Oppression of Philistines and Ammonites

1After Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel; and he lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. 2Tola judged Israel for twenty-three years; then he died and was buried in Shamir.

3After him, Jair the Gileadite arose, and he judged Israel for twenty-two years. 4He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead that are called Havvoth-jair (towns of Jair) to this day. 5And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

6Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; they served the Baals, the Ashtaroth (female deities), the gods of Aram (Syria), the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned the LORD and did not serve Him. 7So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, 8and they oppressed and crushed Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed.

10Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD [for help], saying, “We have sinned against You, because we have abandoned (rejected) our God and have served the Baals.” 11The LORD said to the Israelites, “Did I not rescue you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines? 12Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed and crushed you, you cried out to Me, and I rescued you from their hands. 13Yet you have abandoned (rejected) Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer rescue you. 14Go, cry out to the gods you have chosen; let them rescue you in your time of distress.” 15The Israelites said to the LORD, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please rescue us this day.” 16So they removed the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.

17Then the Ammonites were assembled together and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel assembled and camped at Mizpah. 18The people, the leaders of Gilead (Israel) said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”