⁶ And the children of Israel wrought wickedness yet again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD and served him not. ⁷ And the LORD was wroth with Israel, and sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon: ⁸ which pilled and oppressed the children of Israel in those days eighteen years, all that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites in Gilead. ⁹ Moreover, the children of Ammon went over Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore cumbered. ¹⁰ Then the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against thee: for we have forsaken our own God, and have served Baalim."

¹¹ And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, "Did not the Egyptians, the Amorites, the children of Ammon, the Philistines, ¹² the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppress you? And ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hands. ¹³ And for all that, ye have forsaken me, and serve strange gods, wherefore I will help you no more. ¹⁴ But go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen, and let them save you in the time of your tribulation."

¹⁵ But the children of Israel said unto the LORD, "We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever please thee, and deliver us only at this time." ¹⁶ And they put away the strange gods from them and served the LORD. And the misery of Israel grieved his soul.

¹⁷ Then the children of Ammon gathered together and pitched in Gilead. And the children of Israel gathered them together and pitched in Mizpeh. ¹⁸ And the company of the lords of Gilead said each to other, "Whosoever will begin the battle against the children of Ammon, the same shall be head over all the inhabiters of Gilead."