Tola

10 After the time of Abimelek,k a man of Issacharl named Tola son of Puah,m the son of Dodo, rose to saven Israel. He lived in Shamir,o in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He leda Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir.

Jair

3 He was followed by Jairp of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys.q They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.b r 5 When Jairs died, he was buried in Kamon.

Jephthah

6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.t They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths,u and the gods of Aram,v the gods of Sidon,w the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonitesx and the gods of the Philistines.y And because the Israelites forsook the Lordz and no longer served him, 7 he became angrya with them. He sold themb into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, 8 who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead,c the land of the Amorites. 9 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah,d Benjamin and Ephraim;e Israel was in great distress. 10 Then the Israelites criedf out to the Lord, “We have sinnedg against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”h

11 The Lord replied, “When the Egyptians,i the Amorites,j the Ammonites,k the Philistines,l 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekitesm and the Maonitesc n oppressed youo and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? 13 But you have forsakenp me and served other gods,q so I will no longer save you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them saver you when you are in trouble!s”

15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best,t but please rescue us now.” 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord.u And he could bear Israel’s miseryv no longer.w

17 When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.x 18 The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, “Whoever will take the lead in attacking the Ammonites will be heady over all who live in Gilead.”