Judges 12 (KJV)
The men of Ephraim were so angry with Jephthah for not calling them to battle against the Children of Ammon that they told Jephthah they would burn his house with him in it. Jephthah said to Ephraim, “I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me” (vs. 2,3)?
“Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead” (vs. 4-7).
Following Jephthah as judge of Israel was Ibzan of Bethlehem who served for seven years. Next to serve for ten years was Elon, a Zebulonite. Then, Abdon, a Pirathonite, served for eight years.
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