Judges 10

1 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.

After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose up to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.

2 He ruled the Israeli people for 23 years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.

Tola judged Israel twenty-three years, and when he died, he was buried in Shamir.

3 After Tola died, Jair, from [the] Gilead [region], became the Israelis’ leader, and he ruled them for 22 years.

Tola was followed by Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.

4 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’.

He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.

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

When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.

6 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.

And again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. Thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.

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

So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites,

8 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.

who that very year harassed and oppressed the Israelites, and did so for eighteen years to all the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.

9 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.

The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was in deep distress.

10 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.”

Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have indeed forsaken our God and served the Baals.”

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

The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines,

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

Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you and you cried out to Me, did I not save you from their hands?

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

But you have forsaken Me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you.

14 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!”

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

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

“We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!”

16 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.

So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.

17 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].

Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

18 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].”

And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.”