Judges 3

1 Now these are the nations which יהוה left, to prove Yisrael by them, even as many of Yisrael as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

2 Only that the generations of the children of Yisrael might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

3 Namely, five lords (seranim) of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-Chermon unto the entering in of Hamath.

4 And they were to prove Yisrael by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of יהוה, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses (Mosheh).

5 And the children of Yisrael dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Yevusis:

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

7 And the children of Yisrael did evil in the sight of יהוה, and forgat יהוה their God (Elohim), and served 33cBaals (Baalim) and 34bAsherahs (Asherot).

8 Therefore the anger of יהוה was hot against Yisrael, and He sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Yisrael served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

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

10 And the Spirit of יהוה came upon him, and he judged Yisrael, and went out to war; and יהוה delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Meso-potamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

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

12 And the children of Yisrael did evil again in the sight of יהוה; and יהוה strengthened Eglon the king of Moav against Yisrael, because they had done evil in the sight of יהוה.

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

14 So the children of Yisrael served Eglon the king of Moav eighteen years.

15 But when the children of Yisrael cried unto יהוה, יהוה raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Binyamin, a man lefthanded; and by him the children of Yisrael sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moav.

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.

17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moav; and Eglon was a very fat man.

18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret errand unto you, O king.” He said, “Keep silence!” And all that stood by him went out from him.

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 (Elohim) unto you.” And he arose 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.

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.

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

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 (relieving himself) in his summer chamber.

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 (adon) was fallen down dead on the earth.

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

27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a shofar in the mountain of Efrayim, and the children of Yisrael went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

28 And he said unto them, “Follow after me, for יהוה hath delivered your enemies the Moavites into your hand.” And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan (Yarden) toward Moav, and suffered not a man to pass over.

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

30 So Moav was subdued that day under the hand of Yisrael. And the land had rest fourscore years.

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 Yisrael.