⁸ That year they broke Israel’s power completely. They treated the Israelites badly for 18 years. The people who did this lived east of the Jordan River. They lived in Gilead. That was the land of the Amorites. ⁹ The Ammonites also went across the Jordan. They crossed over to fight against the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. Israel was suffering terribly. ¹⁰ Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said, “We have sinned against you. We have deserted our God. We have served gods that are named Baal.”