1 And the men of Ephraim were called together, and passed over northward, - and said unto Jephthah - Wherefore didst thou pass over to do battle with the sons of Ammon, and, for us, didst not call, to go with thee? Thy house, will we consume over thee with fire.
2 And Jephthah said unto them, Great strife, had, I and my people, even with the sons of Ammon; but, when I cried unto you for help, ye saved me not out of their hand.
3 So, when I saw that thou wast not going to save, then put I my life in my hand, and passed over against the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh delivered them into my hand. Wherefore, then, have ye come up against me this day, to fight against me?
4 And Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim, - and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said - Fugitives of Ephraim, are, ye, O ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim, in the midst of Manasseh.
5 And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan, against the Ephraimites, - and so it was, that, when the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me pass over, the men of Gilead said to him, An Ephraimite, art thou? and, if he said - Nay!
6 they said to him, Come now, say Shibboleth, and, if he said Sibboleth, and he could not take heed to speak in that manner, then laid they hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan, - and there fell, at that time, of the Ephraimites, forty-two thousand.
7 And, when Jephthah had judged Israel six years, then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
8 And there judged Israel, after him, Ibzan of Bethlehem.
9 And so it was, he had thirty sons, and, thirty daughters, sent he abroad, while, thirty daughters, brought he from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
10 And Ibzan died, and was buried in Bethlehem.
11 And, after him, did Elon the Zebulunite judge Israel, - and he judged Israel, ten years.
12 And Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon, in the land of Zebulun.
13 And there judged Israel, after him, Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite.
14 And so it was, he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy ass colts, - and he judged Israel eight years.
15 And Abdon son of Hillel, the Pirathonite died, - and was buried in Pirathon, in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.