Brother Turns Against Brother
Ephraim, insulted at being left out, threatens to burn Jephthah's house down and instead loses forty-two thousand men at the Jordan fords, exposed by how they pronounced one word. Then our Father raises Ibzan, Elon and Abdon, remembered mostly by their many sons and donkeys.
12 1The men of Ephraim gathered and crossed to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, "Why did you cross to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We'll burn your house down over you!"
2Jephthah told them, "My people and I had a bitter dispute with the Ammonites; I called you, but you didn't rescue me from them. 3When I saw you wouldn't save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and our Father gave them into my hand. Why have you come up to me today to fight me?"
4So Jephthah gathered all Gilead's men and fought Ephraim. Gilead struck Ephraim down, because the Ephraimites had said, "You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim, among Ephraim, among Manasseh." 5Gilead captured the Jordan fords against Ephraim. When an Ephraimite fugitive said, "Let me cross," the Gilead men asked, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No," 6they said, "Say 'Shibboleth.'" He said "Sibboleth," unable to pronounce it right. So they seized him and killed him at the Jordan fords. At that time 42,000 Ephraimites fell. a a 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.
7Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, buried in a town of Gilead.
The Father Raises More Judges
8After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He sent his thirty daughters outside the clan to marry, and brought thirty daughters from outside for his sons. He judged Israel seven years. 10Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
11After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; he judged Israel ten years. 12Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
13After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel. 14He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. 15Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim's land, in the Amalekite hill country.
