War with Ephraim
1The men of Ephraim were called out and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you.” 2Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were engaged in a bitter struggle with the Ammonites. I called you, but you did not save me from their hand. 3When I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my own hands and advanced against the Ammonites, and Yahweh gave them into my hand. So why have you come up against me today to fight me?” 4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim, and the men of Gilead struck down Ephraim, because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are nothing but fugitives from Ephraim, living in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.” 5The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would ask him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 6they would say to him, “Then say ‘Shibboleth.’” If he said “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce it correctly, they would seize him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites fell at that time. 7Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the towns of Gilead.
Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
8After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9He had thirty sons. He gave his thirty daughters in marriage outside his clan and brought in thirty young women from outside for his sons. He judged Israel seven years. 10Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem. 11After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; he judged Israel ten years. 12Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon, in the land of Zebulun. 13After him, Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. 15Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
