1 The men of Ephraim were summoned; they crossed toward Zaphon and said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight the children of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We are going to burn your house down on top of you!"
2 Jephthah told them, "My people and I were in a fierce dispute with the children of Ammon. I called to you, and you did not rescue me from their hand.
3 When I saw that you were not coming to the rescue, I put my life in my hand and crossed over to the children of Ammon, and the LORD handed them over to me. So why have you come up to me today to fight me?"
4 Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim, and the men of Gilead struck Ephraim down, because they had said, "You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in among Ephraim and Manasseh."
5 Gilead took the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim. Whenever one of Ephraim's fugitives would say, "Let me cross," the men of Gilead would ask him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he answered, "No,"
6 they would tell him, "Say Shibboleth," and he would say "Sibboleth," since he could not manage to say it properly. Then they would grab him and slaughter him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell at that time.
7 Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
8 After him, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel.
9 He had thirty sons. Thirty daughters he sent out to marry outside, and thirty daughters he brought in from outside for his sons. He judged Israel for seven years.
10 Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.
11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; for ten years he judged Israel.
12 Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13 After him, Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.
14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. For eight years he judged Israel.
15 Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.