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 sons of Israel might know, to teach them war, at least to such as formerly knew nothing of that):

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 to the entrance of Hamath.

4 And they were left, to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken to the commandments of Jehovah, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.

5 And the sons 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 sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgot 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 sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

9 And when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a savior to the sons 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 sons 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 to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.

14 And the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

15 But when the sons of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised up for them a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

16 And Ehud made for himself 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 to 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 men who bore the tribute.

19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to thee, O king. And he said, Keep silence. And all who stood by him went out from him.

20 And Ehud came to him. And he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to 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 handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade, for he did not draw 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 delayed till they were ashamed, and, behold, he did not open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key, and opened, and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

26 And Ehud escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.

27 And it came to pass, when he came, that he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim. And the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill-country, and he before them.

28 And he said to them, Follow after me, for Jehovah has 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 did not allow a man to pass over.

29 And they smote about ten thousand men of Moab at that time, every robust 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 eighty years.

31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox-goad, and he also saved Israel.