Judges 3

1 Now Yahweh left these nations to test Israel, namely everyone in Israel who had not experienced any of the wars fought in 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 (He did this to teach warfare to the new generation of the Israelites who had not known it before.)

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

3 These are the nations: the five kings from the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanon mountains, from Mount Baal Hermon to Hamath Pass.

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 These nations were left as a means by which Yahweh would test Israel, to confirm whether they would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through 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 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, 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 Their daughters they took to be their wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they 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 people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and forgot Yahweh their God. They worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.

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 Yahweh was set on fire against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim. The people of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim for 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 people of Israel called out to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up someone who would come to help the people of Israel, and who would rescue them: Othniel son of Kenaz (Caleb's younger brother).

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 Yahweh's Spirit empowered him, and he judged Israel and he went out to war. Yahweh gave him victory over Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram. The hand of Othniel defeated 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 peace for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

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

12 After that, the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and Yahweh gave strength to Eglon king of Moab to overpower the Israelites.

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 Eglon joined with the Ammonites and the Amalekites and they went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.

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 people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.

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

15 When the people of Israel called out to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up someone who would help them, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent him, with their tribute payment, to Eglon 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 himself a sword that had two edges, one cubit in length; he strapped it on 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 gave the tribute payment to King Eglon 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 After Ehud had presented the tribute payment, he left with those who had carried it in.

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

19 As for Ehud himself, however, when he reached the place where the carved images were made near Gilgal, he turned and went back, and he said, “I have a secret message for you, my king.” Eglon said, “Silence!” So all those serving him left the room.

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. The king was sitting by himself, alone in the coolness of the upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” The king got up 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 Ehud reached with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and he stabbed it into the king's body.

And Aod put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly,

22 The hilt of the sword also went into him following the blade. The tip of the sword came out of his back and the fat closed over it, for Ehud did not pull the sword out of his belly.

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 out on the porch and closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

But Aod carefully shutting the doors of the parlour and locking them,

24 After Ehud had gone, the king's servants came; they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, so they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the coolness of 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 were growing more concerned until they felt they were neglecting their duty when the king still did not open the doors to the upper room. So they took the key and opened them, and there lay their master, fallen to the floor, dead.

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 While the servants were waiting, wondering what they should do, Ehud escaped and passed beyond the place where there were carved images of idols, and so he 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 When he arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hills, and he was leading 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 me, for Yahweh is about to defeat your enemies, the Moabites.” They followed him and they captured the fords of the Jordan across from the Moabites, and they did not allow anyone to cross the river.

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 At that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, and all were strong and capable men. Not one escaped.

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

30 So that day Moab was subdued by the strength of Israel, and the land had rest for eighty years.

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

31 After Ehud the next judge was Shamgar son of Anath who killed 600 men of the Philistines with a stick used to goad cattle. He also delivered Israel from danger.

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