The Ephraim Tribe Fights Jephthah's Army
1 The men of the Ephraim tribe got together an army and went across the Jordan River to Zaphon to meet with Jephthah. They said, “Why did you go to war with the Ammonites without asking us to help? Just for that, we're going to burn down your house with you inside!”
2 “But I did ask for your help,” Jephthah answered. “That was back when the people of Gilead and I were having trouble with the Ammonites, and you wouldn't do a thing to help us. 3 So when we realized you weren't coming, we risked our lives and attacked the Ammonites. And the Lord let us defeat them. There's no reason for you to come here today to attack me.”
4 But the men from Ephraim said, “You people of Gilead are nothing more than refugees from Ephraim. You even live on land that belongs to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.”
So Jephthah called together the army of Gilead, then they attacked and defeated the army from Ephraim. 5 The army of Gilead also posted guards at all the places where the soldiers from Ephraim could cross the Jordan River to return to their own land.
Whenever one of the men from Ephraim would try to cross the river, the guards would say, “Are you from Ephraim?”
“No,” the man would answer, “I'm not from Ephraim.”
6 The guards would then tell them to say “Shibboleth,” because they knew that people of Ephraim could say “Sibboleth,” but not “Shibboleth.”
If the man said “Sibboleth,” the guards would grab him and kill him right there. Altogether, 42,000 men from Ephraim were killed in the battle and at the Jordan.
7 Jephthah was a leader of Israel for six years, before he died and was buried in his hometown Mizpah in Gilead.
Ibzan
8 Ibzan, the next leader of Israel, came from Bethlehem. 9 He had 30 daughters and 30 sons, and he let them all marry outside his clan.
Ibzan was a leader for seven years, 10 before he died and was buried in Bethlehem.
Elon
11 Elon from the Zebulun tribe was the next leader of Israel. He was a leader for ten years, 12 before he died and was buried in Aijalon that belonged to the Zebulun tribe.
Abdon
13-15 Abdon the son of Hillel was the next leader of Israel. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons, and each one of them had his own donkey. Abdon was a leader for eight years, before he died and was buried in his hometown of Pirathon, which is located in the part of the hill country of Ephraim where Amalekites used to live.
1 Tika sapulcināti arī Ēfraima vīru spēki, un tie devās uz ziemeļiem un sacīja Jeftam: „Kāpēc tu esi devies kapā pret Amona bērniem, bet mūs tu neesi saucis iet tev līdz? Tagad mēs tavu namu virs tavas galvas sadedzināsim ar uguni!“
2 Un Jefta viņiem sacīja: „Man pašam un manai tautai bija jāizcīna vīru cīņa, pat ļoti sīva, pret Amona bērniem. Es jūs saucu, bet jūs nepalīdzējāt man atbrīvoties no viņu rokām.
3 Un kad nu es redzēju, ka man nebija neviena glābēja, tad es liku savu dvēseli savā dūrē un devos pret Amona bērniem, un tas Kungs tos nodeva manā rokā. Kādēļ tad jūs nākat šodien, lai sāktu kaļru pret mani?“
4 Tad Jefta sapulcināja itin visus Gileāda vīrus, un tie karoja pret Ēfraima vīriem, un Gileāda vīri sakāva Ēfraimu, tāpēc ka tie bija teikuši: „Jūs esat bēgp no Ēfraima, jo tiešām Gileāds ir tieši Ēfraima un Manases vidū.“
5 Un Gileāds atņēma Ēfraimam Jardānas braslus. Un ikreiz, kad kāds pārnācējs ēfraimietis, kas meklēja glābiņu, teica: „Ļaujiet man celties pāri!“, tad Gileāda ļaudis tādam prasīja: „Vai tu esi ēfraimietis?“ Kad viņš atbildēja: „Es neesmu!“
6 Tad tie viņam sacīja: „Pasaki: šibolet!“ Jatasteica: „Sibolet!“, nespēdams šo vārdu pareizi izrunāt, tad tie viņu sagrāba un nokāva pie Jardānas brasliem, un tanī laikā no Ēfraima ļaudīm krita četrdesmit divi tūkstoši vīru.
7 Un Jefta bija soģis Israēlā sešus gadus; tad gileādietis Jefta nomira, un viņu apraka viņa dzimts pilsētā Gileādā.
8 Un pēc viņa Israēlu tiesāja Ibcans no Betlēmes.
9 Un tam bija trīsdesmit dēli, un trīsdesmit meitas viņš izprecināja no savām mājām, un trīsdesmit meitas viņš pārveda no ārienes saviem dēliem; viņš tiesāja Israēlu septiņus gadus.
10 Un tad Ibcans nomira, un viņu apraka Betlēmē.
11 Un pēc viņa soģis Israēlā bija zebulonietis Elons, un viņš Israēlu tiesāja desmit gadus.
12 Un zebulonietis Elons nomira, un viņu apraka Ajalonā Zebulona zemē.
13 Pēc viņa soģis Israēlā kļuva Abdons, Hillēla dēls, no Piratonas.
14 Un viņam bija četrdesmit dēli un trīsdesmit mazdēli, kas visi jāja uz septiņdesmit jauniem ēzeļiem, un viņš pats tiesāja Israēlu astoņus gadus.
15 Un arī vīrs no Piratonas, Abdons, Hillēla dēls, nomira, un viņu apraka Piratonā, Ēfraima zemē amalekiešu kalnos.
