1 After Abimelech there arose to deliver Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim.
2 He judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir.
3 After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years.
4 And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called Havoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.
6 And the children of Israel again did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and served the Baals and Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook Jehovah and did not serve Him.
7 So the anger of Jehovah burned against Israel; and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon.
8 And that year they shattered and oppressed the children of Israel; for eighteen years, all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, in Gilead.
9 Moreover the sons of Ammon also crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed.
10 And the children of Israel cried out unto Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!
11 So Jehovah said to the children of Israel, Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the sons of Ammon and from the Philistines?
12 Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites have oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand.
13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more.
14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.
15 And the children of Israel said to Jehovah, We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems good in Your eyes; only deliver us this day, we pray.
16 And they put away the foreign gods from among them and served Jehovah. And His soul was grieved because of Israels troubles.
17 Then the sons of Ammon gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel assembled together and encamped in Mizpah.
18 And the people, the rulers of Gilead, said to one another, Who is the man who will begin the fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.