Tola
1 After Abimelech therearose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim.
2 He judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir.
Jair
3 After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years.
4 Now he had thirty sons whorode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns,which are called “Havoth Jair” to this day, whicharein the land of Gilead.
5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.
Israel Oppressed Again
6 Thenthe children of Israel again did evil in the sight of theLord, andserved the Baals and the Ashtoreths,the gods of Syria, the gods ofSidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook theLordand did not serve Him.
7 So the anger of theLordwas hot against Israel; and Hesold them into the hands of thePhilistines and into the hands of the people ofAmmon.
8 From that year they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years—all the children of Israel whowereon the other side of the Jordan in theland of the Amorites, in Gilead.
9 Moreover the people of Ammon crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah also, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.
10 And the children of Israel cried out to theLord, saying, “We havesinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!”
11 So theLordsaid to the children of Israel, “DidInotdeliveryoufrom the Egyptians andfrom the Amorites andfrom the people of Ammon andfrom the Philistines?
12 Alsothe Sidoniansand Amalekites and Maonitesoppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand.
13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more.
14 “Go andcry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”
15 And the children of Israel said to theLord, “We have sinned!Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.”
16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served theLord. AndHis soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.
17 Then the people of Ammon gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled together and encamped inMizpah.
18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, “Whoisthe man who will begin the fight against the people of Ammon? He shallbe head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”