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.

And there rises after Abimelech, to save Israel, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he is dwelling 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.

and he judges Israel [for] twenty-three years, and he dies, and is buried in Shamir.

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

And there rises Jair the Gileadite after him, and he judges Israel [for] 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’.

and he has thirty sons riding on thirty donkey-colts, and they have thirty cities (they call them Havoth-Jair to this day), which [are] in the land of Gilead;

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

and Jair dies, and is 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 the sons of Israel add to do evil in the eyes of YHWH, and serve the Ba‘alim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsake YHWH, and have not served Him;

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

and the anger of YHWH burns against Israel, and He sells them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the sons of Ammon,

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.

and they crush and oppress the sons of Israel in that year; [and for] eighteen years—all the sons of Israel [who] are beyond the Jordan, in the land of the Amorite, which [is] in Gilead.

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.

And the sons of Ammon pass over the Jordan to also fight against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, and Israel has great 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.”

And the sons of Israel cry to YHWH, saying, “We have sinned against You, because we have even forsaken our God, and serve the Ba‘alim.”

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

And YHWH says to the sons of Israel, “[Have I] not [saved you] from the Egyptians, and from the Amorite, from the sons of Ammon, and from the 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.

And the Zidonians, and Amalek, and Maon have oppressed you, and you cry to Me, and I save you out of their hand;

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

and you have forsaken Me, and serve other gods, therefore I do not add to 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 to the gods on which you have fixed; they save you in the time of your tribulation.”

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!”

And the sons of Israel say to YHWH, “We have sinned, do to us according to all that is good in Your eyes; only please deliver us this day.”

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.

And they turn aside the gods of the stranger out of their midst, and serve YHWH, and His soul is grieved with 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].

And the sons of Ammon are called together, and encamp in Gilead, and the sons of Israel are gathered together, and encamp in 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 people—heads of Gilead—say to one another, “Who [is] the man that begins to fight against the sons of Ammon? He is for head to all inhabitants of Gilead.”