Judges 3
1 These are the nations which the Lord left, that by them he might instruct Israel, and all that had not known the wars of the Chanaanites:
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 That afterwards their children might learn to fight with their enemies, and to be trained up to war:
and that aftirward `the sones of hem schulden lerne to fiyte with enemyes,
3 The five princes of the Philistines, and all the Chanaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hevites that dwelt in mount Libanus, from mount Baal Hermon to the entering into Emath.
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 he left them, that he might try Israel by them, whether they would hear the commandments of the Lord, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses, or not.
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 So the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanite, and the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Pherezite, and the Hevite, 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 to wives, and they gave their own daughters to their sons, and they 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 they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot their God, and served Baalim and Astaroth.
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 being angry with Israel, delivered them into the hands of Chusan Rasathaim king of Mesopotamia, and they served him 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 they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour, and delivered them, to wit, Othoniel the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb:
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 was in him, and he judged Israel. And he went out to fight, and the Lord delivered into his hands Chusan Rasathaim king of Syria, and he overthrew him.
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 rested forty years, and Othoniel the son of Cenez died.
And the lond restide fourti yeer; and Othonyel, sone of Ceneth, diede.
12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: who strengthened against them Eglon king of Moab: because they did evil in his sight.
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 joined to him the children of Ammon, and Amalec: and he went and overthrew Israel, and possessed 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 Eglon king of Moab eighteen years:
And the sones of Israel serueden Eglon, kyng of Moab, eiytene yeer.
15 And afterwards they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour called Aod, the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, who used the left hand as well as the right. And the children of Israel sent presents to Eglon king of Moab by him.
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 he made himself a two-edged sword, with a haft in the midst of the length of the palm of the hand, and was girded therewith under his garment on the 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 presented the gifts to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was exceeding fat.
And he brouyte yiftis to Eglon, the kyng of Moab; forsothe Eglon was ful fat.
18 And when he had presented the gifts unto him, he followed his companions that came along with him.
And whanne he hadde youe yiftis to the kyng, he pursuede felowis that camen with hym; and he turnede ayen fro Galgalis,
19 Then returning from Galgal, where the idols were, be said to the king: I have a secret message to thee, O king. And he commanded silence: and all being gone out that were about 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 Aod went in to him: now he was sitting in a summer parlour alone, and he said: I have a word from God to thee. And he forthwith rose up from his throne,
forsothe he sat aloone in a somer parlour. And Aioth seide, Y haue the word of God to thee.
21 And Aod put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust 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 With such force that the haft went in after the blade into the wound, and was closed up with the abundance of fat. So that he did not draw out the dagger, but left it in his body as he had struck it in. And forthwith by the secret parts of nature the excrements of the belly came out.
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 But Aod carefully shutting the doors of the parlour and locking them,
Forsothe whanne the doris of the parlour weren closid moost diligentli, and fastned with lok,
24 Went out by a postern door. And the king’s servants going in, saw the doors of the parlour shut, and they said: Perhaps he is easing nature in his summer parlour.
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 waiting a long time till they were ashamed, and seeing that no man opened the door, they took a key: and opening, they found their lord lying dead on the ground.
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 But Aod, while they were in confusion, escaped, and passed by the place of the idols, from whence he had returned. And he came to Seirath:
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 forthwith he sounded the trumpet in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel went down with him, he himself going in the front.
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: Follow me: for the Lord hath delivered our enemies the Moabites into our hands. And they went down after him, and seized upon the fords of the Jordan, which are in the way to Moab: and they suffered no 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 But they slew of the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand, all strong and Valiant men: none of them could escape.
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 And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel: and the land rested eighty years.
And Moab was maad low in that dai vndur the hond of Israel, and the lond restide fourescoor yeer.
31 After him was Samgar the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with a ploughshare: and he also defended Israel.
Aftir hym was Samgar, the sone of Anath, that smoot of Filisteis sixe hundrid men with a schar; and he also defendide Israel.
