The Israelites sinned again against the Lord. They worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia.
They rejected the Lord and stopped worshiping him. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon.
That year they defeated the Israelites and oppressed them. For 18 years they oppressed the Israelites living east of the Jordan River in Gilead where the Amorites lived.
The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. So Israel is in trouble.
And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken thee, and have also served Baalim.
The Lord answered, "The Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed you in the past, and you cried out to me. Did I not save you from them?
But you have rejected me and worshiped other gods, so I will not save you.
Go and cry to the gods in whom you trust. They will save you from trouble.
But the people of Israel said to the Lord, "We have sinned. Do what you want but save us now. " So they put away the foreign gods they had served, and they worshiped the Lord, and the Lord had mercy on them.
Then the Ammonite army assembled and camped in Gilead. The Israelites also assembled and camped at Mizpah.
And the children of Israel and the princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? The one who leads us will be the leader of everything here in Gilead. "