Judges 10

1 After Abimelech there arose a ruler in Israel, Thola son of Phua the uncle of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, who dwelt in Samir of mount Ephraim:

After Abimelech's time, Tola, son of Puah, son of Dodo, from the tribe of Issachar, came on the scene to save Israel. He lived in the town of Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.

2 And he judged Israel three and twenty years, and he died and was buried in Samir.

He led Israel as a judge for twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.

3 To him succeeded Jair the Galaadite, who judged Israel for two and twenty years.

After Tola came Jair from Gilead, who led Israel as a judge for twenty-two years.

4 Having thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and were princes of thirty cities, which from his name were called Havoth Jair, that is, the towns of Jair, until this present day in the land of Galaad.

He had thirty sons who rode thirty donkeys. They had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called the Towns of Jair.

5 And Jair died: and was buried in the place which was called Camon.

Jair died and he was buried in Kamon.

6 But the children of Israel, adding new sins to their old ones, did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served idols, Baalim and Astaroth, and the gods of Syria and of Sidon and of Moab and of the children of Ammon and of the Philistines: and they left the Lord, and did not serve him.

Once again the Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. They worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths, as well as the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. They rejected the Lord and did not worship him.

7 And the Lord being angry with them, delivered them into the hands of the Philistines and of the children of Ammon.

So the Lord became angry with Israel, and he sold them to the Philistines and the Ammonites.

8 And they were afflicted, and grievously oppressed for eighteen years, all they that dwelt beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorrhite, who is in Galaad:

That year and for eighteen more years they harassed and oppressed the Israelites, all the Israelites that lived on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.

9 Insomuch that the children of Ammon passing over the Jordan, wasted Juda and Benjamin and Ephraim: and Israel was distressed exceedingly.

The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to attack Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, causing terrible trouble for Israel.

10 And they cried to the Lord, and said: We have sinned against thee, because we have forsaken the Lord our God, and have served Baalim.

The Israelites cried out to the Lord for help, saying, “We have sinned against you, rejecting our God and worshiping the Baals.”

11 And the Lord said to them: Did not the Egyptians and the Amorrhites, and the children of Ammon and the Philistines,

The Lord replied to the Israelites, “Didn't I save you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines,

12 The Sidonians also and Amalec and Chanaan oppress you, and you cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand?

the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites? When they attacked you, and you cried out to me for help, didn't I save you from them?

13 And yet you have forsaken me, and have worshipped strange gods: therefore I will deliver you no more:

But you have rejected me and worshiped other gods, so I won't save you again.

14 Go and call upon the gods which you have chosen: let them deliver you in the time of distress.

Go and cry out for help to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”

15 And the children of Israel said to the Lord: We have sinned, do thou unto us whatsoever pleaseth thee: only deliver us this time.

The Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned! Treat us in whatever way you think you should, only please save us now!”

16 And saying these things, they cast away out of their coasts all the idols of strange gods and served the Lord their God: and he was touched with their miseries.

So they got rid of the foreign gods they had and worshiped the Lord. And the Lord couldn't stand Israel's misery any longer.

17 And the children of Ammon shouting together, pitched their tents in Galaad: against whom the children of Israel assembled themselves together and camped in Maspha.

The Ammonite armies had been called up and were camped in Gilead. The Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

18 And the princes of Galaad said one to another: Whosoever of us shall first begin to fight against the children of Ammon, he shall be the leader of the people of Galaad.

The commanders of the people of Gilead agreed among themselves, “Whoever leads the attack on the Ammonites will become ruler over everyone who lives in Gilead.”