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¹ After Abimelech, there arose to defende Israel Thola the sonne of Phuah the sonne of Dodo, a man of Isachar, whiche dwelt in Sanur in mount Ephraim.

² And he iudged Israel twentie & three yeres, & died, & was buried in Samir.

³ And after him, arose Iair a Gileadite, and iudged Israel twintie and two yeres.

⁴ And he had thirtie sonnes that rode on thirtie Asse coltes, and they had thirtie cities, which are called Hauoth Iair vnto this day, and are in the lande of Gilead.

⁵ And Iair died, and was buried in Camon.

⁶ And the children of Israel wrought wickednesse yet agayne in the sight of the Lord, and serued Baalim and Astaroth, and the gods of Siria, the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsoke the Lorde, and serued not him.

⁷ And the Lord was wroth with Israel, and he solde them into the handes of the Philistines, and into the handes of the children of Ammon.

⁸ Which from that yere foorth, pilde and oppressed the children of Israel eyghtteene yeres, al that were on the other side Iordane, in the lande of the Amorites whiche is in Gilead.

⁹ Moreouer, ye children of Ammon went ouer Iordane to fight agaynst Iuda, Beniamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sore cumbred.

¹⁰ And the children of Israel cryed vnto ye Lord, saying: We haue sinned against thee, for we haue forsaken our owne God, and haue carued Baalim.

¹¹ And the Lorde sayde vnto the childre of Israel: Dyd not I ryd you from the Egiptians and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

¹² The Sidonites also, and the Amalekites, & the Maonites dyd oppresse you, and ye cryed to me, and I deliuered you out of their handes.

¹³ And for all that, ye haue forsaken me and serued straunge gods, wherfore I will helpe you no more.

¹⁴ Go and crye vnto the gods whiche ye haue chosen, and let them saue you in the tyme of your tribulation.

¹⁵ And the children of Israel sayde vnto the Lord: We haue sinned, do thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please thee, deliuer vs onely we pray thee this day.

¹⁶ And they put away the straunge gods from them, & serued the Lord: And his soule had pitie on the miserie of Israel.

¹⁷ Then the children of Ammon gathered together, & pitched in Gilead: And the children of Israel gathered them together, and pitched in Mispah.

¹⁸ And the people and lordes of Gilead sayde eche to other: whosoeuer will beginne the battell agaynst the children of Ammon, the same shalbe head ouer all the inhabitauntes of Gilead.