Judges, Chapter 12:

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Verses from Judges, Chapter 12 of the book of Judges in the Bible.

Ephraim vs. Jephtha

1. The men of Ephraim were summoned to battle and came to Jephthah, saying, “Why did you fight the Ammonites without calling us to come together? We’re going to burn your house and you down!”
2. Jephthah replied, “My people and I were involved in a great dispute with the Ammonites, and even when I called you, you did not rescue me from their hands.
3. When I realized that you would not help, I risked my life and went to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave me victory over them. And now, why did you come here today? To fight me?”
4. Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck the Ephraimites because they had said, “You Gileadites are deserters from Ephraim and Manasseh.”
5. The Gileadites took control of the Jordan crossings that led to Ephraim. Whenever a fugitive from Ephraim said, “Let me pass,” the men of Gilead asked, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he answered no,
6. they said: “Then say 'Chibolete'”. If he pronounced the word as 'Shibboleth', without being able to speak it correctly, they would arrest him and kill him at the Jordan crossing. In this episode, forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed.
7. Jephthah led Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a city of Gilead.
Ibzan, Elon and Abdom

8. After Jephthah's death, Ibshan of Bethlehem led Israel.
9. He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters in marriage to men outside his clan and brought thirty outside women for his sons. Ibsan led Israel for seven years.
10. Then Ibshan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
11. After him, Elon, from the tribe of Zebulun, led Israel for ten years.
12. Elon died and was buried in Aijalon, in the land of Zebulun.
13. After him Abdon son of Hillel of Piratom led Israel.
14. He had forty sons and thirty grandchildren, who rode seventy donkeys. Abdom led Israel for eight years.
15. Then Abdon son of Hillel died and was buried in Piratom, in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains of the Amalekites.