1 After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, rose {vayakam: narrative transition} to deliver Israel and he dwelt in Shamir in the hill country {behar: upland region} of Ephraim.
2 He presided {shaphat: administered justice} over Israel for twenty-three years; then he died, and he was buried in Shamir {shamir: hill country town}.
3 After him, Jair {Yair: he shines} the Gileadite rose up and judged Israel for twenty-two years {shanah: annual cycle}.
4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts {ayyarim: young riding donkeys}, and thirty towns belonged to them. These bear the name Havvoth Jair {chavvot: settlement clusters} to this day, in the land of Gilead.
5 And Jair {yair: Tribal Judge} died, and they buried him in Kamon {qamon: settlement location}.
6 Once again the sons of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Judge}, and they served the Baals and the Ashtoreths {Ashtarot: fertility goddesses}, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned the LORD and did not serve Him.
7 And the anger {’ap: Fierce Displeasure} of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Judge} burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the sons of Ammon.
8 And in that year they crushed and oppressed the sons of Israel; for eighteen years they oppressed all the sons of Israel who were across the Jordan in the land of the Amorite {ha’emori: highland inhabitants}, which is Gilead {bagil‘ad: rocky region}.
9 And the sons of Ammon crossed over {wayya'avru: hostile incursion} the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was in great distress {me'od: intense suffering}.
10 And the Israelites appealed to the LORD {YHWH, Merciful Judge}, “We have sinned {chatanu: missed the mark} against You, for we have abandoned our God and served the Baals.”
11 And the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Deliverer} said to the sons of Israel, “Did I not rescue you from Egypt {Mitzrayim: land of bondage} and from the Amorite and from the sons of Ammon and from the Philistines?”
12 The Sidonians, Amalek, and the Maonites oppressed {laḥaṣ̣û: pressed hard} you, and you cried out to Me {YHWH, Rescuer}, and I delivered you from their hand.
13 But you have forsaken me and you have served {ta'avdu: performed cultic worship} other gods; therefore I will not again deliver {lehoshia: rescue from danger} you.
14 Go, and cry out to the gods {elohim: false deities} you have chosen; let them deliver you in your hour of distress {tsarah: dire emergency}.
15 And the sons of Israel said to the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Judge}, “We have sinned. Deal with us according to all the good {hatov: morally good} in Your sight; only, rescue us this day.”
16 And they removed the foreign gods {elohei hanekhar: idols} from their midst, and they served the LORD {YHWH, Compassionate Guardian}. His soul could no longer bear the misery of Israel.
17 Then the sons of Ammon cried out {tsa'aqa: mobilizing call}, and they camped in Gilead; and the sons of Israel assembled, and they camped at Mizpah {mits-pah: watchtower gathering place}.
18 And the people, the chiefs {sarei: military leaders} of Gilead, addressed each other, “Which man will first wage war {lehilachem: engage in armed conflict} against the sons of Ammon? He will preside as head over all who dwell in Gilead.”