²⁴ Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down ^[a]against Midian and ^(A)take the waters before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were summoned and they took the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.

⁵ The Gileadites ^(A)captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim. And it happened when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,”