1 Tola After Abimelech there Judg. 2:16 arose 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.
3 Jair After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years.
4 Now he had thirty sons who Judg. 5:10; 12:14 rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, Deut. 3:14 which are called “Havoth Jair” to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.
6 Israel Oppressed Again Then Judg. 2:11; 3:7; 6:1; 13:1 the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord , and Judg. 2:13 served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, Judg. 2:12 the gods of Syria, the gods of 1 Kin. 11:33; Ps. 106:36 Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him.
7 So the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He Judg. 2:14; 4:2;1 Sam. 12:9 sold them into the hands of the Judg. 13:1 Philistines and into the hands of the people of Judg. 3:13 Ammon.
8 From that year they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years—all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the Num. 32:33 land 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 Judg. 6:6;1 Sam. 12:10 And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord , saying, “We have Deut. 1:41 sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!”
11 So the Lord said to the children of Israel, “ Did I not deliver you Ex. 14:30 from the Egyptians and Num. 21:21, 24, 25 from the Amorites and Judg. 3:12, 13 from the people of Ammon and Judg. 3:31 from the Philistines?
12 Also Judg. 1:31; 5:19 the Sidonians Judg. 6:3; 7:12 and Amalekites and Maonites Ps. 106:42, 43 oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand.
13 (Deut. 32:15; Judg. 2:12; Jer. 2:13) Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more.
14 “Go and Deut. 32:37, 38 cry 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 the Lord , “We have sinned! 1 Sam. 3:18;2 Sam. 15:26 Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.”
16 2 Chr. 7:14; Jer. 18:7, 8 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord . And Ps. 106:44, 45; Is. 63:9 His 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 in Gen. 31:49; Judg. 11:11, 29 Mizpah.
18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin the fight against the people of Ammon? He shall Judg. 11:8, 11 be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”