Judges 10

1After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar who lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim, arose to save Israel.

2He judged Israel twenty-three years, then died, and was buried in Shamir.

3Jair, a Gileadite, arose after him and judged Israel twenty-two years.

4He had thirty sons who rode thirty donkey foals, and they possessed thirty cities called Havvoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

5Jair died and was buried in Camon.

6The children of Israel again did evil in Yahweh's sight and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram and of Sidon and of Moab and of Ammon's sons and of the Philistines, and they forsook Yahweh and did not serve him.

7Yahweh's anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the sons of Ammon.

8They terrorized and crushed the Israelites that year. Eighteen years they crushed all the Israelites beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

9The sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah as well, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so Israel was greatly distressed.

10The sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you, for we forsook our God and served the Baals.”

11Yahweh said to Israel's sons, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, from the Amorites, from Ammon's sons, and from the Philistines?"

12Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you, and you cried to me, and I rescued you from their hand.

13Yet you abandoned me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you.

14Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.

15The sons of Israel said to Yahweh, "We have sinned; do to us whatever is good in your eyes—only rescue us today, please."

16They removed the foreign gods from their midst and served Yahweh, and his soul was grieved over Israel's misery.

17The sons of Ammon mustered and encamped in Gilead, and the sons of Israel assembled and encamped at Mizpah.

18The people, the rulers of Gilead, said one to another, "Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."