Judges 10:6-16

6The Israelites again did things that the Lord saw were evil. They worshipped idols of Baal and Ashtoreth. They also worshipped the gods of Syria, Sidon and Moab, as well as the gods of the Ammonites and the Philistines. They turned away from the Lord and they did not serve him any more.

7The Lord became angry with the Israelites. He put them under the power of the Ammonites and the Philistines.

8That year they attacked the Israelites who lived in the Gilead region, on the east side of the Jordan River. That was the land where the Amorites lived. They were cruel to the Israelites for 18 years.

9Then the Ammonites went across the Jordan River to fight against the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. The Israelites were in a lot of trouble.

10Then the Israelites called out to the Lord for help. They said, ‘We have turned against you. We have worshipped the idols of Baal instead of you.’

11The Lord replied, ‘I have saved you many times when you called to me for help. I saved you from the power of the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Midianites.

13But now you have turned away from me and you worship other gods instead. So I will not rescue you again.

14Go and ask those other gods to help you! They are the gods that you have chosen, so let them rescue you from your trouble!’

15But the Israelites said to the Lord, ‘We are guilty. Punish us in whatever way you think is right, but please rescue us now.’

16Then they threw away all the idols of foreign gods that they had been worshipping. They began to worship the Lord again. Finally, the Lord decided to help them, because he saw how upset they were.