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.
Jefta ta taataa Ovaefraim
1 Ndelenee ovalumenhu vomuEfraim va ongalekwa ndele va tauluka omulonga waJordan ya yuka kuSafon, nde tava pula Jefta, tava ti: “Omolwashike wa ya u ka lwife ovana vaAmmoni ndele ino tu ifana tu yeni pamwe? Fye ohatu ka tomeka nomundilo eumbo loye.” 2 Ndelenee Jefta okwe va lombwela: “Fye novanhu vange va li ve nolwoodi linene novana vaAmmoni, ndele ame nde mu ifana, ndelenee nye inamu tu kwafa tu xupifwe momake avo 3 Naame eshi nda mona kutya nye itamu kwafa ame nde liekelela, ndele nda ya kovana vaAmmoni. NOmwene okwe va yandja meke lange. Omolwashike hano nye mwa homona nge paife mu lwife nge?” 4 Opo nee Jefta okwa shiva ovalumenhu aveshe vomuGilead a lwe naEfraim. Novalumenhu Ovagilead va taataa Efraim shaashi vo va tile: “Ovagilead nye ovainhapo vomuEfraim mu li mokati kaEfraim nomeni laManasse.” 5 NOvagilead va nangala peeshau daJordan. Novainhapo Ovaefraim, eshi tava ti: Ame nda hala okutauluka, ovalumenhu Ovagilead tava pula: “Ove Omuefraim?” Oye ngeenge ta ti: “Ahowe.” 6 Opo nee tave mu pula: “Tya Shibbolet.” Ndele okwa tya: “Sibbolet”, shaashi ina lungama e shi tumbule nawa; opo nee ve mu kwata ndele ve mu dipaa peeshau daJordan. Osho ngaha hano mefimbo linya ovalumenhu Ovaefraim ve fike pomayovi omilongo nhee naavali va dipawa. 7 Ndele Jefta okwa pangela Israel omido hamano. Ndele Jefta, Omugilead, okwa fya nokwa pakwa moshilando shimwe shomoilando yomuGilead.
Ovatokolipangeli Ibsan, Elon naAbdon
8 Ndele konima yaye Ibsan wokuBetlehem a pangela Israel. 9 Ye okwa li e novana ovamati omilongo nhatu ndele a hombolifa ovana vaye oukadona koilongo omilongo nhatu, nokwa kongela ovana vaye ovamati oukadona omilongo nhatu koilongo. Ndele a pangela Israel omido heyali. 10 Ndele Ibsan okwa fya nokwa pakwa mu Betlehem. 11 Ndele konima yaye Elon wokuSebulon okwa pangela Israel. Ndele ye okwa pangela Israel omido omulongo.
12 Ndele Elon wokuSebulon okwa fya nokwa pakwa muAijalon, moshilongo shaSebulon. 13 Ndele konima yaye Abdon yaHillel, Omupiratoni, okwa pangela Israel. 14 Nokwa li e novana ovamati omilongo nhee novatekulu omilongo nhatu, ava va londa keendongi omilongo heyali. Ndele ye okwa pangela Israel omido hetatu. 15 Ndele Abdon yaHillel, Omupiratoni, okwa fya nokwa pakwa muPiraton moshilongo shaEfraim, keemhunda dOvaamaleki.
