Judges 10

1 After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah son of Dodo, a man from Issachar who lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim, arose to deliver Israel.

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 He judged Israel twenty-three years. He died and was buried in Shamir.

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

3 He was followed by Jair the Gileadite. He judged Israel twenty-two years.

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

4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

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 Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

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

6 The people of Israel added to the evil they had done in the sight of Yahweh and worshiped the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned Yahweh and no longer worshiped 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 Yahweh burned with anger toward Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites.

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

8 They crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year, and for eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

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 Then the Ammonites crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed.

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 Then the people of Israel called out to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals.”

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 Yahweh said to the people of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines,

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

12 and also from the Sidonians? The Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you; you called out to me, and I delivered you from their power.

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

13 Yet you abandoned me again and worshiped other gods. Therefore, I will not keep adding to the times I deliver you.

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 out to the gods that you have worshiped. Let them rescue you when you have trouble.”

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 The people of Israel said to Yahweh, “We have sinned. Do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please, rescue us this day.”

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 They got rid of the foreign gods among them and they worshiped Yahweh. Then Yahweh could bear Israel's misery no longer.

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 Then Ammonites gathered together and set up camp in Gilead. The Israelites came together and set up their camp at Mizpah.

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 The leaders of the people of Gilead said one to another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight the Ammonites? He will become the leader over all those who are living in Gilead.”

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].”