1After 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.

2Tola judged Israel 23 years and when he died, was buried in Shamir.

3After him came Jair the Gileadite, Nm 26:29-10; Jos 17:1,3; Jdg 11:1-2; 1Ch 2:12-24; 7:14-17 who judged Israel 22 years.

4He had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys. They had 30 towns LXX; MT reads donkeys in Gilead, which are called Jair’s Villages Or called Havvoth-jair to this day.

5When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.

6Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Jdg 3:12; 4:1 They worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and the Philistines. 1Kg 11:33 They abandoned Yahweh and did not worship Him. Ex 20:5; 23:24; Dt 5:9; Jos 23:7; 2Kg 17:35; Neh 9:35; Is 60:12; Mal 3:18

7So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He sold them to Lit into the hand of the Philistines and the Ammonites. Jdg 2:14; 3:8

8They shattered and crushed the Israelites that year, and for 18 years they did the same to all the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan Gn 50:10-11; Dt 1:1,5; 3:8,20,25; Jos 12:17; Jdg 5:17 in the land of the Amorites Nm 21:31; Jos 24:8; Jdg 11:21; Am 2:10 in Gilead.

9The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim. Israel was greatly oppressed,

10so they cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You. Neh 1:6; Jr 14:20; Dn 9:8 We have abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals.”

11The Lord said to the Israelites, “When the Egyptians, Ex 1–15 Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines,

12Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites LXX reads Midianites Jos 15:5; 1Sm 23:24-25 oppressed you, and you cried out to Me, did I not deliver you from their power?

13But you have abandoned Me and worshiped other gods. Therefore, I will not deliver you again.

14Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Dt 32:37-38; Jr 2:28; 11:12 Let them deliver you in the time of your oppression.”

15But the Israelites said, “We have sinned. Deal with us as You see fit; Lit Do to us what is good in Your eyes only deliver us 1Sm 12:10; 1Ch 16:35; Ps 79:9 today! ”

16So they got rid of the foreign gods Gn 35:2; Jos 24:33; 1Sm 7:3; 2Ch 33:15 among them and worshiped the Lord, Ex 10:7-8; 12:31; Dt 10:12; Jos 24:14-15; 2Ch 30:8 and He became weary Nm 21:4; Jdg 16:16; Mc 2:7; Zch 11:8 of Israel’s misery.

17The Ammonites were called together, and they camped in Gilead. So the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. Gn 31:49; Jdg 11:11,34; Hs 5:1

18The rulers Lit The people, rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Which man will lead the fight against the Ammonites? He will be the leader of all the inhabitants of Gilead.”