Judges 3

1 These nowe are the nations which the Lord left, that he might proue Israel by them (euen as many of Israel as had not knowen all the warres 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 to make the generations of the children of Israel to know, and to teach them warre, which doutles their predecessors knew not)

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

3 Fiue princes of the Philistims, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hiuites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon vntill one come to 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 these remayned to proue Israel by them, to wit, whether they would obey the commandements of the Lord, 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, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hiuites, and the Iebusites,

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

6 And they tooke their daughters to bee their wiues, and gaue their daughters to their sonnes, and serued 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 So the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and forgate the Lord their God, and serued Baalim, and Asheroth.

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 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he solde them into the hand of Chushan rishathaim King of Aram-naharaim, and the children of Israel serued Chushan rishathaim eyght yeeres.

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 when the children of Israel cryed vnto the Lord, the Lord stirred vp a sauiour to ye children of Israel, and he saued them, euen Othniel the sonne of Kenaz, Calebs yonger 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 spirite of the Lord came vpon him, and he iudged Israel, and went out to warre: and the Lord deliuered Chushan rishathaim king of Aram into his hand, and his hand preuailed 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 So the lande had rest fourtie yeeres, and Othniel the sonne of Kenaz dyed.

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

12 Then the children of Israel againe committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon King of Moab against Israel, because they had committed wickednesse before the Lord.

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 vnto him the children of Ammon, and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and they possessed the citie of palme 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 So the children of Israel serued Eglon king of Moab eighteene yeeres.

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

15 But when the children of Israel cried vnto the Lord, the Lord stirred them vp a sauiour, Ehud the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini, a man lame of his right hande: and the children of Israel sent a present by him vnto 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 dagger with two edges of a cubite length, and he did gird it vnder his rayment vpon his right thigh,

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 presented ye gift vnto Eglon King of Moab (and 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 when he had now presented the present, he sent away the people that bare ye present,

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

19 But he turned againe from the quarris, that were by Gilgal, and said, I haue a secret errand vnto thee, O King. Who said, Keepe silence: and all that stoode about 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 Then Ehud came vnto him. (and he sate alone in a sommer parler, which he had) and Ehud said, I haue a message vnto thee from God. Then he arose out of his throne,

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 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and tooke the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his bellie,

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

22 So that the hafte went in after the blade, and the fatte closed about the blade, so that he could not drawe the dagger out of his bellie, but the dirt came out.

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 Then Ehud gate him out into the porch, and shut the doores of the parler vpon him, and locked 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, his seruantes came: who seeing that the doores of the parler were locked, they sayd, Surely he doeth his easement in his sommer 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 taryed till they were ashamed: and seeing he opened not the doores of the parler, they tooke the key, and opened them, and behold, their lord was fallen 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 So Ehud escaped (while they taried) and was passed the quarris, and escaped vnto 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 when he came home, he blew a trumpet in mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel went downe with him from the mountaine, and he went 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 Then said he vnto them, Follow me: for the Lord hath deliuered your enemies, euen Moab into your hand. So they went downe after him, and tooke the passages of Iorden towarde Moab, and suffred not a man to passe ouer.

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 slewe of the Moabites the same time about ten thousand men, all fed men, and all were warriours, and there escaped not a man.

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

30 So Moab was subdued that daye, vnder the hand of Israel: and the land had rest fourescore yeeres.

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 sonne of Anath, which slewe of the Philistims sixe hundreth men with an oxe goade, and he also deliuered 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.