Tola 1 UST After Abimelech died, Tola, the son of Puah and grandson of Dodo became a leader. He rescued the Israelites from their enemies. He belonged to the tribe of Issachar. However, he lived in the town of Shamir 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 UST Tola was the leader of the Israelites for 23 years. When he died, his family buried him in Shamir. BSB BSB: Tola judged Israel twenty-three years, and when he died, he was buried in Shamir.
Jair 3 UST After Tola died, Jair from the region of Gilead became a leader. He was the leader of the Israelites for 22 years. BSB BSB: Tola was followed by Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.
4 UST He had 30 sons, and he gave each of them his own donkey to ride on. They lived in 30 cities in the region of Gilead. People still call those cities Havvoth 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 UST When Jair died, his family buried him in the town of Kamon. BSB BSB: When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.
Oppression by the Philistines and Ammonites 6 UST Once again the Israelites did things that Yahweh said were very wicked. They worshiped various idols that represented gods such as Baal. They also worshiped female fertility goddesses such as Ashtoreth. They also worshiped the gods that people worshiped in the countries of Aram and Moab and in the city of Sidon. And they worshiped the gods that the Ammonites and Philistines worshiped. But they did not worship Yahweh at all anymore. 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 UST So Yahweh became very angry with the Israelites, and he allowed the Philistines and Ammonites to conquer them. BSB BSB: So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites,
8 UST For 18 years, the Amorites had already been oppressing all the people of Israel who lived in the area east of the Jordan River. That land formerly belonged to the Amorites.(People also call it Gilead.) But now they began to oppress all of the Israelites severely. 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 UST The Ammonites crossed over the Jordan River and also fought against the people of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. They made the Israelites suffer terribly. 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 UST So the Israelites prayed desperately to Yahweh. They said,“We have sinned against you. We have stopped worshiping you, and instead we have been worshiping idols representing false gods such as 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 UST Yahweh answered them, saying,“{ In the past,} the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, BSB BSB: The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines,
12 UST Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites were treating you badly. You prayed desperately to me, and I rescued you from them. BSB BSB: Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you and you cried out to Me, did I not save you from their hands?
13 UST But even after that, you stopped worshiping me. You worshiped other gods instead. So I am not going to keep rescuing you. BSB BSB: But you have forsaken Me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you.
14 UST See whether the gods you are worshiping can rescue you now that you are in trouble again!” BSB BSB: Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”
15 UST But the people of Israel said to Yahweh,“We confess that we have sinned. Punish us in whatever way you wish. But please rescue us now!” BSB BSB: “We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!”
16 UST Then the Israelites threw away the idols that represented the foreign gods they had been worshiping. They worshiped Yahweh instead. Yahweh saw that they were suffering greatly. He felt compassion for them and decided to help them. 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 UST Ammonite soldiers gathered{ to fight against the Israelites}. They set up their tents in the region of Gilead. So the Israelite soldiers gathered{ to fight against them}. They set up their tents near the city of Mizpah. BSB BSB: Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.
18 UST The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other,“Who will lead our attack against the Ammonite army? If someone will do that, we will make him the leader of everyone who lives in the region of 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.