1The men of Ephraim gathered together and went north. They said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the children of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you with fire."
2Jephthah said to them, "I and my people were in a great struggle with the children of Ammon. When I called you, you did not save me out of their hands."
3"When I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my own hands and crossed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?"
4Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck Ephraim down, because they had said, "You Gileadites are runaways from Ephraim, living among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites."
5The Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan ahead of the Ephraimites. When any of the Ephraimites who had escaped said, "Let me go over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No,"
6then they said to him, "Say now: Shibboleth." And he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not say it correctly. Then they took him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time forty and two thousand of the Ephraimites fell.
7Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
8After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He sent his daughters away to be married, and brought in thirty daughters from elsewhere for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.
10Then Ibzan died, and he was buried at Bethlehem.
11After him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.
12Elon the Zebulonite died, and he was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
13After him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.
14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkey colts. He judged Israel eight years.
15Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and he was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.