1 Etter Abimelek ble Tola, sønn av Pua, sønn av Dodo, en mann fra Issakar, Israels frelser; han bodde i Shamir i fjellområdet Efraim.

Now after Abimelech, Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, became the saviour of Israel; he was living in Shamir in the hill-country of Ephraim.

2 Han var dommer over Israel i tjue-tre år, og da han døde, ble hans legeme gravlagt i Shamir.

He was judge over Israel for twenty-three years; and at his death his body was put to rest in the earth in Shamir.

3 Etter ham kom Jair, gileaditten, som var dommer over Israel i tjueto år.

And after him came Jair the Gileadite, who was judge over Israel for twenty-two years.

4 Han hadde tretti sønner som red på tretti unge esler, og de hadde tretti byer i landet Gilead, som kalles Havvot-Jair til denne dag.

And he had thirty sons, who went on thirty young asses; and they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which are named Havvoth-Jair to this day.

5 Og da Jair døde, ble hans legeme gravlagt i Kamon.

And at the death of Jair his body was put to rest in the earth in Kamon.

6 Og igjen gjorde israelittene det som var ondt i Herrens øyne, og tilba Baalene og Astartene og gudene fra Aram, Sidon, Moab, ammonittene og filistrene; de forlot Herren og tjente ikke lenger ham.

And again the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord, worshipping the Baals and Astartes, and the gods of Aram and the gods of Zidon and the gods of Moab and the gods of the children of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines; they gave up the Lord and were servants to him no longer.

7 Og Herrens vrede flammet opp mot Israel, og han overga dem i filistrenes og ammonittenes hender.

And the wrath of the Lord was burning against Israel, and he gave them up into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

8 Det året ble israelittene undertrykt; i atten år led alle israelittene på den andre siden av Jordan, i landet til amorittene i Gilead, under stor byrde.

And that year the children of Israel were crushed under their yoke; for eighteen years all the children of Israel on the other side of Jordan, in the land of the Amorites which is in Gilead, were cruelly crushed down.

9 Og ammonittene gikk over Jordan for å føre krig mot Juda, Benjamin og Efraims hus; og Israel var i stor nød.

And the children of Ammon went over Jordan, to make war against Judah and Benjamin and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was in great trouble.

10 Da ropte israelittene til Herren og sa: Vi har syndet mot deg, for vi har forlatt vår Gud og tjent Baalene.

Then the children of Israel, crying out to the Lord, said, Great is our sin against you, for we have given up our God and have been servants to the Baals.

11 Og Herren sa til israelittene: Var det ikke egypterne, amorittene, ammonittene og filistrene

And the Lord said to the children of Israel, Were not the Egyptians and the Amorites and the children of Ammon and the Philistines

12 og sidoniene, amalekittene og midjanittene som undertrykte dere, og svarte jeg ikke på deres rop om hjelp og frelste dere fra deres hånd?

And the Zidonians and Amalek and Midian crushing you down, and in answer to your cry did I not give you salvation from their hands?

13 Men til tross for alt dette, har dere forlatt meg og tjent andre guder; derfor vil jeg ikke lenger være deres frelser.

But, for all this, you have given me up and have been servants to other gods: so I will be your saviour no longer.

14 Gå og rop til de gudene dere har valgt, la dem være deres frelsere i nødens stund.

Go, send up your cry for help to the gods of your selection; let them be your saviours in the time of your trouble.

15 Og israelittene sa til Herren: Vi har syndet, gjør med oss det som virker godt for deg, bare frels oss i dag.

And the children of Israel said to the Lord, We are sinners; do to us whatever seems good to you: only give us salvation this day.

16 Så kastet de bort de fremmede gudene fra seg, og tjente Herren; og hans sjel ble fylt av medfølelse for Israels nød.

So they put away the strange gods from among them, and became the Lord's servants; and his soul was angry because of the sorrows of Israel.

17 Da samlet ammonittene seg og gjorde seg klar til kamp i Gilead. Og israelittene samlet seg og gjorde seg klar i Mispa.

Then the children of Ammon came together and put their army in position in Gilead. And the children of Israel came together and put their army in position in Mizpah.

18 Og Israels folk sa til hverandre: Hvem vil være den første til å angripe ammonittene? Vi vil gjøre ham til leder over hele Gilead.

And the people of Israel said to one another, Who will be the first to make an attack on the children of Ammon? We will make him head over all Gilead.