1And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went Northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore wentest thou to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will therefore burn thine house upon thee with fire.
2And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon, and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.
3So when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in mine hands, and went upon the children of Ammon: so the Lord delivered them into mine hands. Wherefore then are ye come upon me now to fight against me?
4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are runagates of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
5Also the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites, and when the Ephraimites that were escaped, said, Let me pass, then the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay,
6Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not so pronounce: then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites two and forty thousand.
7And Jephthah judged Israel six years: then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
8After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel,
9Who had thirty sons and thirty daughters, which he sent out, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons: and he judged Israel seven years.
10Then Ibzan died, and was buried at Bethlehem.
11And after him judged Israel Elon, a Zebulunite, and he judged Israel ten years.
12Then Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
13And after him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.
14And he had forty sons and thirty nephews that rode on seventy asscolts: and he judged Israel eight years.
15Then died Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite, and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.