1Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, Why did you cross over to fight against the sons of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire! 2And Jephthah said to them, My people and I were in a great struggle with the sons of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. 3So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I put my soul into my hands and crossed over against the sons of Ammon; and Jehovah delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me? 4Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites. 5The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, Let me cross over, the men of Gilead would say to him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, No, 6then they would say to him, Then say, Shibboleth! And he would say, Sibboleth, for he could not speak it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand from Ephraim. 7And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. 8After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9He had thirty sons. And he sent thirty daughters in marriage outside, and brought in thirty daughters from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. 10Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem. 11After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years. 12And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. 13After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy young donkeys. And he judged Israel eight years. 15Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains of the Amalekites.