¶ And after Abimelech there arose to defend² Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

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

And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.

And he had thirty sons that rode⁴ on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called⁵ Havothjair⁶ unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

¶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon⁹, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines¹⁰, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.

And the anger of the LORD was hot¹¹ against Israel, and he sold¹² them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

And that year¹³ they vexed and oppressed¹⁴ the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

Moreover the children of Ammon passed¹⁵ over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed¹⁶.

¶ And the children of Israel cried¹⁷ unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.

And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I¹⁸ deliver you from the Egyptians¹⁹, and from the Amorites²⁰, from the children²¹ of Ammon, and from the Philistines²²?

The Zidonians²³ also, and the Amalekites²⁴, and the Maonites²⁵, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

²⁶Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.

²⁷Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned²⁸: do thou²⁹ unto us whatsoever seemeth³⁰ good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.

And they put³¹ away the strange gods³² from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved³³ for the misery of Israel.

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together³⁴, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.

And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man³⁵ is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be³⁶ head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.