Judges 3
1 Now these are the nations which Jehovah left, to prove Israel by them, even as
many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them
war, at the least such as beforetime knew nothing thereof:
3 [ namely], the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the
Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon
unto the entrance of Hamath.
4 And they were [left], to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would
hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah, which he commanded their fathers by
Moses.
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the
Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
6 and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters
to their sons and served their gods.
7 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah,
and forgat Jehovah their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth.
8 Therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them
into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of
Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
9 And when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a
saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of
Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
10 And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went
out to war, and Jehovah delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his
hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim.
11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of
Jehovah: and Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because
they had done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah.
13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and
smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees.
14 And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a
saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. And the
children of Israel sent tribute by him unto Eglon the king of Moab.
16 And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he
girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17 And he offered the tribute unto Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat
man.
18 And when he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people
that bare the tribute.
19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I
have a secret errand unto thee, O king. And he said, Keep silence. And all that
stood by him went out from him.
20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper
room. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of
his seat.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh,
and thrust it into his body:
22 and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade,
for he drew not the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.
23 Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room
upon him, and locked them.
24 Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the
doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is covering his
feet in the upper chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed; and, behold, he opened not the doors
of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened [them], and, behold,
their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and
escaped unto Seirah.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the
hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the
hill-country, and he before them.
28 And he said unto them, Follow after me; for Jehovah hath delivered your
enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the
fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man,
and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest
fourscore years.
31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines six
hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Israel.