Judges 3

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

And these [are] the nations which YHWH left, to try Israel by them, all who have not known all the wars of 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;

(only for the sake of the generations of the sons of Israel knowing, to teach them war, only those who formerly have not known them)—

3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal–hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.

five princes of the Philistines, and all the Canaanite, and the Zidonian, and the Hivite inhabiting Mount Lebanon, from Mount Ba‘al-Hermon to the entering in of Hamath;

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

and they are to prove Israel by them, to know whether they obey the commands of YHWH that He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

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

And the sons of Israel have dwelt in the midst of the Canaanite, the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,

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

and take their daughters to them for wives, and have given their daughters to their sons, and they serve their gods;

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Yhwh, and forgat Yhwh their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

and the sons of Israel do evil in the eyes of YHWH, and forget their God YHWH, and serve the Ba‘alim and the Asheroth.

8 Therefore the anger of Yhwh 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.

And the anger of YHWH burns against Israel, and He sells them into the hand of Chushan-Rishathaim king of Aram-Naharaim, and the sons of Israel serve Chushan-Rishathaim eight years;

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

and the sons of Israel cry to YHWH, and YHWH raises a savior to the sons of Israel, and he saves them—Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother;

10 And the Spirit of Yhwh came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: And Yhwh delivered Chushan–rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan–rishathaim.

and the Spirit of YHWH is on him, and he judges Israel, and goes out to battle, and YHWH gives Chushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into his hand, and his hand is strong against Chushan-Rishathaim;

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

and the land rests forty years. And Othniel son of Kenaz dies,

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

and the sons of Israel add to do evil in the eyes of YHWH; and YHWH strengthens Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because that they have done evil in the eyes of YHWH;

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

and he gathers the sons of Ammon and Amalek to himself, and goes and strikes Israel, and they possess the city of palms;

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

and the sons of Israel serve Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

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

And the sons of Israel cry to YHWH, and YHWH raises a savior to them, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite (a man [with] his right hand bound), and the sons of Israel send a present by his hand 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 upon his right thigh.

and Ehud makes a sword for himself, and it has two mouths (its length [is] a cubit), and he girds it under his long robe on his right thigh;

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

and he brings the present near to Eglon king of Moab, and Eglon [is] a very fat man.

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

And it comes to pass, when he has finished to bring the present near, that he sends the people carrying the present away,

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

and he himself has turned back from the carved images which [are] at Gilgal and says, “I have a secret word for you, O king”; and he says, “Hush!” And all those standing by him go out from him.

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

And Ehud has come to him, and he is sitting in the cool upper chamber which he has for himself, and Ehud says, “I have a word of God for you”; and he rises from off the throne;

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

and Ehud puts forth his left hand, and takes the sword from off his right thigh, and thrusts it into his belly;

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

and the hilt also goes in after the blade, and the fat shuts on the blade, that he has not drawn the sword out of his belly, and he goes out [through] the antechamber [[or and the dung came out]].

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

And Ehud goes out at the porch, and shuts the doors of the upper chamber on him, and has bolted [it];

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

and he has gone out, and his servants have come in, and look, and behold, the doors of the upper chamber are bolted, and they say, “He is surely covering his feet, [relieving himself, ] in the cool inner chamber.”

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

And they stay until confounded, and behold, he is not opening the doors of the upper chamber, and they take the key, and open, and behold, their lord is fallen to the earth—dead.

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

And Ehud escaped during their lingering, and has passed by the images, and escapes to Seirath.

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.

And it comes to pass, in his coming in, that he blows with a horn in the hill-country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel go down with him from the hill-country, and he before them;

28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for Yhwh hath 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.

and he says to them, “Pursue after me, for YHWH has given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand”; and they go down after him, and capture the passages of the Jordan toward Moab, and have not permitted a man to pass over.

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

And they strike Moab at that time, about ten thousand men, all robust, and everyone a man of valor, and no man has escaped,

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

and Moab is humbled in that day under the hand of Israel; and the land rests [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.

And after him has been Shamgar son of Anath, and he strikes the Philistines—six hundred men—with an ox-goad, and he also saves Israel.