Judges 3

1 And these [are] the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel with them, all that had not known the wars of Chanaan.

These ben the folkis whiche the Lord lefte, that in hem he schulde teche Israel, and alle men that knewen not the batels of Cananeis;

2 Only for the sake of the generations of Israel, to teach them war, only the men before them knew them not.

and that aftirward `the sones of hem schulden lerne to fiyte with enemyes,

3 The five lordships of the Phylistines, and every Chananite, and the Sidonian, and the Evite who lived in Libanus from the mount of Aermon to Laboemath.

and to haue custom of batel He lefte fyue princes of Filistees, and al Cananei, and the puple of Sidon, and Euey that dwelliden in the hil Liban, fro the hil Baal Hermon `til to the entryng of Emath.

4 And [this] was done in order to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commands of the Lord, which he charged their fathers by the hand of Moses.

And he lefte hem, that in hem he schulde asaie Israel, whethir thei wolden here the `heestis of the Lord, whiche he comaundide to her fadris bi the hond of Moises, ethir nai.

5 And the children of Israel lived in the midst of the Chananite, and the Chettite, and the Amorite, and the Pherezite, and the Evite, and the Jebusite.

And so the sones of Israel dwelliden in the myddis of Cananei, of Ethei, and of Ammorrei, and of Feresei, and of Euey,

6 And they took their daughters for wives to themselves, and they gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

and of Jebusey, and weddiden wyues, the douytris of hem; and the sones of Israel yauen her douytris to `the sones of hem, and serueden `the goddis of hem.

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

And the sones of Israel diden yuel in the `siyt of the Lord, and foryaten her Lord God, and serueden Baalym, and Astaroth.

8 And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and sold them into the hand of Chusarsathaim king of Syria of the rivers: and the children of Israel served Chusarsathaim eight years.

And the Lord was wrooth ayens Israel, and bitook hem in to the hondis of Cusanrasathaym, kyng of Mesopotanye, and thei serueden hym eiyte yeer.

9 And the children of Israel cried to the Lord; and the Lord raised up a saviour to Israel, and he saved them, Gothoniel the son of Kenez, the brother of Chaleb younger than himself.

And thei crieden to the Lord, and he reiside to hem a sauyour, and delyuerede hem, that is, Othonyel, sone of Ceneth, `the lesse brothir of Caleph.

10 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war against Chusarsathaim: and the Lord delivered into his hand Chusarsathaim king of Syria of the rivers, and his hand prevailed against Chusarsathaim.

And the spirit of the Lord was in hym, and he demyde Israel. And he yede out to batel, and the Lord bitook in to hise hondis Cusanrathaym, kyng of Sirie; and Othonyel oppresside hym.

11 And the land was quiet forty years; and Gothoniel the son of Kenez died.

And the lond restide fourti yeer; and Othonyel, sone of Ceneth, diede.

12 And the children of Israel continued to do evil before the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglom king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil before the Lord.

Forsothe the sones of Israel addiden to do yuel in the `siyt of the Lord; and he coumfortide ayens hem Eglon, the kyng of Moab, for `thei diden yuel in the `siyt of the Lord.

13 And he gathered to himself all the children of Ammon and Amalec, and went and struck Israel, and took possession of the city of Palm-trees.

And the Lord couplide to hym the sones of Amon and Amalech; and he yede, and smoot Israel, and hadde in possessioun the citee of Palmes.

14 And the children of Israel served Eglom the king of Moab eighteen years.

And the sones of Israel serueden Eglon, kyng of Moab, eiytene yeer.

15 And the children of Israel cried to the Lord; and he raised up to them a saviour, Aod the son of Gera a son of Jemeni, a man who used both hands alike: and the children of Israel sent gifts by his hand to Eglom king of Moab.

And aftirward thei crieden to the Lord; and he reiside to hem a sauyour, Aioth bi name, the sone of Gera, sone of Gemyny, which Aioth vside euer either hond for the riyt hond. And the sones of Israel senten bi him yiftis, `that is, tribute, to Eglon, kyng of Moab;

16 And Aod made himself a dagger of two edges, of a span long, and he girded it under his cloak upon his right thigh.

which Aioth made to hym a swerd keruynge on euer either side, hauynge in the myddis a pomel of the lengthe of the pawm of an hond; and he was gird therwith vndir `the sai, `that is, a knyytis mentil, `in the riyt hipe.

17 And he went, and brought the presents to Eglom king of Moab, and Eglom [was] a very handsome man.

And he brouyte yiftis to Eglon, the kyng of Moab; forsothe Eglon was ful fat.

18 And it came to pass when [Aod] had made an end of offering his gifts, that he dismissed those that brought the gifts.

And whanne he hadde youe yiftis to the kyng, he pursuede felowis that camen with hym; and he turnede ayen fro Galgalis,

19 And he himself returned from the quarries that are by Galgal; and Aod said, I have a secret errand to you, O king! and Eglom said to him, Be silent: and he sent away from his presence all who waited upon him.

where idolis weren, and he seide to the kyng, A kyng, Y haue a priuei word to thee. And he comaundide silence. And whanne alle men weren goon out, that weren aboute hym, Aioth entride to hym;

20 And Aod went in to him; and he sat in his own upper summer chamber quite alone; and Aod said, I have a message from God to you, O king: and Eglom rose up from his throne near him.

forsothe he sat aloone in a somer parlour. And Aioth seide, Y haue the word of God to thee.

21 And it came to pass as he arose, that Aod stretched forth his left hand, and took the dagger off his right thigh, and plunged it into his belly;

Which roos anoon fro the trone. And Aioth helde forth the left hond, and took the swerd fro his riyt hype; and he

22 and drove in also the haft after the blade, and the fat closed in upon the blade, for he drew not out the dagger from his belly.

fastnede in to the `wombe of the kyng so strongli, that the pomel, `ether hilte, suede the yrun in the wounde, and was holdun streite `in the thickeste fatnesse with ynne; and he drow not out the swerd, but so as he hadde smyte, he lefte in the bodi; and anoon bi the priuetees of kynde the tordis of the wombe braste out.

23 And Aod went out to the porch, and passed out by the appointed [guards], and shut the doors of the chamber upon him, and locked [them].

Forsothe whanne the doris of the parlour weren closid moost diligentli, and fastned with lok,

24 And he went out: and Eglom's servants came, and saw, and behold, the doors of the upper chamber [were] locked; and they said, Does he not uncover his feet in the summer-chamber?

Aioth yede out bi a posterne. And the `seruauntis of the king entriden, not in the parlour, but in the porche, and thei sien the doris of the parlour closid, and seiden, In hap he purgith the wombe in the somer parlour.

25 And they waited till they were ashamed, and, behold, there was no one that opened the doors of the upper chamber; and they took the key, and opened them; and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead upon the earth.

And thei abididen longe, til thei weren aschamed; and thei sien that no man openede, and thei token the keie, and thei openyden, and founden her lord liggynge deed in the erthe.

26 And Aod escaped while they were in a tumult, and no one paid attention to him; and he passed the quarries, and escaped to Setirotha.

Sotheli while thei weren disturblid, Aioth fledde out, and passide the place of idols, fro whennus he turnede ayen; and he cam in to Seirath.

27 And it came to pass when Aod came into the land of Israel, that he blew the horn in mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel came down with him from the mountain, and he [was] before them.

And anoon he sownede with a clarioun in the hil of Effraym; and the sones of Israel camen doun with hym, and he yede in the frount.

28 And he said to them, Come down after me, for the Lord God has delivered our enemies, even Moab, into our hand; and they went down after him, and seized on the fords of Jordan before Moab, and he did not suffer a man to pass over.

Which seide to hem, Sue ye me, for the Lord hath bitake oure enemyes, Moabitis, in to oure hondis. And thei camen doun after hym, and ocupieden the forthis of Jordan, that ledde ouer in to Moab.

29 And they struck Moab on that day about ten thousand men, every [lusty] person and every mighty man; and not a man escaped.

And thei suffriden not ony man to passe, but thei smytiden Moabitis in that tyme aboute ten thousande, alle myyti men and stronge; no man of hem myyte ascape.

30 So Moab was humbled in that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest eighty years; and Aod judged them till he died.

And Moab was maad low in that dai vndur the hond of Israel, and the lond restide fourescoor yeer.

31 And after him rose up Samegar the son of Dinach, and struck the Philistines to the number of six hundred men with a ploughshare [such as is drawn by] oxen; and he too delivered Israel.

Aftir hym was Samgar, the sone of Anath, that smoot of Filisteis sixe hundrid men with a schar; and he also defendide Israel.