Judges 3

1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

Now Yahweh left these nations to test Israel, namely everyone in Israel who had not experienced any of the wars fought in 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;

(He did this to teach warfare to the new generation of the Israelites who had not known it before.)

3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt on mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon to the entrance of Hamath.

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.

4 And they were to test Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken to the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

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.

5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

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

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

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

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.

8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

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.

9 And when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

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).

10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

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.

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

The land had peace for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

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

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.

13 And he gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

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

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

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

15 But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

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.

16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

Ehud made himself a sword that had two edges, one cubit in length; he strapped it on under his clothing on his right thigh.

17 And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

He gave the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)

18 And when he had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people that bore the tribute.

After Ehud had presented the tribute payment, he left with those who had carried it in.

19 But he himself turned back at the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.

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.

20 And Ehud came to him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to thee. And he arose from his seat.

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.

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

Ehud reached with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and he stabbed it into the king's body.

22 And the handle also entered after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

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.

23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

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

24 When he had gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

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.”

25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord lay dead on the earth.

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.

26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirath.

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.

27 And it came to pass, when he had come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

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.

28 And he said to them, Follow me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and permitted not a man to pass over.

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.

29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all stout, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.

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

30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.

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

31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

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.