1And after Abimelech, there rose up to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir on mount Ephraim.

2And he judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died, and was buried in Shamir.

3And after him rose up Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years.

4And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty ass colts; and they had thirty cities, which are called the villages of Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

5And Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.

6And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baals, and the Ashtoreths, and the ³⁶gods of Syria, and the ³⁷gods of Zidon, and the ³⁸gods of Moab, and the ³⁹gods of the children of Ammon, and the ⁴⁰gods of the Philistines; and they forsook Jehovah, and served him not.

7And the anger of Jehovah was hot against Israel, and he sold him into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon.

8And they oppressed and crushed the children of Israel in that year; eighteen years [they oppressed] all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

9And the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; and Israel was greatly distressed.

10And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our ⁴¹God, and also served the Baals.

11And Jehovah said to the children of Israel, Did I not [save you] from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

12The Zidonians also, and Amalek and Maon oppressed you, and ye cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand.

13But ye have forsaken me, and served other ⁴²gods; therefore I will save you no more.

14Go and cry to the ⁴³gods that ye have chosen: let them save you in the time of your trouble.

15And the children of Israel said to Jehovah, We have sinned. Do thou unto us according to all that is good in thy sight; only deliver us, we pray thee, this day.

16And they put away the strange ⁴⁴gods from among them, and served Jehovah; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

17And the children of Ammon were called together and encamped in Gilead; and the children of Israel gathered together and encamped in Mizpeh.

18And the people, the chief men of Gilead, said one to another, Who is the man that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.