⁶ So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the ^(A)woods of Ephraim.

¹⁸ but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its ^[a]farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, ^(A)though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

¹⁵ So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.”

⁴ Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You Gileadites ^(A)are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.” ⁵ The Gileadites seized the ^(B)fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” ⁶ then they would say to him, “Then say, ^(C)‘Shibboleth’!”^[a] And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not ^[b]pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.