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Judges 12 · Preschool

God Gave the Win

Name Date

Color the river and the judges! Jephthah said God gave the win.

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

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 today, to fight against me?”

Judges 12:3 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: Jephthah said, God won the fight for us. We thank God when good things happen.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Judges 12 · Kindergarten

Judges for Israel

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace each word with your pencil.

GOD
JUDGE
SIX
YEARS
Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in the cities of Gilead.

Judges 12:7 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each word to its picture.

JORDAN
JUDGE
DONKEY
LEADER

Mini Maze

Help find the way through the maze.

Draw It

Draw a river crossing.

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for giving us the victory. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • What makes you feel angry?
  • Who gives us good things?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Judges 12 · Grade 1

More Judges

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace the words and the verse.

JUDGE
JORDAN
YEARS
TEN
Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in the cities of Gilead.

Judges 12:7 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each sentence to its picture.

Ephraim was angry with Jephthah.
God gave the win.
Jephthah judged six years.
Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
Abdon's sons rode donkey colts.

More Judges

Write the number 1 to 4 in each circle to show the right order.

Ephraim complains to Jephthah

Abdon's family rides donkey colts

Ibzan of Bethlehem judges

Gilead uses a test word

Draw a river crossing.

Memory Verse

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

Judges 12:7 (WEB)

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for giving us the victory. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why was Ephraim angry?
  • Who did Jephthah say won the fight?
  • What would you like to say to God about this chapter?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Judges 12 · Grade 2

God Gets the Credit

Name Date

Read the Story

The men of Ephraim were angry. They told Jephthah he did not call them to fight. Jephthah said he had called them, but they did not come.

Jephthah said God gave him the win. Sadly, the tribes of Israel fought each other. Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then he died.

More judges came. Ibzan was from Bethlehem. He judged seven years. Elon judged ten years. Abdon judged eight years. His sons and grandsons rode on seventy young donkeys.

Memory Verse

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 today, to fight against me?”

Judges 12:3 (WEB)

Show What You Know

Circle the right answer, or write it on the lines.

  1. Who was angry with Jephthah?

    The men of EphraimGodSix years

  2. Who did Jephthah say gave the win?

    Six yearsThe men of EphraimGod

  3. How long did Jephthah judge?

    GodThe men of EphraimSix years

  4. Where was Ibzan from?

    GodBethlehemTen years

  5. How long did Elon judge?

    The men of EphraimTen yearsSix years

Word Search

Find and circle each word. Words go across and down.

SEVENTYYFYLABDONGJSUTHIRTYOEELONSLVRVWCOLTSDDEHDOIDLMANSMIBZANNUANYYJESVSGSSDBGMR
  • SEVENTY
  • JORDAN
  • THIRTY
  • IBZAN
  • ABDON
  • SEVEN
  • COLTS
  • ELON

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for giving us the victory. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • How could Ephraim and Gilead have made peace?
  • Why do you think Israel needed many judges?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Judges 12 · Grade 3

Quarrels and Quiet Judges

Name Date

Read the Story

The men of Ephraim came to Jephthah angry. They asked why he had not called them to go with him. Jephthah said he had called them, but they did not save him. He said Yahweh delivered Ammon into his hand.

Sadly, Gilead and Ephraim fought each other. At the Jordan, Gilead tested men with a word. A man from Ephraim had to say Shibboleth. He said Sibboleth and could not say it right.

Jephthah judged Israel six years. After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged seven years. He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. Elon the Zebulunite judged ten years. Abdon judged eight years. He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode seventy donkey colts.

Memory Verse

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 today, to fight against me?”

Judges 12:3 (WEB)

Answer the Questions

  1. What did Ephraim ask Jephthah?

  2. What did Jephthah say Yahweh did?

  3. What word did Gilead use as a test?

  4. How many sons did Ibzan have?

  5. How long did Abdon judge?

More Judges

Write what happened in each box.

1
2
3
4

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for giving us the victory. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why is it sad when God's people fight each other?
  • How can you calm a friend who feels left out of a game?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Judges 12 · Grade 4

A Test Word at the Jordan

Name Date

Read and Think

Once again Ephraim was offended. They crossed the Jordan and threatened to burn Jephthah's house because he had not called them. Gideon had answered Ephraim gently, but Jephthah answered with the facts: he had called them, they had not helped, and he had put his life in his hand. Yahweh had given the victory.

The quarrel turned into war between tribes of Israel. Gilead took the fords of the Jordan. Anyone who tried to cross was asked to say Shibboleth. Men from Ephraim said Sibboleth instead, and many from Ephraim died there.

Jephthah judged six years and was buried in Gilead. Three judges followed. Ibzan of Bethlehem judged seven years and arranged marriages for thirty sons and thirty daughters. Elon the Zebulunite judged ten years. Abdon the son of Hillel judged eight years, and his forty sons and thirty grandsons rode seventy donkey colts.

Show What You Know

  1. What did Ephraim threaten to do?

  2. How did Jephthah's answer differ from Gideon's?

  3. What did men from Ephraim say instead of Shibboleth?

  4. Who were the three judges after Jephthah?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

ElonJordanIbzanAbdon
  1. Gilead took the fords of the .
  2. of Bethlehem judged seven years and arranged marriages for thirty sons and thirty daughters.
  3. the Zebulunite judged ten years.
  4. the son of Hillel judged eight years, and his forty sons and thirty grandsons rode seventy donkey colts.

Think About It

  1. Gideon's gentle answer calmed Ephraim, but this quarrel became a war. How can the way we answer change what happens next?

  2. Israel's tribes fought each other instead of their enemies. Why is it so sad when God's people fight one another?

Memory Verse

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 today, to fight against me?”

Judges 12:3 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for giving us the victory. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • What do the short stories of Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon add?
  • How does pride lead to fighting?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Judges 12 · Grade 5

When God's People Turn on Each Other

Name Date

Read and Think

Ephraim's pride appears again. They gathered and threatened to burn Jephthah's house because he had not called them to fight Ammon. Jephthah replied that he had called and they had not saved him, so he put his life in his hand, and Yahweh delivered Ammon. He asked why they now came to fight him.

The quarrel became civil war. Ephraim's men insulted Gilead as fugitives of Ephraim. Gilead won and seized the fords of the Jordan. Each fugitive was asked to say Shibboleth; those from Ephraim said Sibboleth, because they could not pronounce it correctly. Forty-two thousand from Ephraim fell at that time. Judges shows that Israel's worst enemy was sometimes Israel itself.

After Jephthah's six years, three minor judges served. Ibzan of Bethlehem had thirty sons and thirty daughters and arranged marriages outside his clan; he judged seven years. Elon the Zebulunite judged ten years. Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite had forty sons and thirty grandsons on seventy donkey colts and judged eight years. These short notices show some years of order between the larger stories.

Show What You Know

  1. Why did Ephraim threaten Jephthah?

  2. What insult did Ephraim's men use?

  3. Why did the men of Ephraim say Sibboleth?

  4. How many from Ephraim fell?

  5. Who judged for ten years?

Crossword

41325

Across

  1. Seventy donkey ____
  2. A judge from Bethlehem
  3. The river with the fords

Down

  1. The Zebulunite who judged ten years
  2. His sons and grandsons rode seventy colts

Think About It

  1. Pride and insults turned a complaint into a war. How can you stop a quarrel before it grows?

  2. Jephthah said Yahweh delivered the enemy. How can giving God credit keep us from pride?

Memory Verse

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 today, to fight against me?”

Judges 12:3 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for giving us the victory. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • What lessons from Gideon's answer could Jephthah have used?
  • What would it take for your family or church to stay united?
  • What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.