Judges 3

1 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;

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

2 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: —

so that afterward their sons might learn to contend with their enemies, and to have a willingness to do battle:

3 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.

the five princes of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who were living on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath.

4 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.

And he left them, so that by them he might test Israel, as to whether or not they would listen to the commandments of the Lord, which he instructed to their fathers by the hand of Moses.

5 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;

And so, the sons of Israel lived in the midst of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

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

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

7 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.

And they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot their God, while serving the Baals and Ashtaroth.

8 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.

And the Lord, having become angry with Israel, delivered them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Mesopotamia, and they served him for eight years.

9 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.

And they cried out to the Lord, who raised up for them a savior, and he freed them, namely, Othniel, the son of Kenaz, a younger brother of Caleb.

10 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.

And the Spirit of the Lord was in him, and he judged Israel. And he went out to fight, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Syria, and he overwhelmed him.

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

And the land was quiet for forty years. And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died.

12 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;

Then the sons of Israel resumed doing evil in the sight of the Lord, who strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against them because they did evil in his sight.

13 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.

And he joined to him the sons of Ammon and the sons of Amalek. And he went forth and struck Israel, and he possessed the City of Palms.

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

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

15 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.

And afterward, they cried out to the Lord, who raised up for them a savior, called Ehud, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, who used either hand as well as the right hand. And the sons of Israel sent gifts to Eglon, the king of Moab, by him.

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

And he made for himself a two-edged sword, having a handle, reaching to the middle, the length of the palm of a hand. And he was girded with it under his cloak, on the right thigh.

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

And he offered the gifts to Eglon, the king of Moab. Now Eglon was exceedingly fat.

18 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;

And when he had presented the gifts to him, he followed out his companions, who had arrived with him.

19 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.

And then, returning from Gilgal where the idols were, he said to the king, “I have a secret word for you, O king.” And he ordered silence. And when all those who were around him had departed,

20 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.

Ehud entered to him. Now he was sitting alone in a summer upper room. And he said, “I have a word from God to you.” And immediately he rose up from his throne.

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

And Ehud extended his left hand, and he took the dagger from his right thigh. And he thrust it into his abdomen

22 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.

so strongly that the handle followed the blade into the wound, and was enclosed by the great amount of fat. Neither did he withdraw the sword. Instead, he left it in the body just as he had struck with it. And immediately, by the private parts of nature, the filth of the bowels went out.

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

Then Ehud carefully closed the doors of the upper room. And securing the bars,

24 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.

he departed by a back exit. And the servants of the king, entering, saw that the doors of the upper room were closed, and they said, “Perhaps he is emptying his bowels in the summer room.”

25 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.

And after waiting a long time, until they were embarrassed, and seeing that no one opened the door, they took the key, and opening it, they found their lord lying dead on the ground.

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

But Ehud, while they were in confusion, escaped and passed by the place of the idols, from which he had returned. And he arrived at Seirath.

27 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.

And immediately he sounded the trumpet on Mount Ephraim. And the sons of Israel descended with him, he himself advancing at the front.

28 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.

And he said to them: “Follow me. For the Lord has delivered our enemies, the Moabites, into our hands.” And they descended after him, and they occupied the fords of the Jordan, which cross over to Moab. And they did not permit anyone to cross.

29 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.

And so, they struck down the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand, all strong and robust men. None of them were able to escape.

30 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.

And Moab was humbled in that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was quiet for eighty years.

31 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.

After him, there was Shamgar, the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred men of the Philistines with a plowshare. And he also defended Israel.