1 Então se congregaram os homens de Efraim e passando até Zafom, disseram a Jefté: Porque passaste a pelejar contra os filhos de Amom, e não nos chamaste para irmos contigo? por isso queimaremos a fogo a tua casa contigo.2 Respondeu-lhes Jefté: Eu e o meu povo tivemos uma grande contenda com os filhos de Amom; chamei-vos, porém não me livraveis da sua mão.3 Quando vi que não me livrastes, arrisquei a vida, passei contra os filhos de Amom, e Jeová mos entregou nas mãos: porque subistes contra mim hoje, para me fazerdes guerra?4 Assim reuniu Jefté todos os homens de Gileade, e pelejou contra Efraim, que foi ferido pelos de Gileade, porque este dissera: Sois fugitivos de Efraim, vós gileaditas, que morais no meio de Efraim e no meio de Manassés.5 Os gileaditas apoderaram-se dos vaus do Jordão contra os efraimitas; quando algum dos fugitivos de Efraim dizia: Deixai-me passar, perguntavam-lhe os homens de Gileade: És tu efraimita? Se ele respondia: Não;6 replicavam-lhe eles: Dize Cibolete. Se ele dizia Sibolete, não conseguindo pronunciar bem, pegavam dele, e o degolavam aos vaus do Jordão. De Efraim caíram naquele tempo quarenta e dois mil homens.7 Jefté julgou a Israel seis anos. Morreu Jefté gileadita, e foi sepultado numa das cidades de Gileade.8 Depois dele Ibsã de Betlém julgou Israel.9 Tinha trinta filhos, e trinta filhas que casou fora, e de fora trouxe trinta mulheres para seus filhos. Julgou a Israel sete anos.10 Morreu Ibsã, e foi sepultado em Betlém.11 Sucedeu-lhe Elom, zebulonita, que julgou a Israel dez anos.12 Morreu, e foi sepultado em Aijalom na terra de Zebulom.13 Depois dele Abdom, filho de Hilel, piratonita, julgou a Israel.14 Tinha quarenta filhos e trinta netos que montavam em setenta jumentos. Julgou a Israel oito anos.15 Morreu Abdom, filho de Hilel, piratonita, e foi sepultado em Piratom, na terra de Efraim, na região montanhosa dos amalequitas.

1 But behold there arose a sedition in Ephraim. And passing towards the north, they said to Jephte: When thou wentest to fight against the children of Ammon, why wouldst thou not call us, that we might go with thee? Therefore we will burn thy house.2 And he answered them: I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon: and I called you to assist me, and you would not do it.3 And when I saw this, I put my life in my own hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hands. What have I deserved, that you should rise up to fight against me?4 Then calling to him all the men of Galaad, he fought against Ephraim: and the men of Galaad defeated Ephraim, because he had said: Galaad is a fugitive of Ephraim, and dwelleth in the midst of Ephraim and Manasses.5 And the Galaadites secured the fords of the Jordan, by which Ephraim was to return. And when any one of the number of Ephraim came thither in the flight, and said: I beseech you let me pass: the Galaadites said to him: Art thou not an Ephraimite? If he said: I am not:6 They asked him: Say then, Scibboleth, which is interpreted, An ear of corn. But he answered, Sibboleth, not being able to express an ear of corn by the same letter. Then presently they took him and killed him in the very passage of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim two and forty thousand.7 And Jephte the Galaadite judged Israel six years: and he died, and was buried in his city of Galaad.8 After him Abesan of Bethlehem judged Israel:9 He had thirty sons, and as many daughters, whom he sent abroad, and gave to husbands, and took wives for his sons of the same number, bringing them into his house. And he judged Israel seven years:10 And he died, and was buried in Bethlehem.11 To him succeeded Ahialon a Zahnlonite: and he judged Israel ten years:12 And he died, and was buried in ZahnIon.13 After him Abdon, the son of Illel, a Pharathonite, judged Israel:14 And he had forty sons, and of them thirty grandsons, mounted upon seventy ass colts, and he judged Israel eight years:15 And he died, and was buried in Pharathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of Amalech.