard Version
I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me; the LORD, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'I therefore have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong by making war against me; may the LORD, the Judge, judge today between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.'"

Contextual Overview

¹² Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites with this message: "What is the problem between the Ammonites and the Israelites? Why have you come to fight in our land?" ¹³ The king of the Ammonites said to the messengers of Jephthah, "We are fighting Israel because the Israelites took our land when they came up from Egypt. They took our land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River to the Jordan River. Now, tell the Israelites to give our land back to us without fighting for it." ¹⁴ So the messengers of Jephthah took this message back to Jephthah. Then Jephthah sent the messengers to the king of the Ammonites again. ¹⁵ They took this message: "This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of the Moabites or the land of the Ammonites. ¹⁶ When the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, they went into the desert. They went to the Red Sea. Then they went to Kadesh. ¹⁷ The Israelites sent messengers to the king of Edom. The messengers asked for a favor. They said, ‘Let the Israelites cross through your land.' But the king of Edom didn't let us go through his land. We also sent the same message to the king of Moab. But the king of Moab would not let us go through his land either. So the Israelites stayed at Kadesh. ¹⁸ "Then the Israelites went through the desert and around the edges of the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab. They made their camp on the other side of the Arnon River. They did not cross the border of the land of Moab. (The Arnon River was the border of the land of Moab.) ¹⁹ "Then the Israelites sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites. Sihon was the king of the city of Heshbon. The messengers asked Sihon, ‘Let the Israelites pass through your land. We want to go to our land.' ²⁰ But King Sihon of the Amorites would not let the Israelites cross his borders. So Sihon gathered all of his people and made a camp at Jahaz. Then the Amorites fought with the Israelites. ²¹ But the Lord , the God of Israel, helped the Israelites defeat Sihon and his army. So the land of the Amorites became the property of the Israelites.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Judge: Genesis 18:25, 1 Samuel 2:10, Job 9:15, Job 23:7, Psalms 7:11, Psalms 50:6, Psalms 75:7, Psalms 82:8, Psalms 94:2, Psalms 98:9, Ecclesiastes 11:9, Ecclesiastes 12:14, John 5:22, John 5:23, Romans 14:10-12, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 2 Timothy 4:8, Hebrews 12:23

be judge: Genesis 16:5, Genesis 31:53, 1 Samuel 24:12, 1 Samuel 24:15, Psalms 7:8, Psalms 7:9, 2 Corinthians 11:11

Reciprocal: Judges 12:3 - wherefore 2 Chronicles 20:12 - wilt Job 31:28 - an

Cross-References

Genesis 11:1
There was a time when the whole world spoke one language. Everyone used the same words.

Genesis 11:11
After that Shem lived 500 years. He had other sons and daughters.

Genesis 11:29
Abram and Nahor both married. Abram's wife was named Sarai. Nahor's wife was named Milcah. Milcah was the daughter of Haran. Haran was the father of Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 11:31
Terah took his family and left Ur of Babylonia. They planned to travel to Canaan. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran's son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram's wife). They traveled to the city of Haran and decided to stay there.

Genesis 12:4
So Abram left Haran just like the Lord said, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.

Genesis 14:12
Lot, the son of Abram's brother, was living in Sodom, and they captured him. They also took everything he owned and left.

2 Peter 2:7
But he saved Lot, a good man who lived there. Lot was greatly troubled by the morally bad lives of those evil people.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore I have not sinned against thee,.... Had done him no injury, not wronged him of anything, nor had taken away any part of his country from him; this Jephthah said in the name of all Israel, of whom he was governor:

but thou doest me wrong to war against me; meaning that he had no just cause to commence a war against Israel, but acted an injurious part; and seeing things could not be adjusted in an amicable way, but must be decided by the sword, he leaves the affair with the Lord, and appeals to him:

the Lord the Judge; the Judge of the whole earth, the omniscient God, that knows all things, the right and wrong of every cause, on which side truth and justice lie:

be Judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon; not that he expected a decision of the controversy between them would be made that precise and exact day; but that from henceforward the Lord would appear, by giving success to that party which was in the right in this contest.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Consult the marginal references. If the ark with the copy of the Law Deuteronomy 31:26 was at Mizpeh, it would account for Jephthah’s accurate knowledge of it; and this exact agreement of his message with Numbers and Deuteronomy would give additional force to the expression, “he uttered all his words before the Lord” Judges 11:11.

Judges 11:17

No mention is made of this embassy to Moab in the Pentateuch.

Judges 11:19

Into my place - This expression implies that the trans-Jordanic possessions of Israel were not included in the land of Canaan properly speaking.

Judges 11:21

The title “God of Israel” has a special emphasis here, and in Judges 11:23. in a narrative of transactions relating to the pagan and their gods.

Judges 11:24

Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites (see the marginal references); and as the territory in question was Moabitish territory before the Amorites took it from “the people of Chemosh,” this may account for the mention of Chemosh here rather than of Moloch, or Milcom, the god of the Ammonites. Possibly the king of the children of Ammon at this time may have been a Moabite.

Judges 11:25, Judges 11:26

Jephthah advances another historical argument. Balak, the king of Moab, never disputed the possession of Sihon’s kingdom with Israel.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 11:27. The Lord the Judge be judge - between the children of Israel — If you be right, and we be wrong, then Jehovah, who is the sovereign and incorruptible Judge, shall determine in your favour; and to Him I submit the righteousness of my cause.