Tola

1And there arose after Abimelech to save Israel Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar. And he dwelt in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.

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

Jair

3And arose after him Jair the Gileadite, and he judged Israel twenty-two years. 4And there were unto him thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and thirty towns unto him, which are called Havvoth-jair† to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

5And Jair died, and he was buried in Kamon.

Oppression by the Philistines and Ammonites

6And the sons of Israel added to do evil in the eyes of YHWH, and they served the Baals, and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and they forsook YHWH and did not serve Him.

7And the anger of YHWH was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon. 8And they harassed and oppressed the sons of Israel—from that year, eighteen years, all the sons of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorite, that is, in Gilead.

9And the sons 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 sons of Israel cried out to YHWH, saying, “We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals.”

11And YHWH said to the sons of Israel, “Did not I save you from Egypt, and from the Amorite, and from the sons of Ammon, and from the Philistines? 12And the Sidonians and Amalekite and Maonites† oppressed you⁺, and you⁺ cried out to Me, and I delivered you⁺ from their hands. 13And you⁺ have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will not add to deliver you⁺. 14Go and cry out to the gods that you⁺ have chosen; let them deliver you⁺ in the time of your⁺ distress.”

15And the sons of Israel said to YHWH, “We have sinned. You do to us according to all that is good in Your eyes. Only deliver us, please, this day.” 16And they put away the foreign gods from among them, and they served YHWH, and His soul was shortened in the misery of Israel.

17And the sons of Ammon gathered together and encamped in Gilead, and the sons of Israel assembled and encamped in Mizpah. 18And the people—the leaders of Gilead—said one to another, “Who is the man who will begin the fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall be head over all those dwelling in Gilead.”