12 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?
13 But you still left me and worshiped other gods, so I am not going to rescue you again.
14 Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them rescue you when you get in trouble.”
15 But the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do whatever you like, but please, save us today.”
16 So they got rid of their foreign gods and worshiped the Lord; and he became troubled over Israel's distress.
17 Then the Ammonite army prepared for battle and camped in Gilead. The people of Israel came together and camped at Mizpah in Gilead.
18 There the people and the leaders of the Israelite tribes asked one another, “Who will lead the fight against the Ammonites? Whoever does will be the leader of everyone in Gilead.”