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 died, Tola the son of Puah and grandson of Dodo became the leader to rescue the Israeli people [from their enemies]. He belonged to the tribe of Issachar, but he lived in Shamir [city] in the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim live.

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

He ruled the Israeli people for 23 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 died, Jair, from [the] Gilead [region], became the Israelis’ leader, and he ruled them for 22 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, and each of them had his own donkey to ride on. They each controlled a different town in [the] Gilead [region]. That region is still named ‘The Towns of Jair’.

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

When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon [city].

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.

Again the Israelis did things that Yahweh said were wrong/evil. They worshiped [the idols of their god] Baal and [their goddess] Astarte. They also worshiped the gods of the Aram, Sidon, Moab, and Ammon people-groups, and the gods of the Philistia people-group. They abandoned Yahweh and stopped worshiping him.

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

So Yahweh was very angry with them, and he allowed the Philistia and Ammon people-groups to defeat [IDM] the Israelis.

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:

In that same year, those people started to oppress the Israelis who lived in [the] Gilead [region] on the east side of the Jordan [River]. That was where the Amor people-group also lived. were They caused the Israelis who lived in that region to suffer for 18 years.

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

Then the people of the Ammon people-group crossed the Jordan [River] to fight against the people of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. They caused the Israelis’ lives to be very miserable.

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.

So the Israelis cried out to Yahweh, saying “We have sinned against you. We have abandoned you, and we have been worshiping [the idols of their god] Baal.”

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

Yahweh answered them, saying, “When the people of Egypt, and the Amor and Ammon and Philistia people-groups

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

and the Sidon and Amalek and Maon people-groups were cruel to you, you cried out to me, and then I rescued you.

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

But now you have abandoned me again, and you have been worshiping other gods. So I will not rescue you again.

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

You have chosen those gods [to be the ones that you worship]. So call to them to help you. Allow them to rescue you when you have a lot 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.

But the Israeli people said to Yahweh, “Truly we have sinned. Punish us in whatever way you wish to, but please rescue 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.

Then the Israelis threw away the [idols of the] gods that belonged to other people-groups, and they worshiped Yahweh again. He saw that they were suffering very much, and he felt sorry [IDM] for them.

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 Ammon people-group gathered to fight [against the Israelis], and they set up their tents in [the] Gilead [region]. The Israeli men also gathered and set up their tents at Mizpah, [which was a city in Gilead].

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 Israeli leaders said, “Who will lead our soldiers to attack the Ammon people-group? The one who will lead us will become the leader of all us who live in this Gilead [region].”