Judges 3:7-30

New International Version

Othniel

⁷ The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord^(A) their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.^{(B) 8} The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold^(C) them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim^(D) king of Aram Naharaim,^[a](E) to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. ⁹ But when they cried out^(F) to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer,^(G) Othniel^(H) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. ¹⁰ The Spirit of the Lord came on him,^(I) so that he became Israel’s judge^[b] and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim^(J) king of Aram^(K) into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. ¹¹ So the land had peace^(L) for forty years,^(M) until Othniel son of Kenaz^(N) died.

Ehud

¹² Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,^(O) and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab^(P) power over Israel. ¹³ Getting the Ammonites^(Q) and Amalekites^(R) to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.^{[c](S) 14} The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab^(T) for eighteen years.

¹⁵ Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer^(U)—Ehud^(V), a left-handed^(W) man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute^(X) to Eglon king of Moab. ¹⁶ Now Ehud^(Y) had made a double-edged sword about a cubit^[d] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. ¹⁷ He presented the tribute^(Z) to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.^{(AA) 18} After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. ¹⁹ But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.

²⁰ Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace^[e](AB) and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose^(AC) from his seat, ²¹ Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword^(AD) from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. ²² Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. ²³ Then Ehud went out to the porch^[f]; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

²⁴ After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself^(AE) in the inner room of the palace.” ²⁵ They waited to the point of embarrassment,^(AF) but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

²⁶ While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷ When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet^(AG) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

²⁸ “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab,^(AH) your enemy, into your hands.^(AI)” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan^(AJ) that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. ²⁹ At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. ³⁰ That day Moab^(AK) was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace^(AL) for eighty years.