Judges 3:12-30

World English Bible

¹² The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. ¹³ He gathered the children of Ammon and Amalek to himself; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees. ¹⁴ The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. ¹⁵ But when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. ¹⁶ Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit^[a] in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh. ¹⁷ He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. ¹⁸ When Ehud had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. ¹⁹ But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

The king said, “Keep silence!” All who stood by him left him.

²⁰ Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God to you.” He arose out of his seat. ²¹ Ehud put out his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body. ²² The handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn’t draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind. ²³ Then Ehud went out onto the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.

²⁴ After he had gone, his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “Surely he is covering his feet^[b] in the upper room.” ²⁵ They waited until they were ashamed; and behold, he didn’t open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the floor.

²⁶ Ehud escaped while they waited, passed beyond the stone idols, and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷ When he had come, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he led them.

²⁸ He said to them, “Follow me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over. ²⁹ They struck at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, every strong man and every man of valor. No man escaped. ³⁰ So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years.