Judges Chapter 10
Two quiet judges give way to renewed idolatry and Ammonite oppression.
Judges 10 briefly records two lesser-known judges, Tola of Issachar and Jair of Gilead, before turning to Israel's repeated pattern of forsaking the LORD for the gods of Syria, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. The chapter, which follows directly after Judges 9, ends with the LORD's anger cooling only after the people put away their idols and cry out in genuine distress.
And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.
And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of יהוה, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the elohim of Syria, and the elohim of Zidon, and the elohim of Moab, and the elohim of the children of Ammon, and the elohim of the Philistines, and forsook יהוה, and served not him.
And the anger of יהוה was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.
And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
And the children of Israel cried unto יהוה, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our Elohim, and also served Baalim.
And יהוה said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other elohim: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
Go and cry unto the elohim which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
And the children of Israel said unto יהוה, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.
And they put away the strange elohim from among them, and served יהוה: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.