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; |
3:2 | 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; |
3:3 | [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. |
3:4 | 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. |
3:5 | And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: |
3:6 | And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. |
3:7 | 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. |
3:8 | 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. |
3:9 | 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. |
3:10 | 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. |
3:11 | And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. |
3:12 | 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. |
3:13 | And he gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. |
3:14 | So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. |
3:15 | 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. |
3:16 | 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. |
3:17 | And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon [was] a very fat man. |
3:18 | And when he had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people that bore the tribute. |
3:19 | 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. |
3:20 | 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. |
3:21 | And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: |
3:22 | 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. |
3:23 | Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them. |
3:24 | 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. |
3:25 | 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. |
3:26 | And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirath. |
3:27 | 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. |
3:28 | 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. |
3:29 | 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. |
3:30 | So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years. |
3:31 | 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. |