6 And again, the ⌊Israelites⌋a did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. They served the Baals, the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, and the gods of the ⌊Ammonites⌋b and Philistines; they abandoned Yahweh and did not serve him. 7 And ⌊the anger of Yahweh burned⌋c against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and the ⌊Ammonites⌋.d 8 They crushed and oppressed the ⌊Israelites⌋e in that year; for eighteen years they crushed all the ⌊Israelites⌋f who were beyond the Jordan, in the land of the Amorites,g which is in Gilead. 9 The ⌊Ammonites⌋h crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was very distressed.

10 Then the ⌊Israelites⌋i cried out to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you; we have abandoned our God and served the Baals.” 11 And Yahweh said to the ⌊Israelites⌋,j “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians,k the Amorites,l from the ⌊Ammonites⌋,m and from the Philistines?n 12 And when the Sidonians, the Amalekites,o and the Maonitesp oppressed you, you cried out to me, and I delivered you from their hand. 13 Yet you have abandoned me and served other gods. Therefore I will no longer deliver you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your trouble.” 15 And the ⌊Israelites⌋q said to Yahweh, “We have sinned; ⌊do to us accordingly as you see fit⌋;r only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they removed the foreign gods from their midst and served Yahweh; and ⌊he could no longer bear⌋s the misery of Israel.

17 And the ⌊Ammonites⌋t were summoned,u and they camped in Gilead. And the ⌊Israelites⌋v gathered and camped at Mizpah. 18 The people, the ones commanding Gilead, ⌊said to each other⌋,w “Who is the man that will begin to fight against the ⌊Ammonites⌋?x He will be as head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”