1 ARST After Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah and grandson of Dodo became the leader to rescue the Israelites from their enemies. He belonged to the tribe of Issachar, but he lived in Shamir city in the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim live. BSB BSB: After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose up to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.
2 ARST He ruled as judge over Israel for twenty- three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir. BSB BSB: Tola judged Israel twenty-three years, and when he died, he was buried in Shamir.
3 ARST After Tola died, Jair(the Gileadite) ruled as judge over Israel for twenty- two years. BSB BSB: Tola was followed by Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.
4 ARST He had thirty sons, and each of them had his own donkey to ride on. They had thirty cities in the region of Gilead that are still named even today, Havvoth Jair(or the Cities of Jair). BSB BSB: He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.
5 ARST Then Jair died and was buried in the city of Kamon. BSB BSB: When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.
6 ARST Again the Israelites did things that Yahweh said were evil. They worshiped the Baal idols and female fertility idols called the Asthoreths. They worshiped the gods of the people groups of Aram, Sidon, Moab, and Ammon people groups, and the gods of the Philistines. They turned away from Yahweh and stopped worshiping him. BSB BSB: And again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. Thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.
7 ARST So Yahweh was very angry with them, and he allowed the Philistines and Ammonites to conquer Israel. BSB BSB: So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites,
8 ARST They crushed and oppressed the Israelites that year, and for eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who lived on the east side of the Jordan River. That was the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. BSB BSB: who that very year harassed and oppressed the Israelites, and they did so for eighteen years to all the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.
9 ARST Then the Amonites crossed over the Jordan River to fight against the people of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. They caused the Israelites’ to live their lives with great fear and dread. BSB BSB: The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was in deep distress.
10 ARST So the Israelites cried out to Yahweh, saying“We have sinned against you. We have abandoned you, and we have worshiped the idols of Baal.” BSB BSB: Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have indeed forsaken our God and served the Baals.”
11 ARST Yahweh answered them, saying,“I delivered you from the people groups of the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, BSB BSB: The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines,
12 ARST and also from the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites. I did this because they hurt and imprisoned you. You cried out to me, and I brought you to freedom. BSB BSB: Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you and you cried out to Me, did I not save you from their hands?
13 ARST But now you have abandoned me, and you have been worshiping other gods. Therefore, I will not rescue you again and again. BSB BSB: But you have forsaken Me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you.
14 ARST You have chosen those gods to be the ones you worship. So ask them to help you. Let them be the ones who rescue you when you are in trouble!” BSB BSB: Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”
15 ARST But the people of Israel said to Yahweh,“We have sinned. Punish us in whatever way you wish. But please rescue us today!” BSB BSB: “We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!”
16 ARST Then the Israelites threw away the idols of the foreign gods they had cherished, and they worshiped Yahweh. He saw that they were suffering very much, and he reached the limit of his endurance over the misery of Israel. BSB BSB: So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.
17 ARST The Ammon people group gathered to fight against the Israelites, and they set up their tents in Gilead. The Israelite soldiers gathered and set up their tents at Mizpah. BSB BSB: Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.
18 ARST The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other,“Who will lead our attack against the Ammonite army? The one who will lead us will become the leader of all us who live in Gilead.” BSB BSB: And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.