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;
Inilah bangsa-bangsa yang TUHAN biarkan tinggal di Kanaan: kelima kerajaan orang Filistin, semua orang Kanaan, orang Sidon, dan orang Hewi yang tinggal di Gunung Libanon, mulai dari Gunung Baal Hermon sampai ke jalan masuk Hamat. TUHAN membiarkan mereka tinggal di sana untuk menguji generasi bangsa Israel yang tidak mengalami perang merebut Kanaan. TUHAN hendak melatih generasi baru itu untuk berperang.
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;
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.
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.
TUHAN memakai bangsa-bangsa itu untuk menguji apakah bangsa Israel akan taat kepada perintah yang Dia sampaikan kepada nenek moyang mereka melalui Musa.
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;
Tetapi sementara bangsa Israel hidup di antara orang Kanaan, Het, Amori, Feris, Hewi, dan Yebus,
6 And they took their daughters to themselves for wives, and their daughters they gave to their sons; and they served their gods.
mereka melakukan kawin campur dengan orang-orang itu dan menyembah dewa-dewa mereka.
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.
Dalam pandangan TUHAN, bangsa Israel sudah menjadi sangat jahat. Mereka melupakan TUHAN, Allah mereka, dan menyembah berbagai macam dewa Baal serta dewi Asyera.
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.
Maka TUHAN sangat marah kepada bangsa Israel dan menyerahkan mereka ke tangan Raja Kusan Risyataim dari Aram Naharaim. Raja itu menguasai bangsa Israel selama delapan tahun
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.
sehingga bangsa Israel berseru-seru minta tolong kepada TUHAN. Lalu Dia mengutus seorang penyelamat untuk mereka, yaitu Otniel, anak dari adik Kaleb yang bernama Kenas.
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.
Roh TUHAN menggerakkan Otniel sehingga dia menjadi pembela bagi bangsa Israel. Dia memimpin pasukan Israel pergi berperang melawan Raja Kusan Risyataim, dan TUHAN memberikan kemenangan kepadanya.
11 And the land had rest forty years; and then died 'Othniel the son of Kenaz.
Maka negeri itu pun aman dari musuh selama empat puluh tahun, sampai Otniel meninggal dunia.
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.
Bangsa Israel kembali berbuat jahat di mata TUHAN. Karena kejahatan mereka, TUHAN membuat Raja Eglon dari Moab menjadi kuat sehingga dia menguasai Israel.
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.
Raja Eglon mengajak bangsa Amon dan Amalek untuk bergabung dengannya. Mereka menyerang dan mengalahkan bangsa Israel serta merebut kota Yeriko (yang disebut juga Kota Pohon Kurma).
14 And the children of Israel served 'Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Lalu Israel dijajah oleh Eglon selama delapan belas tahun.
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.
Tetapi ketika bangsa Israel berseru meminta tolong kepada TUHAN, TUHAN mengangkat seorang penyelamat untuk mereka, yaitu Ehud anak Gera dari suku Benyamin. Ehud adalah seorang yang kidal. Selama ini Ehud bertugas sebagai pengantar pajak dari bangsa Israel kepada Eglon, raja 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.
Ehud membuat sebuah pedang bermata dua yang panjangnya hampir setengah meter. Dia menyembunyikan pedang itu di balik bajunya dengan mengikatkannya pada paha kanan,
17 And he brought the present near unto 'Eglon the king of Moab; now 'Eglon was a very fat man.
lalu dia pergi untuk menyerahkan pembayaran pajak kepada Raja Eglon. Eglon ini sangat gemuk badannya.
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.
Sesudah menyerahkan pembayaran, Ehud bersama orang-orang yang menyertai dia membawa pajak itu pun berjalan pulang.
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.
Tetapi ketika sampai di patung-patung batu di Gilgal, Ehud sendiri kembali ke istana Eglon dan berkata kepadanya, “Tuanku Raja, hamba datang membawa pesan rahasia untuk Tuanku.” Kata raja kepada para pelayannya, “Keluar!” Maka semua pelayannya meninggalkan
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.
mereka berdua di ruangan yang sejuk di loteng istana. Eglon sedang duduk ketika Ehud mendekati dia dan berkata, “Hamba membawa pesan dari Allah untuk Tuanku Raja.” Lalu Eglon pun berdiri dari tempat duduknya.
21 And Ehud stretched forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body.
Saat itu juga Ehud mencabut pedangnya dengan tangan kiri dan menikam perut Eglon
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.
sampai seluruh pedang itu tertancap masuk dan tertutup oleh lemak. Usus besarnya pun terburai keluar. Ehud tidak mencabut pedangnya kembali.
23 And Ehud went forth into the ante-room, and shut the doors of the upper chamber after him, and locked them.
Kemudian Ehud keluar diam-diam lewat jalan lain setelah mengunci semua pintu ruang atas itu.
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.
Sesudah Ehud pergi, para pelayan Eglon datang dan heran melihat pintu-pintu ruangan atas terkunci. Sangka mereka, “Raja pasti sedang buang air besar di kamar kecil di ruangannya itu.”
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.
Para pelayan itu menunggu-nunggu begitu lama sampai mereka kebingungan karena raja tidak juga membuka pintu. Akhirnya, mereka mengambil kunci dan membuka pintunya. Saat itulah mereka terperanjat karena melihat tuan mereka sudah tergeletak mati di lantai.
26 And Ehud had escaped while they were tarrying, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Se'irah.
Sedangkan Ehud sudah lari melewati patung-patung batu dan sampai ke Seira sementara para pelayan tadi sedang menunggu-nunggu.
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.
Ketika Ehud tiba di perbukitan Efraim, dia meniup terompet dan perintahkan, “Ikutlah aku! TUHAN sudah menyerahkan musuh kita, bangsa Moab, ke tangan kita.” Maka Ehud memimpin bangsa Israel turun dari perbukitan itu dan mereka merebut daerah penyeberangan orang Moab di sungai Yordan. Mereka tidak membiarkan seorang pun menyeberang.
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.
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.
Pada waktu itu bangsa Israel menyerang dan membunuh sekitar sepuluh ribu prajurit Moab yang kuat dan tangkas. Tidak ada satu pun yang lolos.
30 And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.
Demikianlah Israel mengalahkan Moab hari itu, dan negeri mereka pun aman selama delapan puluh tahun.
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.
Sesudah Ehud, orang berikutnya yang menyelamatkan Israel adalah Samgar, anak Anat. Dalam pertempuran, dia membunuh enam ratus orang Filistin dengan tongkat penggiring sapi.
