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;

2 only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it:

3 namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.

4 They were left, 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.

5 The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hethites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

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

7 The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.

8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim; and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim eight years.

9 When the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother; and he obeyed him.

10 The Ruach of the LORD came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim.

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

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

13 He gathered to him the people of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.

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

15 But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

16 Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, eighteen inches in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh.

17 He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man.

18 When he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute.

19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king said, "Keep silence." All who stood by him went out from him.

20 Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, "I have a message from God to you, O king." He arose out of his seat.

21 And it happened as he rose up that Ehud put forth his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly.

22 And the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn't draw the sword out of his belly; and it came out behind.

23 Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.

24 Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and look, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, "Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room."

25 They waited until they were ashamed; and look, he did not open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened them, and look, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

26 Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.

27 It happened, when he had come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he before them.

28 He said to them, "Follow after me; for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand." They went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and did not allow a man to pass over.

29 They struck of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man.

30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years. And Ehud judged them until he died.

31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who alone struck down six hundred men of the Philistines with an oxgoad. And he also saved Israel.