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;

These are the nations which the Lord left, that by them he might instruct Israel, and all that had not known the wars of the Chanaanites:

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:

That afterwards their children might learn to fight with their enemies, and to be trained up to war:

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.

The five princes of the Philistines, and all the Chanaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hevites that dwelt in mount Libanus, from mount Baal Hermon to the entering into Emath.

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

And he left them, that he might try Israel by them, whether they would hear the commandments of the Lord, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses, or not.

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

So the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanite, and the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite:

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

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

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

And they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot their God, and served Baalim and Astaroth.

8 Therefore the anger of YHWH 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.

And the Lord being angry with Israel, delivered them into the hands of Chusan Rasathaim king of Mesopotamia, and they served him eight years.

9 When the children of Israel cried to YHWH, YHWH 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.

And they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour, and delivered them, to wit, Othoniel the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb:

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

And the spirit of the Lord was in him, and he judged Israel. And he went out to fight, and the Lord delivered into his hands Chusan Rasathaim king of Syria, and he overthrew him.

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

And the land rested forty years, and Othoniel the son of Cenez died.

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

And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: who strengthened against them Eglon king of Moab: because they did evil in his sight.

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.

And he joined to him the children of Ammon, and Amalec: and he went and overthrew Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

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

And the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years:

15 But when the children of Israel cried to YHWH, YHWH 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.

And afterwards they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour called Aod, the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, who used the left hand as well as the right. And the children of Israel sent presents to Eglon king of Moab by him.

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.

And he made himself a two-edged sword, with a haft in the midst of the length of the palm of the hand, and was girded therewith under his garment on the right thigh.

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

And he presented the gifts to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was exceeding fat.

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

And when he had presented the gifts unto him, he followed his companions that came along with him.

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.

Then returning from Galgal, where the idols were, be said to the king: I have a secret message to thee, O king. And he commanded silence: and all being gone out that were about 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.

Aod went in to him: now he was sitting in a summer parlour alone, and he said: I have a word from God to thee. And he forthwith rose up from his throne,

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.

And Aod put forth his left hand, and took the dagger 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.

With such force that the haft went in after the blade into the wound, and was closed up with the abundance of fat. So that he did not draw out the dagger, but left it in his body as he had struck it in. And forthwith by the secret parts of nature the excrements of the belly came out.

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

But Aod carefully shutting the doors of the parlour and locking 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."

Went out by a postern door. And the king’s servants going in, saw the doors of the parlour shut, and they said: Perhaps he is easing nature in his summer parlour.

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.

And waiting a long time till they were ashamed, and seeing that no man opened the door, they took a key: and opening, they found their lord lying dead on the ground.

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

But Aod, while they were in confusion, escaped, and passed by the place of the idols, from whence he had returned. And he came to Seirath:

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.

And forthwith he sounded the trumpet in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel went down with him, he himself going in the front.

28 He said to them, "Follow after me; for YHWH 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.

And he said to them: Follow me: for the Lord hath delivered our enemies the Moabites into our hands. And they went down after him, and seized upon the fords of the Jordan, which are in the way to Moab: and they suffered no 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.

But they slew of the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand, all strong and Valiant men: none of them could escape.

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.

And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel: and the land rested eighty years.

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.

After him was Samgar the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with a ploughshare: and he also defended Israel.