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Tola, the Judge

10 ·After Abimelech died [L After Abimelech], another ·judge [leader; 2:16] ·came [arose] to save Israel. He was Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo. Tola was from the people of Issachar and lived in the city of Shamir in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. Tola ·judged [led; 2:16] Israel for twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.

Jair, the Judge

After ·Tola died [L him], Jair ·from the region of Gilead [L the Gileadite] ·judged [led; 2:16] Israel for twenty-two years. Jair had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys [12:14]. These thirty sons controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which are called the ·Towns [L Havvoth; C Hebrew for “towns” or “tent-villages”] of Jair to this day. Jair died and was buried in the city of Kamon.

The Ammonites Trouble Israel

Again the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. They ·worshiped [served] ·Baal and Ashtoreth [L the Baals and Ashtoreths; 2:11–13; C referring to the idols of these gods found throughout Israel], the gods of Aram [C these included Hadad, Mot, Anath, and Rimon], Sidon [C Baal and Ashtoreth], Moab [C Chemosh; Num. 21:29], and Ammon [C Molech; 1 Kin. 11:7], and the gods of the Philistines [C Dagon; 16:23]. The Israelites ·left [abandoned; forsook] the Lord and stopped serving him. So the Lord ·was angry with [L burned with anger against] them and ·handed them over to [L gave them into the hand of] the Philistines and the Ammonites. In the same year those people ·destroyed [L shattered and crushed; C from two Hebrew words that sound similar] the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] who lived east of the Jordan River in the region of Gilead, where the Amorites lived. So the Israelites suffered for eighteen years. The Ammonites then crossed the Jordan River to fight the people of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, causing much ·trouble [distress] to the people of Israel. 10 So the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] cried out to the Lord, “We have sinned against you. We ·left [abandoned; forsook] our God and ·worshiped [served] the ·Baal idols [L Baals].”

11 The Lord answered the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, 12 Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites ·were cruel to [oppressed] you, you cried out to me, and ·I saved [L did I not save/rescue/T deliver…?] you [L from their hand]. 13 But now you have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] me again and have ·worshiped [served] other gods. So I ·refuse to [will no longer] save you again. 14 You have chosen those gods. So go ·call [cry out] to them for help. Let them ·save [rescue; T deliver] you when you are in ·trouble [distress].”

15 But the ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do to us whatever ·you want [you see fit; L is good in your eyes], but please ·save [rescue; T deliver] us today!” 16 Then the Israelites threw away the foreign gods among them, and they worshiped the Lord again. So ·he felt sorry for them [or he could no longer bear it; or he grew impatient; L his spirit grew short] when he saw their suffering.

17 The ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] ·gathered for war [were called to arms] and camped in Gilead. The Israelites gathered and camped at Mizpah. 18 The leaders of the people of Gilead said, “Who will lead us to attack the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon]? He will become the head of all those who live in Gilead.”

Oppression by Philistines and Ammonites

10 Now after Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, (A)rose up to save Israel; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. He judged Israel for twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.

After him, Jair the Gileadite rose up and judged Israel for twenty-two years. And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities [a]in the land of Gilead (B)that are called [b]Havvoth-jair to this day. And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and (C)they served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, (D)the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; so (E)they abandoned the Lord and did not serve Him. And the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He (F)sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the sons of Ammon. And they [c]afflicted and oppressed the sons of Israel [d]that year; for eighteen years they oppressed all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan, [e]in Gilead in the land of the Amorites. And the sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was in great difficulty.

10 Then the (G)sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have abandoned our God and served the Baals.” 11 And the Lord said to the sons of Israel, “Did I not save you (H)from the Egyptians, (I)the Amorites, (J)the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? 12 And when the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites (K)oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I saved you from their hands. 13 Yet (L)you abandoned Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer save you. 14 (M)Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15 Then the sons of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned, (N)do to us whatever [f]seems good to You; only please save us this day.” 16 (O)So they removed the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and [g](P)He could no longer endure the misery of Israel.

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

Footnotes

  1. Judges 10:4 Lit which are in
  2. Judges 10:4 I.e., the towns of Jair
  3. Judges 10:8 Lit destroyed
  4. Judges 10:8 Lit in that
  5. Judges 10:8 Lit which is in
  6. Judges 10:15 Lit the good in Your eyes
  7. Judges 10:16 Lit His soul became impatient with the misery