Judges 3

1 And these are the nations that Jehovah left, to prove Israel by them, all that had not known all the wars of Canaan;

Now Yahweh left these nations to test Israel, namely everyone in Israel who had not experienced any of the wars fought in Canaan.

2 only that the generations of the children of Israel might know war by learning it, at the least those who before had known nothing thereof:

(He did this to teach warfare to the new generation of the Israelites who had not known it before.)

3 five lord ships of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwell on mount Lebanon; from mount Baal-Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

These are the nations: the five kings from the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanon mountains, from Mount Baal Hermon to Hamath Pass.

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

These nations were left as a means by which Yahweh would test Israel, to confirm whether they would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses.

5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites: Hittites and Amorites and Perizzites and Hivites and Jebusites;

So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

6 and they took their daughters as wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Their daughters they took to be their wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgot Jehovah their God, and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and forgot Yahweh their God. They worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.

8 And the anger of Jehovah was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.

Therefore, the anger of Yahweh was set on fire against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. The people of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.

9 And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah; and Jehovah raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

When the people of Israel called out to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up someone who would come to help the people of Israel, and who would rescue them: Othniel son of Kenaz (Caleb's younger brother).

10 And the Spirit of Jehovah was upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Jehovah gave Chushan-rishathaim king of Syria into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.

Yahweh's Spirit empowered him, and he judged Israel and he went out to war. Yahweh gave him victory over Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram. The hand of Othniel defeated Cushan-Rishathaim.

11 And the land had rest forty years; and Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

The land had peace for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

12 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they did evil in the sight of Jehovah.

After that, the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and Yahweh gave strength to Eglon king of Moab to overpower the Israelites.

13 And he gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek and went and smote Israel, and they took possession of the city of palm-trees.

Eglon joined with the Ammonites and the Amalekites and they went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.

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

The people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.

15 And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah, and Jehovah raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a man left-handed. And by him the children of Israel sent a gift to Eglon king of Moab.

When the people of Israel called out to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up someone who would help them, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent him, with their tribute payment, to Eglon king of Moab.

16 And Ehud made him a sword having two edges, it was of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right hip.

Ehud made himself a sword that had two edges, one cubit in length; he strapped it on under his clothing on his right thigh.

17 And he brought the gift to Eglon king of Moab; now Eglon was a very fat man.

He gave the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)

18 And it came to pass when he had ended offering the gift, he sent away the people that had borne the gift.

After Ehud had presented the tribute payment, he left with those who had carried it in.

19 But he turned from the graven images that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word unto thee, O king. And he said, Be silent! And all that stood by him went out from him.

As for Ehud himself, however, when he reached the place where the carved images were made near Gilgal, he turned and went back, and he said, “I have a secret message for you, my king.” Eglon said, “Silence!” So all those serving him left the room.

20 And Ehud came to him; now he was sitting in the cool upper-chamber, which was for him alone. And Ehud said, I have a word from God unto thee. And he arose from the seat.

Ehud came to him. The king was sitting by himself, alone in the coolness of the upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” The king got up out of his seat.

21 Then Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right hip, and thrust it into his belly;

Ehud reached with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and he stabbed it into the king's body.

22 and the haft also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade; for he did not draw the sword out of his belly, and it came out between the legs.

The hilt of the sword also went into him following the blade. The tip of the sword came out of his back and the fat closed over it, for Ehud did not pull the sword out of his belly.

23 And Ehud went out into the portico, and shut the doors of the upper-chamber upon him, and bolted them.

Then Ehud went out on the porch and closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24 And when he was gone out, the servants of the [king] came and saw, and behold, the doors of the upper-chamber were bolted. And they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the summer chamber.

After Ehud had gone, the king's servants came; they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, so they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the coolness of the upper room.”

25 And they waited till they were ashamed; and behold, he opened not the doors of the upper-chamber, and they took the key, and opened [them], and behold, their lord lay dead on the earth.

They were growing more concerned until they felt they were neglecting their duty when the king still did not open the doors to the upper room. So they took the key and opened them, and there lay their master, fallen to the floor, dead.

26 And Ehud had escaped while they lingered, and passed beyond the graven images, and escaped to Seirah.

While the servants were waiting, wondering what they should do, Ehud escaped and passed beyond the place where there were carved images of idols, and so he escaped to 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.

When he arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hills, and he was leading 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 toward Moab, and suffered no one to pass over.

He said to them, “Follow me, for Yahweh is about to defeat your enemies, the Moabites.” They followed him and they captured the fords of the Jordan across from the Moabites, and they did not allow anyone to cross the river.

29 And they slew the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand men, all fat, and all men of valour, and not a man escaped.

At that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, and all were strong and capable men. Not one escaped.

30 And Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.

So that day Moab was subdued by the strength of Israel, and the land had rest for eighty years.

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

After Ehud the next judge was Shamgar son of Anath who killed 600 men of the Philistines with a stick used to goad cattle. He also delivered Israel from danger.