Judges Chapter 10

¹ After Abimelech, Tola Ben-Puah Ben-Dodo from Issachar, rose up to deliver Israel. He lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim, ² and judged Israel 23 years. He died and was buried at Shamir.

Jair Judges Israel

³ Then Jair from Gilead arose and judged Israel 22 years. ⁴ He had 30 sons that rode 30 donkeys and had 30 “towns” people still call Havvoth-jair in Gilead. ⁵ He died and was buried in Kamon. Jud 10:1-5

⁶ Again, Israel sinned and served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites and Philistines. They forsook Yahveh. ⁷ His anger flared at them, and he sold them to the Ammonites and Philistines. ⁸ They crushed and oppressed Israel that year. For 18 years they oppressed Israel beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites (Gilead). ⁹ The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim; Israel was severely distressed.

¹⁰ Israel cried out to Yahveh, “We’ve sinned against you; we’ve left our God and served the images of Baal.”

¹¹ He said to them,

“Didn’t I deliver you from the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, and Philistines? ¹² The Sidonians, Amalekites, Maonites oppressed you too. You appealed to me and I delivered you from them. ¹³ Yet you’ve left me and served other gods; so I won’t deliver you anymore. ¹⁴ Call out to the gods you’ve chosen. Have them deliver you.”

¹⁵ They said to Yahveh, “We’ve sinned. Do whatever you think’s good. Just deliver us today, please.” ¹⁶ They put away the foreign gods and served Yahveh; he couldn’t bear Israel’s misery any longer. ¹⁷ The Ammonites called to arms and encamped in Gilead. Israel came together and camped in Mizpah. ¹⁸ The leaders in Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will lead the fight against the Ammonites will rule everyone in Gilead.”             Jud 10:6-18