וַיִּצָּעֵק אִישׁ אֶפְרַיִם וַיַּעֲבֹר צָפוֹנָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְיִפְתָּח מַדּוּעַ עָבַרְתָּ לְהִלָּחֵם בִּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן וְלָנוּ לֹא קָרָאתָ לָלֶכֶת עִמָּךְ! בֵּיתְךָ נִשְׂרֹף עָלֶיךָ בָּאֵשׁ

After the victory of the Giladites over the children of Amon, the men of Ephraim mobilized, and they crossed the Jordan northward, and they said to Yiftah: Why did you cross over to make war against the children of Amon without calling us to go with you? You should have asked us to lead the war. In protest, we will burn your house with fire upon you.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִפְתָּח אֲלֵיהֶם אִישׁ רִיב הָיִיתִי אֲנִי וְעַמִּי וּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן מְאֹד וָאֶזְעַק אֶתְכֶם וְלֹא הוֹשַׁעְתֶּם אוֹתִי מִיָּדָם

Yiftah said to them: I was a man of strife, I and my people, against the children of Amon. You know that I and my tribe, or family, were involved in a dispute with Amon for a long time. I summoned you in the past, but you did not save me from their hand. You did nothing. Perhaps you have the right to lead an army, but you did not come to assist me at all.

וָאֶרְאֶה כִּי אֵינְךָ מוֹשִׁיעַ וָאָשִׂימָה נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי וָאֶעְבְּרָה אֶל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וַיִּתְּנֵם ה' בְּיָדִי וְלָמָה עֲלִיתֶם אֵלַי הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לְהִלָּחֶם בִּי

I saw that you, Ephraim, would not save, and I placed my life in my hand and crossed to the children of Amon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why have you come up to me this day to make war against me and to quarrel with me, after you failed to assist me, and I have already emerged victorious?

וַיִּקְבֹּץ יִפְתָּח אֶת כָּל אַנְשֵׁי גִלְעָד וַיִּלָּחֶם אֶת אֶפְרָיִם וַיַּכּוּ אַנְשֵׁי גִלְעָד אֶת אֶפְרַיִם כִּי אָמְרוּ פְּלִיטֵי אֶפְרַיִם אַתֶּם גִּלְעָד בְּתוֹךְ אֶפְרַיִם בְּתוֹךְ מְנַשֶּׁה

Yiftah gathered all the men of Gilad, and he made war with Ephraim; the men of Gilad smote Ephraim, as they said: You are survivors of Ephraim; Gilad is in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh. Gilad is part of Manasseh. Since the men of Ephraim were refugees in the territory of Manasseh, the people of Manasseh outnumbered and inundated them.

וַיִּלְכֹּד גִּלְעָד אֶת מַעְבְּרוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן לְאֶפְרָיִם וְהָיָה כִּי יֹאמְרוּ פְּלִיטֵי אֶפְרַיִם אֶעֱבֹרָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ אַנְשֵׁי גִלְעָד הַאֶפְרָתִי אַתָּה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא

It is possible that the fighting was not particularly harsh, and yet after the men of Ephraim had been struck and fled, Gilad captured the fords of the Jordan from Ephraim, so that they could not return to their territory. It was when one of the refugees of Ephraim sought to cross the Jordan and would say: Let me cross, that the men of Gilad would say to him: Are you an Ephraimite? And he would say: No, a natural response, as he knew that his life would be in danger if he revealed his true identity,

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ אֱמָר נָא שִׁבֹּלֶת וַיֹּאמֶר סִבֹּלֶת וְלֹא יָכִין לְדַבֵּר כֵּן וַיֹּאחֲזוּ אוֹתוֹ וַיִּשְׁחָטוּהוּ אֶל מַעְבְּרוֹת הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיִּפֹּל בָּעֵת הַהִיא מֵאֶפְרַיִם אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנַיִם אָלֶף

They would say to him: Now say the word Shibbolet, and he would say: Sibbolet, as he was unable to speak it correctly. The children of Ephraim could not articulate the sound “sh,” which they pronounced as “s.” This impediment revealed their identity. They would seize him and slay him at the fords of the Jordan. The men of Manasseh used this opportunity to avenge themselves upon Ephraim. At that time, forty-two thousand men fell from Ephraim.

וַיִּשְׁפֹּט יִפְתָּח אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים וַיָּמָת יִפְתָּח הַגִּלְעָדִי וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּעָרֵי גִלְעָד

Yiftah judged Israel six years. Yiftah the Giladite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilad.Some infer from this phrase, which literally means “and was buried in the cities of Gilad,” that Yiftah’s bones were interred in several different cities in Gilad.

וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אַחֲרָיו אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִבְצָן מִבֵּית לָחֶם

After him, following Yiftah’s death, Ivtzan of Bethlehem, probably the city of that name in the territory of Judah, judged Israel.

וַיְהִי לוֹ שְׁלֹשִׁים בָּנִים וּשְׁלֹשִׁים בָּנוֹת שִׁלַּח הַחוּצָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים בָּנוֹת הֵבִיא לְבָנָיו מִן הַחוּץ וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים

He had thirty sons, and he sent out thirty daughters to marry other men, and he brought thirty daughters for his sons from without. His family was like a small tribe. He judged Israel seven years.

וַיָּמָת אִבְצָן וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּבֵית לָחֶם

Ivtzan died, and he was buried in Bethlehem.

וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אַחֲרָיו אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵילוֹן הַזְּבוּלֹנִי וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים

After him, Eilon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years.

וַיָּמָת אֵלוֹן הַזְּבוּלֹנִי וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּאַיָּלוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ זְבוּלֻן

Elon the Zebulunite died, and he was buried in Ayalon in the land of Zebulun.

וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אַחֲרָיו אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדּוֹן בֶּן הִלֵּל הַפִּרְעָתוֹנִי

After him, Avdon son of Hillel, the Piratonite, judged Israel.

וַיְהִי לוֹ אַרְבָּעִים בָּנִים וּשְׁלֹשִׁים בְּנֵי בָנִים רֹכְבִים עַל שִׁבְעִים עֲיָרִם וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנִים

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy young donkeys. His grandsons were old enough to ride on foals in his lifetime. He judged Israel eight years.

וַיָּמָת עַבְדּוֹן בֶּן הִלֵּל הַפִּרְעָתוֹנִי וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּפִרְעָתוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ אֶפְרַיִם בְּהַר הָעֲמָלֵקִי

Avdon son of Hillel, the Piratonite, died, and he was buried in Piraton in the land of Ephraim, on the Amalekite highlands.