Judges
3:1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove 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 thereof;
3:3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the
Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount
Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
3:4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would
hearken unto 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 forgat
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 unto 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 unto 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 unto 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 a present unto Eglon
the king of Moab.
3:16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and
he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
3:17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very
fat man.
3:18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the
people that bare the present.
3:19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and
said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence.
And all that stood by him went out from him.
3:20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he
had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto
thee. And he arose out of 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 haft also went in 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 was 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 was fallen down dead on the earth.
3:26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and
escaped unto Seirath.
3:27 And it came to pass, when he was 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 unto them, Follow after 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 suffered not a man to pass
over.
3:29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty,
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 fourscore years.
3:31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the
Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered
Israel.
