Judges 10
Christian Standard Bible
Tola and Jair
10 After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo became judge and began to deliver Israel. He was from Issachar and lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 Tola judged Israel twenty-three years and when he died, was buried in Shamir.
3 After him came Jair the Gileadite,(A) who judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. They had thirty towns[a] in Gilead, which are still called Jair’s Villages[b] today. 5 When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.
Israel’s Rebellion and Repentance
6 Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.(B) They worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and the Philistines.(C) They abandoned the Lord and did not worship him.(D) 7 So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them to the Philistines and the Ammonites.(E) 8 They shattered and crushed the Israelites that year, and for eighteen years they did the same to all the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan(F) in the land of the Amorites(G) in Gilead. 9 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim. Israel was greatly oppressed, 10 so they cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you.(H) We have abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals.”
11 The Lord said to the Israelites, “When the Egyptians,(I) Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, 12 Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites[c](J) oppressed you, and you cried out to me, did I not deliver you from them? 13 But you have abandoned me and worshiped other gods. Therefore, I will not deliver you again. 14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen.(K) Let them deliver you whenever you are oppressed.”
15 But the Israelites said, “We have sinned. Deal with us as you see fit; only rescue us(L) today!” 16 So they got rid of the foreign gods(M) among them and worshiped the Lord,(N) and he became weary(O) of Israel’s misery.
17 The Ammonites were called together, and they camped in Gilead. So the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.(P) 18 The rulers[d] of Gilead said to one another, “Which man will begin the fight against the Ammonites? He will be the leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Judges 10
Common English Bible
Tola and Jair
10 After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah and grandson of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to rescue Israel. He lived in Shamir in the Ephraim highlands. 2 For twenty-three years he led Israel; then he died and was buried in Shamir.
3 After Tola, Jair from Gilead arose, and he led Israel for twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons who were mounted on thirty donkeys and controlled thirty towns in the land of Gilead—these are still known as Havvoth-jair today. 5 When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.
Israel’s unfaithfulness and oppression by the Ammonites
6 Then the Israelites again did things that the Lord saw as evil. They served the Baals and the Astartes, as well as the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. They went away from the Lord and didn’t serve him. 7 The Lord became angry with Israel and handed them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites. 8 Starting that year and for the next eighteen years, they beat and bullied the Israelites, especially all the Israelites who lived on the east side of Jordan in the territory of the Ammonites in Gilead. 9 The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to make raids into Judah, Benjamin, and the households of Ephraim. So Israel was greatly distressed.
10 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, “We’ve sinned against you, for we went away from our God and served the Baals.”
11 The Lord replied to the Israelites, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, 12 Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you and you cried out to me, didn’t I rescue you from their power? 13 But you have gone away from me and served other gods, so I won’t rescue you anymore! 14 Go cry out to the gods you’ve chosen. Let them rescue you in the time of your distress.”
15 The Israelites responded to the Lord, “We’ve sinned. Do to us whatever you see as right, but please save us this time.” 16 They put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord. And the Lord could no longer stand to see Israel suffer.
17 The Ammonites called out their army and made camp in Gilead, while the Israelites gathered and set up their camp at Mizpah. 18 Gilead’s rulers said to each other, “Whoever is willing to launch the attack against the Ammonites will become the leader over all those living in Gilead.”
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