1 ¶ After Abimelech, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to defend Israel; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.

2 And he judged Israel for twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, who judged Israel for twenty-two years.

4 And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty young donkeys, and they had thirty towns, that are in the land of Gilead, and are called Havothjair to this day,.

5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

6 ¶ And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baals and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and did not serve him.

7 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

8 And that year they crushed and oppressed the children of Israel: for eighteen years, they oppressed all the children of Israel that were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

9 Moreover the children of Ammon also crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sorely distressed.

10 ¶ And the children of Israel cried to the LORD, saying, We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baals.

11 And the LORD said to the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

12 The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and when the Maonites, oppressed you; and you cried to me, I delivered you out of their hand.

13 Yet you have forsaken me, and served other gods: therefore I will deliver you no more.

14 Go and cry to the gods that you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of tribulation.

15 And the children of Israel said to the LORD, We have sinned: do to us whatever seems right to you; only we beg you, deliver us now.

16 So they got rid of the foreign gods among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

17 Then the children of Ammon gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel came together, and encamped in Mizpeh.

18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead said one to another, Who is the man who will lead the fight against the children of Ammon? he will be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.