A reading from the book of judges.

The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zhafen, and said to Jephtha,

Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you?

We will burn your house over you with fire.

And Jephtha said to them, I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when

I called you, you did not save me from their hand.

And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against

the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand.

Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?

Then Jefftha gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim.

And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim because they said,

You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of

Ephraim and Manessa. And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the

Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, let me go over, the men of Gilead said

to him, are you an Ephreumite? When he of Gilead said to him, are you an Ephraimite?

When he said no, they said to him, then say, Shibboleth. And he said, Sibboleth, for he could not

pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan.

At that time, 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.

Jephthah judged Israel six years.

Then Jethah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.

After him, Ibsen of Bethlehem judged Israel. He had 30 sons, and 30 daughters

he gave in marriage outside his clan, and 30 daughters he brought in from outside for his sons,

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