⁶ David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest^(A) of Ephraim.

¹⁸ but the forested hill country^(A) as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron^(B) and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”

¹⁵ “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest^(A) and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites^(B) and Rephaites.^(C)”

⁴ Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead^(A) and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.^(B)” ⁵ The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan^(C) leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he replied, “No,” ⁶ they said, “All right, say ‘Shibboleth.’” If he said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.