The judges
Israel's Repentance and Preparation Against the Ammonites
Israel falls into idolatry and is oppressed by the Philistines and Ammonites for eighteen years. When they cry out to the Lord, He first rejects them and tells them to cry out to the gods they have chosen. After removing the foreign gods and serving the Lord, the Israelites gather at Mizpah against the Ammonites who have camped in Gilead, and the leaders of Gilead seek a commander to lead the battle.
Judges 10,6-18
6Again the Israelites did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned the LORD and no longer served him.
וַיֹּסִ֣פוּ ׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת הָרַע֮ בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָה֒ וַיַּעַבְד֣וּ אֶת־הַבְּעָלִ֣ים וְאֶת־הָעַשְׁתָּר֡וֹת וְאֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲרָם֩ וְאֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֨י צִיד֜וֹן וְאֵ֣ת ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י מוֹאָ֗ב וְאֵת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י בְנֵי־עַמּ֔וֹן וְאֵ֖ת אֱלֹהֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיַּעַזְב֥וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א עֲבָדֽוּהוּ׃
7So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites.
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְהוָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיִּמְכְּרֵם֙ בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וּבְיַ֖ד בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃
8That year they shattered and crushed the Israelites, and for eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites beyond the Jordan, in the land of the Amorites in Gilead.
וַֽיִּרְעֲצ֤וּ וַיְרֹֽצְצוּ֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַהִ֑יא שְׁמֹנֶ֨ה עֶשְׂרֵ֜ה שָׁנָ֗ה אֶֽת־כָּל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הָאֱמֹרִ֖י אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּגִּלְעָֽד׃
9The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to make war on Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was in dire distress.
וַיַּעַבְר֤וּ בְנֵֽי־עַמּוֹן֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לְהִלָּחֵ֛ם גַּם־בִּיהוּדָ֥ה וּבְבִנְיָמִ֖ין וּבְבֵ֣ית אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַתֵּ֥צֶר לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מְאֹֽד׃
10Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD: "We have sinned against you. We have abandoned our God and served the Baals."
וַֽיִּזְעֲקוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר חָטָ֣אנוּ לָ֔ךְ וְכִ֤י עָזַ֙בְנוּ֙ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ וַֽנַּעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־הַבְּעָלִֽים׃ פ
11And the LORD said to the Israelites: "Did I not save you from Egypt, from the Amorites, from the Ammonites, and from the Philistines?
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הֲלֹ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ וּמִן־הָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י וּמִן־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּ֖וֹן וּמִן־פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃
12When the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, I saved you from their hand.
וְצִידוֹנִ֤ים וַֽעֲמָלֵק֙ וּמָע֔וֹן לָחֲצ֖וּ אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַתִּצְעֲק֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וָאוֹשִׁ֥יעָה אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִיָּדָֽם׃
13But you have abandoned me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more.
וְאַתֶּם֙ עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ם אוֹתִ֔י וַתַּעַבְד֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים לָכֵ֥ן לֹֽא־אוֹסִ֖יף לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶתְכֶֽם׃
14Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of distress."
לְכ֗וּ וְזַֽעֲקוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם בָּ֑ם הֵ֛מָּה יוֹשִׁ֥יעוּ לָכֶ֖ם בְּעֵ֥ת צָרַתְכֶֽם׃
15But the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned. Do to us whatever seems good to you—only deliver us this day, we beg you."
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֶל־יְהוָה֙ חָטָ֔אנוּ עֲשֵׂה־אַתָּ֣ה לָ֔נוּ כְּכָל־הַטּ֖וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ אַ֛ךְ הַצִּילֵ֥נוּ נָ֖א הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
16So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he could no longer bear Israel's misery.
וַיָּסִ֜ירוּ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֤י הַנֵּכָר֙ מִקִּרְבָּ֔ם וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַתִּקְצַ֥ר נַפְשׁ֖וֹ בַּעֲמַ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פ
17The Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.
וַיִּצָּֽעֲקוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּגִּלְעָ֑ד וַיֵּאָֽסְפוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃
18The people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, "Whoever takes the lead in fighting the Ammonites will be head over all who live in Gilead."
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ הָעָ֜ם שָׂרֵ֤י גִלְעָד֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֔הוּ מִ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָחֵ֔ל לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם בִּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לְרֹ֔אשׁ לְכֹ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֥י גִלְעָֽד׃ פ