Tola
1After the time of Abimelek, a man of Issachar named Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. 2He led10:2 Traditionally judged; also in verse 3 Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried in Shamir.
Jair
3He was followed by Jair of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years. 4He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys. They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.10:4 Or called the settlements of Jair 5When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.
Jephthah
6Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer served him, 7he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, 8who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. 9The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim; Israel was in great distress. 10Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.”
11The Lord replied, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites10:12 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts Midianites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? 13But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. 14Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!”
15But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” 16Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.
17When the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. 18The leaders of the people of Gilead said to each other, “Whoever will take the lead in attacking the Ammonites will be head over all who live in Gilead.”
士师陀拉和雅珥
1亚比米勒死后，以萨迦人陀拉拯救了以色列人。他住在以法莲山区的沙密，祖父是朵多，父亲是普瓦。 2陀拉做以色列的士师二十三年，死后葬在沙密。
3之后，基列人雅珥做以色列的士师二十二年。 4他有三十个儿子，每人骑一头驴。他们在基列拥有三十座城，那些城到现在还叫“雅珥之城”。 5雅珥死后，葬在加们。
以色列人因犯罪而受罚
6后来，以色列人又做耶和华视为恶的事，祭拜巴力和亚斯她录，又拜亚兰、西顿、摩押、亚扪和非利士的神明。他们背弃耶和华，不再事奉祂。 7耶和华向他们发怒，把他们交在非利士人和亚扪人手中。 8那年，非利士人和亚扪人击垮了以色列人，压迫基列地区、约旦河东亚摩利境内的以色列人达十八年。 9亚扪人还渡过约旦河攻击犹大、便雅悯和以法莲支派，使以色列人苦不堪言。 10于是，他们呼求耶和华说：“我们背弃我们的上帝去祭拜巴力，我们得罪了你。” 11耶和华对他们说：“你们受埃及人、亚摩利人、亚扪人、非利士人、 12西顿人、亚玛力人和马云人的压迫，就呼求我，我岂没有拯救你们吗？ 13但你们竟背弃我，去事奉其他神明，所以我不再救你们。 14你们去呼求自己选择的神明吧！你们有难，让他们救你们吧！” 15他们对耶和华说：“我们犯了罪，任你处置我们，只求你今天拯救我们。” 16以色列人除掉了他们的外邦神像，转而事奉耶和华。耶和华不忍再看以色列人受苦。
17当时，亚扪人整装备战，在基列安营；以色列人也集合起来，在米斯巴安营。 18基列的首领们彼此商议说：“谁先攻打亚扪人，谁就做所有基列人的首领。”
