Judges - Chapter 12

¹ The men of Ephraim mobilised; they crossed the Jordan near Zaphon and said to Jephthah, 'Why did you go and make war on the Ammonites without asking us to go with you? We shall burn down your house over your head!'

² Jephthah replied, 'My people and I were in serious conflict with the Ammonites. I summoned you, but you did not come to rescue me from them.

³ When I saw that no one was coming to rescue me, I took my life in my hands and marched against the Ammonites, and Yahweh handed them over to me. So why advance on me today to make war on me?'

⁴ Jephthah then mustered all the men of Gilead and made war on Ephraim, and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim -- since the latter used to say, 'You are only fugitives from Ephraim, you Gileadites in the heart of Ephraim and Manasseh.'

⁵ Gilead then cut Ephraim off from the fords of the Jordan, and whenever Ephraimite fugitives said, 'Let me cross,' the men of Gilead would ask, 'Are you an Ephraimite?' If he said, 'No,'

⁶ they then said, 'Very well, say Shibboleth.' If anyone said, "Sibboleth", because he could not pronounce it, then they would seize him and kill him by the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites fell on this occasion.

⁷ Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Jephthah the Gileadite then died and was buried in his town, in Gilead.

⁸ After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem was judge in Israel.

⁹ He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters in marriage outside his clan and brought in thirty brides from outside for his sons. He was judge in Israel for seven years.

¹⁰ Ibzan then died and was buried in Bethlehem.

¹¹ After him, Elon of Zebulun was judge in Israel. He was judge in Israel for ten years.

¹² Elon of Zebulun then died and was buried at Aijalon in the territory of Zebulun.

¹³ After him, Abdon son of Hillel of Pirathon was judge in Israel.

¹⁴ He had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode seventy young donkeys. He was judge in Israel for eight years.

¹⁵ Abdon son of Hillel of Pirathon then died and was buried at Pirathon in the territory of Ephraim, in the Amalekite highlands.

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