Judges 12

12 ¹ The men of Ephraim were called together and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you with fire!"

² Jephthah said to them, "I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. ³ When I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my own hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and our Father gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up against me this day to fight against me?"

⁴ Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck down Ephraim, because the Ephraimites had said, "You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim, living in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh." ⁵ And Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan against Ephraim. Whenever a fugitive of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead would ask him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No," ⁶ they would say to him, "Then say 'Shibboleth.'" And he would say, "Sibboleth," because he could not pronounce it correctly. Then they would seize him and slaughter him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell. ¹ 1 v6 Shibboleth meant "stream" or "ear of grain," but its meaning did not matter — the Ephraimites' dialect could not form the "sh" sound, so the word itself exposed who they were.

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

The Father Raises More Judges

⁸ After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. ⁹ He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his thirty daughters in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty daughters from outside. He judged Israel seven years. ¹⁰ Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.

¹¹ After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; he judged Israel ten years. ¹² Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

¹³ After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel. ¹⁴ He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. ¹⁵ Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.