Judges 3

1 The following are the nations the Lord left and used to test all those Israelites who had not known what it was like to be part of any of the wars in Canaan.

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

2 (He did so to teach warfare to the later generations of Israel, particularly to those who had not previously experienced it.)

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:

3 They are: the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.

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.

4 They were left there be to a test for the Israelites, to find out whether the Israelites would keep the Lord's commandments which he had given their forefathers through Moses.

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.

5 They lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

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

6 The Israelites intermarried with them, marrying their daughters, giving their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.

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

7 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. They ignored the Lord their God and worshiped the images of Baals and Asherahs.

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

8 The Lord became angry with Israel, so he sold them to Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim. The Israelites were subject to Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.

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.

9 But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord to help them, he provided someone to rescue them, Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, and he saved them.

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.

10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he became Israel's judge. He went to war with Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, and the Lord handed the king over to Othniel, who was victorious.

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.

11 As a result, the country was a peace for forty years until Othniel, son of Kenaz, died.

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

12 But once again the Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and because they did this the Lord gave power to Eglon, king of Moab, to conquer Israel.

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.

13 Eglon had the Ammonites and the Amalekite join him, and then attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.

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.

14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years.

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

15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord to help them, and he provided someone to rescue them, Ehud, son of Gera the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent him to pay the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab.

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.

16 Ehud had made for himself a cubit long double-edged sword, and he strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes.

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.

17 He came and presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, who was a very fat man.

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

18 Then after delivering the tribute he sent home those who had helped carry it.

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

19 But when he reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He went to see Eglon, and told him, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king told his attendants, “Silence!” and they all left.

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.

20 Ehud then went over to where Eglon was sitting alone in his cool upstairs room, and told him, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king got up from his seat,

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.

21 Ehud grabbed his sword with his left hand from his right thigh and drove it into Eglon's belly.

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

22 The handle went in with the blade and the fat closed over it. So Ehud didn't pull the sword out, and the king defecated.

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.

23 Then Ehud closed and locked the doors, and escaped through the toilet.

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

24 After he had left, the servants came and saw that the doors of the room were locked. “He must be using the toilet,” they concluded.

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.

25 So they waited until they couldn't stand it any more, and since he still hadn't opened the doors of the room, they went and found the key and opened the doors. There was their lord, lying dead on the floor.

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.

26 While the servants delayed acting, Ehud escaped, passing the stone idols and on to Seirah.

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

27 When he got there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites joined him. They went down from the hills, with Ehud leading them.

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 He told them, “Follow me, for the Lord has handed Moab, your enemy, over to you.” So they followed him down and took control of the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab. They didn't let anyone cross.

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.

29 Then they attacked the Moabites and killed around 10,000 of their best and strongest fighting men. Not a single one escaped.

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

30 Moab was conquered that day and made subject to Israel, and the country was at peace for eighty years.

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

31 After Ehud was Shamgar, son of Anath, who killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He also rescued Israel.

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.