Judges 12

1The men of Ephraim rallied and crossed northward, and they said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross to fight against the sons of Ammon, and not call us to go with you? We will burn your house upon you with fire.”

2Jephthah said to them, "I was a man of strife, I and my people, with the sons of Ammon exceedingly, and I cried to you, but you did not save me from their hand."

3When I saw that you would not save me, I put my life in my hand and crossed to the sons of Ammon, and Yahweh delivered them into my hand. Why have you come up to me today to fight me?

4Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim, and the men of Gilead beat Ephraim because they said, "You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh."

5Gilead seized the fords of the Jordan against Ephraim. Whenever any of the Ephraimite fugitives said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead said to him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No,"

6They said to him, "Say 'Shibboleth,' please." He said, "Sibboleth," because he could not speak it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the Jordan fords. At that time forty-two thousand from Ephraim fell.

7Jephthah judged Israel six years. Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in the cities of Gilead.

8After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

9He had thirty sons and thirty daughters whom he sent abroad, and he brought thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. He judged Israel seven years.

10Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

11After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years.

12Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried in 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 colts, and he judged Israel eight years.

15Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.