1 After Abimelech there arose to defend Israel, Tola, the sonne of Puah, the sone of Dodo, a man of Issachar, which dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim. 2 And he iudged Israel three and twentie yeere and dyed, and was buried in Shamir. 3 And after him arose Iair a Gileadite, and iudged Israel two and twenty yeere. 4 And he had thirtie sonnes that rode on thirtie assecolts, and they had thirtie cities, which are called Hauoth-Iair vnto this day, and are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Iair dyed, and was buried in Kamon. 6 And the children of Israel wrought wickednesse againe in the sight of the Lord, and serued Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistims, and forsooke the Lord and serued not him. 7 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he solde them into the hands of the Philistims, and into the handes of the children of Ammon: 8 Who from that yere vexed and oppressed the children of Israel eighteene yeres, euen all the children of Israel that were beyond Iorden, in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 Moreouer, the children of Ammon went ouer Iorden to fight against Iudah, and against Beniamin, and against the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore tormented. 10 Then the children of Israel cryed vnto the Lord, saying, We haue sinned against thee, euen because we haue forsaken our owne God, and haue serued Baalim. 11 And the Lord sayd vnto the children of Israel, Did not I deliuer you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon and from the Philistims? 12 The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites did oppresse you, and ye cryed to me and I saued you out of their hands. 13 Yet ye haue forsaken me, and serued other gods: wherefore I will deliuer you no more. 14 Goe, and cry vnto the gods which ye haue chosen: let them saue you in the time of your tribulation. 15 And the children of Israel sayde vnto the Lord, We haue sinned: doe thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please thee: onely we pray thee to deliuer vs this day. 16 Then they put away the strange gods from among them and serued the Lord: and his soule was grieued for the miserie of Israel. 17 Then the children of Ammon gathered themselues together, and pitched in Gilead: and the children of Israel assembled themselues, and pitched in Mizpeh. 18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, Whosoeuer will beginne the battell against the children of Ammon, the same shall be head ouer all the inhabitants of Gilead.
Tola
1 After Abimelech's death Tola, the son of Puah and grandson of Dodo, came to free Israel. He was from the tribe of Issachar and lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He was Israel's leader for twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir.
Jair
3 After Tola came Jair from Gilead. He led Israel for twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons who rode thirty donkeys. They had thirty cities in the land of Gilead, which are still called the villages of Jair. 5 Jair died and was buried at Kamon.
Jephthah
6 Once again the Israelites sinned against the Lord by worshiping the Baals and the Astartes, as well as the gods of Syria, of Sidon, of Moab, of Ammon, and of Philistia. They abandoned the Lord and stopped worshiping him. 7 So the Lord became angry with the Israelites, and let the Philistines and the Ammonites conquer them. 8 For eighteen years they oppressed and persecuted all the Israelites who lived in Amorite country east of the Jordan River in Gilead. 9 The Ammonites even crossed the Jordan to fight the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. Israel was in great distress.
10 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord and said, “We have sinned against you, for we left you, our God, and worshiped the Baals.”
11 The Lord gave them this answer: “The Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed you in the past, and you cried out to me. Did I not save you from them? 13 But you still left me and worshiped other gods, so I am not going to rescue you again. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them rescue you when you get in trouble.”
15 But the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do whatever you like, but please, save us today.” 16 So they got rid of their foreign gods and worshiped the Lord; and he became troubled over Israel's distress.
17 Then the Ammonite army prepared for battle and camped in Gilead. The people of Israel came together and camped at Mizpah in Gilead. 18 There the people and the leaders of the Israelite tribes asked one another, “Who will lead the fight against the Ammonites? Whoever does will be the leader of everyone in Gilead.”