The Book of Judges

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

After Abimelech, a leader rose up in Israel, Tola, the son of Puah, the paternal uncle of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, who lived in Shamir on mount Ephraim.(a)

And he judged Israel for twenty-three years, and he died and was buried at Shamir.

Jair

After him succeeded Jair, a Gileadite, who judged Israel for twenty-two years,

having thirty sons sitting upon thirty young donkeys, and who were leaders of thirty cities, which from his name were called Havvoth Jair, that is, the towns of Jair, even to the present day, in the land of Gilead.(b)

And Jair died, and he was buried in the place which is called Kamon.

Oppression by the Philistines and Ammonites

But the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, joining new sins to old, and they served idols, the Baals and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria and Sidon, and of Moab and the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines. And they abandoned the Lord, and they did not worship him.

And the Lord, becoming angry against them, delivered them into the hands of the Philistines and the sons of Ammon.

And they were afflicted and vehemently oppressed for eighteen years, all who were living beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorite, which is in Gilead,

to such a great extent that the sons of Ammon, crossing over the Jordan, laid waste to Judah and Benjamin and Ephraim. And Israel was exceedingly afflicted.

And crying out to the Lord, they said: “We have sinned against you. For we have forsaken the Lord our God, and we have served the Baals.”

And the Lord said to them: “Did not the Egyptians, and the Amorites, and the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines,

and also the Sidonians, and Amalek, and Canaan, oppress you, and so you cried out to me, and I rescued you from their hand?

And yet you have forsaken me, and you have worshipped foreign gods. For this reason, I will not continue to free you any more.

Go, and call upon the gods whom you have chosen. Let them free you in the time of anguish.”

And the sons of Israel said to the Lord: “We have sinned. You may repay us in whatever way pleases you. Yet free us now.”

And saying these things, they cast out all the idols of the foreign gods from their regions, and they served the Lord God. And he was touched by their miseries.

And then the sons of Ammon, shouting out together, pitched their tents in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered together against them, and they made camp at Mizpah.

And the leaders of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever among us will be the first to begin to contend against the sons of Ammon, he shall be the leader of the people of Gilead.”

Footnotes

(a)10:1 Uncle of Abimelech:i. e., half brother to Gedeon, as being born of the same mother, but by a different father, and of a different tribe.(Challoner)

(b)10:4 Havoth Jair:This name was now confirmed to these towns, which they had formerly received from another Jair. Num. 32:41.(Challoner)

After Abimelech, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.

He judged Israel twenty-three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

Jair

After him Jair, the Gileadite, arose. He judged Israel twenty-two years.

He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts. They had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

Jair died, and was buried in Kamon.

Oppression by the Philistines and Ammonites

The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and served the Baals, the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned the LORD, and didn’t serve him.

The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the children of Ammon.

They troubled and oppressed the children of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

The children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was very distressed.

The children of Israel cried to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against you, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baals.”

The LORD said to the children of Israel, “Didn’t I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you; and you cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand.

Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Therefore I will save you no more.

Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress!”

The children of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems good to you; only deliver us, please, today.”

They put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. The children of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpah.

The people, the princes of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”