1 After Abimelech there arose to ^hsave Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in ⁱthe hill country of Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir.

3 After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 And he had thirty sons who ^jrode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, called Havvoth-jair to this day, ^kwhich are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

6 ^lThe people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord ^mand served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, ⁿthe gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they ^oforsook the Lord and did not serve him. 7 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and ^phe sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, 8 and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. 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. 9 And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.

10 And the people of Israel ^qcried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because ^rwe have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” 11 And the Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you ^sfrom the Egyptians and ^tfrom the Amorites, ^ufrom the Ammonites and ^vfrom the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and ^wthe Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I ^xsaved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have ^yforsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out ^zto the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15 And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and ^ahe became impatient over the misery of Israel.

17 Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at ^bMizpah. 18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? ^cHe shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”