1The men of Ephraim gathered together and went north. They asked Jephthah, "Why did you go to fight against the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We will burn down your house around you!"
2Jephthah answered them, "My people and I were in a great conflict with the Ammonites. When I called for your help, you did not rescue me from them.
3When I saw that you weren't going to save me, I risked my life and went against the Ammonites, and Yahweh gave them into my hand. So why have you come against me today, to fight me?"
4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because the Ephraimites had said, "You Gileadites are just runaways from Ephraim, living between Ephraim and Manasseh."
5The Gileadites captured the crossing points of the Jordan River from the Ephraimites. When some of the escaping Ephraimites would say, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead would ask him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No";
6then they would tell him, "Say 'Shibboleth.'" But he would say "Sibboleth" because he could not pronounce it correctly. Then they would grab him and kill him at the Jordan River crossings. At that time, forty-two thousand men from Ephraim were killed.
7Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in the cities of Gilead.
8After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He sent his thirty daughters to marry outside his clan and brought in thirty daughters from outside his clan for his sons. He judged Israel for seven years.
10Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
11After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; he judged Israel for ten years.
12Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in Aijalon, in the land of Zebulun.
13After him, Abdon, the son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel.
14He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons, who rode on 70 young donkeys. He led Israel for eight years.
15Abdon, the son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, died and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.