Tola Leads Israel

1And there riseth 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, 2and he judgeth Israel twenty and three years, and he dieth, and is buried in Shamir.

Jair Leads Israel

3And there riseth after him Jair the Gileadite, and he judgeth Israel twenty and two years, 4and he hath thirty sons riding on thirty ass-colts, and they have thirty cities, (they call them Havoth-Jair unto this day), which [are] in the land of Gilead; 5and Jair dieth, and is buried in Kamon.

Philistine and Ammonite Oppression

6And the sons of Israel add to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and serve the Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the Bene-Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsake Jehovah, and have not served Him; 7and the anger of Jehovah burneth against Israel, and He selleth them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the Bene-Ammon, 8and they crush and oppress the sons of Israel in that year — eighteen years all the sons of Israel [who] are beyond the Jordan, in the land of the Amorite, which [is] in Gilead. 9And the Bene-Ammon pass over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, and Israel hath great distress.

10And the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah, saying, ‘We have sinned against Thee, even because we have forsaken our God, and serve the Baalim.’ 11And Jehovah saith unto the sons of Israel, ‘[Have I] not [saved you] from the Egyptians, and from the Amorite, from the Bene-Ammon, and from the Philistines? 12And the Zidonians, and Amalek, and Maon have oppressed you, and ye cry unto Me, and I save you out of their hand; 13and ye — ye have forsaken Me, and serve other gods, therefore I add not to save you. 14Go and cry unto the gods on which ye have fixed; they — they save you in the time of your adversity.’ 15And the sons of Israel say unto Jehovah, ‘We have sinned, do Thou to us according to all that is good in Thine eyes; only deliver us, we pray Thee, this day.’ 16And they turn aside the gods of the stranger out of their midst, and serve Jehovah, and His soul is grieved with the misery of Israel.

17And the Bene-Ammon are called together, and encamp in Gilead, and the sons of Israel are gathered together, and encamp in Mizpah. 18And the people — heads of Gilead — say one unto another, ‘Who [is] the man that doth begin to fight against the Bene-Ammon? he is for head to all inhabitants of Gilead.’