9:54. And he called hastily to his armourbearer, and said to him: Draw thy sword, and kill me: lest it should be said that I was slain by a woman. He did as he was commanded, and slew him. 9:55. And when he was dead all the men of Israel that were with him, returned to their homes. 9:56. And God repaid the evil that Abimelech had done against his father, killing his seventy brethren. 9:57. The Sichemites also were rewarded for what they had done, and the curse of Joatham, the son of Jerobaal, came upon them. Judges Chapter 10 Thola ruleth Israel twenty-three years; and Jair twenty-two. The people fall again into idolatry, and are afflicted again by the Philistines and Ammonites. They cry to God for help, who upon their repentance hath compassion on them. 10:1. After Abimelech, there arose a ruler in Israel, Thola, son of Phua, the uncle of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, who dwelt in Samir of mount Ephraim: 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. 10:2. And he judged Israel three and twenty years, and he died, and was buried in Samir. 10:3. To him succeeded Jair, the Galaadite, who judged Israel for two and twenty years, 10:4. Having thirty sons, that rode on thirty ass colts, and were princes of thirty cities, which from his name were called Havoth Jair, that is, the towns of Jair, until this present day, in the land of Galaad. Havoth Jair... This name was now confirmed to these towns, which they had formerly received from another Jair. Num. 32.41. 10:5. And Jair died, and was buried in the place which is called Camon. 10:6. But the children of Israel, adding new sins to their old ones, did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served idols, Baalim and Astaroth, and the gods of Syria, and of Sidon, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines: and they left the Lord, and did not serve him. 10:7. And the Lord being angry with them, delivered them into the hands of the Philistines, and of the children of Ammon. 10:8. And they were afflicted, and grievously oppressed for eighteen years, all they that dwelt beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorrhite, who is in Galaad: 10:9. Insomuch that the children of Ammon, passing over the Jordan, wasted Juda, and Benjamin, and Ephraim: and Israel was distressed exceedingly. 10:10. And they cried to the Lord, and said, We have sinned against thee, because we have forsaken the Lord our God, and have served Baalim. 10:11. And the Lord said to them: Did not the Egyptians, and the Amorrhites, and the children of Ammon, and the Philistines, 10:12. The Sidonians also, and Amalec, and Chanaan, oppress you, and you cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand? 10:13. And yet you have forsaken me, and have worshipped strange gods: therefore I will deliver you no more: 10:14. Go, and call upon the gods which you have chosen: let them deliver you in the time of distress.