Judges 3

1 Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to prove by them the Israelites, namely, all those who had not experienced all the wars of Canaan;

Now, these, are the nations which Yahweh left, that he might, by them, put Israel to the proof, —all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan;

2 Only in order that the future generations of the children of Israel might obtain knowledge, to teach them war; but only such as before had learned nothing thereof;

that the generations of the sons of Israel might certainly get to know, by being taught to make war, —such, at least, as aforetime knew nothing thereof: —

3 Namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt on mount Lebanon, from mount Ba'al-chermon unto the entrance of Chamath.

five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians, and the Hivites dwelling in Mount Lebanon, —from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entering in of Hamath.

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

So then [these] were [left], that, by them, he might put Israel to the proof, —to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of Yahweh which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

5 And the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Emorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites;

And thus, the sons of Israel, dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, —the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites;

6 And they took their daughters to themselves for wives, and their daughters they gave to their sons; and they served their gods.

and took their daughters to be their wives, their own daughters moreover, gave they unto their sons, and they served their gods.

7 And the children of Israel did [thus] the evil in the eyes of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served the Be'alim and the groves.

Thus did the sons of Israel the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, and forgat Yahweh their God, —and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

8 Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rish'athayim the king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-rish'athayim eight years.

Then kindled the anger of Yahweh upon Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, —and the sons of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim, eight years.

9 And the children of Israel cried then unto the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, namely, 'Othniel the son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb.

And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, so Yahweh raised up a saviour unto the sons of Israel, who saved them, —even Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

10 And the spirit of the Lord came over him, and he judged Israel, and went out to battle: and the Lord delivered Cushan-rish'athayim the king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-rish'athayim.

And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war, and Yahweh delivered into his hand, Chushan-rishathaim, king of Syria, —and his hand prevailed over Chushan-rishathaim.

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

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

12 And the children of Israel did again the evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened 'Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done the evil in the eyes of the Lord.

And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked, in the sight of Yahweh, —and Yahweh emboldened Eglon, king of Moab, against Israel, because they did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh;

13 And he gathered unto him the children of 'Ammon and 'Amalek, and they went and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.

and he gathered unto him, the sons of Ammon, and Amalek, —and came and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.

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

So the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab, eighteen years.

15 But the children of Israel cried then unto the Lord; and the Lord raised up unto them a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera a Benjamite, a man who was lamed in his right hand; and the children of Israel sent by him a present unto 'Eglon the king of Moab.

And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up unto them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed, —and the sons of Israel sent, by his hand, a present, unto Eglon king of Moab.

16 But Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his garments upon his right thigh.

So Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, —and girded it under his raiment, upon his right thigh.

17 And he brought the present near unto 'Eglon the king of Moab; now 'Eglon was a very fat man.

So he offered the present unto Eglon, king of Moab, —now, Eglon, was an exceedingly fat man.

18 And it came to pass when he had made an end to offer the present, that he sent away the people who had borne the present.

And so it was, when he had made an end of offering the present, that he sent away the people who had been bearing the present;

19 But he himself returned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word unto thee, O King. And he said, Keep silence. And thereupon went out from his presence all that stood by him.

but, he himself, turned back from the images that were by Gilgal, and said, A secret word, have I, unto thee, O king! And he said—Silence! Thereupon went out from his presence all who had been standing near him.

20 And Ehud came in unto him; and he was sitting in the summer upper chamber, which was for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a word of God unto thee. And he arose out of his chair.

And, Ehud, came in unto him, he, having been sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself, alone, and Ehud said, A divine word, have I, unto thee. So he arose from off his seat.

21 And Ehud stretched forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body.

And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from off his right thigh, —and thrust it into his body;

22 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 body, and it passed into the fundament.

and, the handle also, went in after the blade, and the flesh closed upon the blade, for he withdrew not the sword out of his body, —and he came out into the ante-chamber.

23 And Ehud went forth into the ante-room, and shut the doors of the upper chamber after him, and locked them.

And, when Ehud came out into the porch, he closed the doors of the parlour upon him, and bolted them.

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

When, he, had come out, his servants, went in, and looked, and lo! the doors of the parlour were bolted, —so they said, Surely he covereth his feet, in the summer chamber.

25 And they tarried till they were ashamed; and behold, he opened not the doors of the upper chamber; wherefore they took the key and opened them: and, behold, their lord was lying dead on the floor.

But, though they tarried a long time, yet lo! he opened not the doors of the parlour, —so they took the key, and opened [them], when lo! their lord, fallen to the ground dead.

26 And Ehud had escaped while they were tarrying, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Se'irah.

But, Ehud, escaped while they delayed, —yea, he, passed the images, and escaped into Seirah.

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

And so it was, when he came, that he blew with a horn, throughout the hill country of Ephraim, —and the sons of Israel came down with him, out of the hill country, he, being before them.

28 And he said unto them, Pursue after me; for the Lord hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. And they went down after him, and seized on the fords of the Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

And he said unto them—Come down after me, for Yahweh hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. So they came down after him, and captured the fords of the Jordan, towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

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

And they smote of Moab, at that time, about ten thousand men, every one a mighty man, and every one a man of valour, —and, there escaped not a man.

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

And Moab was subdued on that day, under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years, and Ehud judged them until his death.

31 And after him was Shamgar the son of 'Anath, who smote of the philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad; and he also delivered Israel.

And, after him, was Shamgar, son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines, six hundred men, with an ox-goad, —and, he also, saved Israel.