Judges 3

1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

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.

2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

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

3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelled in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon to the entering in of Hamath.

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.

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

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.

5 And the children of Israel dwelled among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

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

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

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

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.

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.

8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

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.

9 And when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

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.

10 And the Spirit of the LORD came on him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

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.

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

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

12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

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.

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

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

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

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

15 But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a present to Eglon the king of Moab.

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.

16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment on his right thigh.

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

17 And he brought the present to Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

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

18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bore the present.

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

19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to you, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.

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.

20 And Ehud came to him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. And he arose out of his seat.

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,

21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

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

22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

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.

23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor on him, and locked them.

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

24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely he covers his feet in his summer chamber.

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.

25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

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.

26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirath.

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

27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

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.

28 And he said to them, Follow after me: for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

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.

29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man.

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

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

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

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

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