1The men of Ephraim mustered their troops, crossed to Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, "Why did you go out to fight the Ammonites without letting us go with you? We're going to burn your house down on you!"
2Jephthah said, "I and my people had our hands full negotiating with the Ammonites. And I did call to you for help but you ignored me.
3When I saw that you weren't coming, I took my life in my hands and confronted the Ammonites myself. And God gave them to me! So why did you show up here today? Are you spoiling for a fight with me?"
4So Jephthah got his Gilead troops together and fought Ephraim. And the men of Gilead hit them hard because they were saying, "Gileadites are nothing but half-breeds and rejects from Ephraim and Manasseh."
5Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan at the crossing to Ephraim. If an Ephraimite fugitive said, "Let me cross," the men of Gilead would ask, "Are you an Ephraimite?" and he would say, "No."
6And they would say, "Say, 'Shibboleth.' " But he would always say, "Sibboleth"—he couldn't say it right. Then they would grab him and kill him there at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two Ephraimite divisions were killed on that occasion.
7Jephthah judged Israel six years. Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city, Mizpah of Gilead.
8After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters in marriage outside his clan and brought in thirty daughters-in-law from the outside for his sons.
10He judged Israel seven years. Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
11After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years.
12Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at 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.
15Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the Amalekite hill country.