1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, "Wherefore wentest thou to fight with the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will therefore burn thine house upon thee with fire."
2 And Jephthah said unto them, "I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon. And I called you. But ye delivered me not out of their hands.
3 And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands and went upon the children of Ammon. And the LORD delivered them into my hands. Wherefore then are ye come upon me to fight with me?"
4 And Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with the Ephraimites. And the men of Gilead smote the Ephraimites, because they said, "Ye Gileadites are but renegades of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and the Manassites!"
5 Moreover, the men of Gilead took the passages of Jordan from the Ephraimites. And when those Ephraimites that were escaped said, "Let us go over," then the men of Gilead said unto them, "Ye are Ephraimites." And they said, "Nay."
6 Then the other answered, "Then say, 'Shibboleth.'" And they said, "Syboleth" - and could not so pronounce. Whereupon the others took them and slew them at the passages of Jordan. And there were overthrown at that time, of the Ephraimites, forty two thousand.
7 And when Jephthah had judged Israel six years, he died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
8 After this man, one Ibozan of Bethlehem judged Israel;
9 and he had thirty sons and thirty daughters, and sent also his thirty daughters out; and took thirty others in, for his sons.
10 And when Ibozan had judged Israel seven years, he died and was buried at Bethlehem.
11 And after him, Elon a Zebulunite judged Israel ten years,
12 and he died and was buried in Aijalon, in the country of Zebulun.
13 And after him, Abdon the son of Hillel a Pirathonite judged Israel.
14 And he had forty sons, and thirty nephews that rode on thirty ass colts.
15 And when Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite had judged Israel eight years, he died and was buried in Pirathon, the land of Ephraim in the mount of the Amalekites.