Judges 3

Revised Geneva Translation

3 These, now, are the nations which the LORD left, so that He might test Israel by them (since many had not known all the wars of Canaan)

² and thus make the generations of the children of Israel know, and teach them, war (which doubtless their predecessors did not know):

³ Five princes of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon until one comes to Hamath.

⁴ These remained to test Israel, to wit, whether they would obey the Commandments of the LORD which He commanded their fathers, by the hand of Moses.

⁵ And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

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

⁷ So, the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served Baal and Asherah.

⁸ Therefore, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram-Naharaim. And the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.

⁹ And when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD stirred up a savior for the children of Israel — Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother — and he saved them.

¹⁰ And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, into his hand. And his hand prevailed against Cushan-Rishathaim.

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

¹² Then, the children of Israel committed wickedness again in the sight of the LORD. And the LORD strengthened Eglon, king of Moab, against Israel, because they had committed wickedness before the LORD.

¹³ And he gathered to him the children of Ammon, and Amalek, and went and struck Israel; and they possessed the city of palm trees.

¹⁴ So, the children of Israel served Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years.

¹⁵ But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD stirred them up a savior — Ehud, the son of Gera, the son of Jemini — a left-handed man. And the children of Israel sent a present by him to Eglon, king of Moab.

¹⁶ And Ehud made himself a dagger with two edges, one cubit in length. And he girded it under his clothing, upon his right thigh.

¹⁷ And he presented the gift to Eglon, king of Moab (and Eglon was a very fat man).

¹⁸ And when he had presented the present, he sent away the people who bore the present;

¹⁹ but he turned back from the idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Who said, “Keep silent.” And all who stood around him went out from him.

²⁰ Then Ehud came to him (and he sat alone, in a summer parlor which he had). And Ehud said, “I have a message for you from God.” Then he arose out of his throne.

²¹ And Ehud put forth his left hand and took the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly,

²² so that the haft went in after the blade; and the fat closed around the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly, but his feces came out.

²³ Then Ehud got himself out, into the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor after him, and locked them.

²⁴ And when he had gone out, his servants came. And seeing that the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, “Surely, he is relieving himself in his summer chamber.”

²⁵ And they waited until they were uncomfortable. And seeing he did not open the doors of the parlor, they took the key and opened them. And behold, their lord has fallen dead on the floor.

²⁶ So Ehud escaped (while they had been waiting) and was past the idols, and escaped to Seirah.,

²⁷ And when he got home, he blew a trumpet on Mount Ephraim. And the children of Israel went down with him from the mountain; and he went before them.

²⁸ Then he said to them, “Follow me! For the LORD has delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand!” So, they went down after him and took the passages of Jordan toward Moab and did not allow a man to pass over.

²⁹ And at that same time, they killed about ten thousand of the Moabites, all well-fed men, and all warriors. And not one man escaped.

³⁰ So Moab was subdued that day, under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

³¹ And after him came Shamgar, the son of Anath, who killed six hundred of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.