1Jephthah’s actions grievously offended the men of Ephraim. They assembled their forces and crossed the Jordan River to Zaphon to confront Jephthah. They said to him, “Why did you cross the border to fight the Ammonites without inviting us to join you? We’re going to burn your house down over your head!”
2Jephthah replied, “I and my people were in the middle of a serious conflict with the Ammonites. I summoned you, but you ignored me.
3When I realized that you were not coming to help us, I risked my own life to cross the border to fight them. Yahweh empowered me to be victorious over them. So why are you coming to fight with me now?”
4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought the men of Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated them, for the Ephraimites insulted them, saying, “You men of Gilead are nothing but renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh!”
5In order to keep the Ephraimites from escaping, the men of Gilead captured the places where they could cross the Jordan. When any Ephraimite tried to escape and asked permission to cross the river, the men of Gilead would ask, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,”
6they would tell him to say “Shibboleth.” But if he could not pronounce it correctly and said “Sibboleth,” the men of Gilead would seize him and kill him there at the crossing place of the Jordan. At that time, they killed forty-two thousand Ephraimites.
7Jephthah ruled Israel for six years. When he died, they buried him in his hometown in Gilead.
Champion-Deliverers: Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon8After Jephthah, Yahweh
raised up Ibzan, a champion-deliverer from Bethlehem who ruled Israel.9He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his thirty daughters in marriage outside his tribe and brought thirty women from outside the tribe as wives for his sons. Ibzan ruled Israel for seven years.
10When he died, they buried him at Bethlehem.
11After Ibzan, Yahweh
raised up Elon, a champion-deliverer from Zebulun, who ruled Israel for ten years.12When he died, they buried him at Aijalon in the territory of Zebulun.
13After Elon, Yahweh
raised up Abdon son of Hillel, a champion-deliverer from Pirathon, to rule Israel.14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. Abdon led Israel for eight years.
15When he died, they buried him at Pirathon in the territory of Ephraim in the hill country of the Amalekites.
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