Shofetim 3

Orthodox Jewish Bible

3 Now these are the Goyim which Hashem let remain, to test Yisroel by them, even as many of Yisroel who had not known all the milchamot Kena’an;

² Only so that the dorot of the Bnei Yisroel might have da’as, to teach them milchamah, such as before knew nothing thereof;

³ Namely, five rulers of the Pelishtim (Philistines), and all the Kena’ani, and the Tzidoni, and the Chivi that dwelt in Har HaLevanon, from Har Baal-Chermon unto the entrance of Chamat.

⁴ And they were to test Yisroel by them, to know whether they would pay heed unto the Mitzvot Hashem, which He commanded their Avot by the yad Moshe.

⁵ And the Bnei Yisroel dwelt among the Kena’ani, Chitti, and Emori, and Perizzi, and Chivi, and Yevusi;

⁶ And they took their banot to be their nashim, and gave their banot to their banim, and served their elohim.

⁷ And the Bnei Yisroel did evil in the sight of Hashem, and forgot Hashem Eloheihem, and served Baalim and the Asherot.

⁸ Therefore the Af Hashem was hot against Yisroel, and He sold them into the yad Chushan Rishataim Melech Aram Naharayim [i.e., Upper Mesopotamia]; and the Bnei Yisroel served Chushan Rishataim eight years.

⁹ And when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto Hashem, Hashem raised up a Moshia (Deliverer, Savior) to the Bnei Yisroel, who saved them, even Otniel ben Kenaz, Kalev’s younger brother.

¹⁰ And the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem came upon him, and he judged Yisroel, and went out to milchamah; and Hashem delivered Chushan Rishataim Melech Aram into his yad; and his yad prevailed against Chushan Rishataim.

¹¹ And the land had rest arba’im shanah. And Otniel ben Kenaz died.

¹² And the Bnei Yisroel did rah again in the sight of Hashem; and Hashem strengthened Eglon Melech Moav against Yisroel, because they had done rah in the sight of Hashem.

¹³ And he gathered unto him the Bnei Ammon and Amalek, and went and attacked Yisroel, and possessed the Ir HaTemarim.

¹⁴ So the Bnei Yisroel served Eglon Melech Moav eighteen years.

¹⁵ But when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto Hashem, Hashem raised them up a Moshi’a, Ehud ben Gera, from the tribe of Binyamin, a man left-handed; and by him the Bnei Yisroel sent a minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav.

¹⁶ But Ehud made him a cherev 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 minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav; and Eglon was an ish bari me’od (very fat man).

¹⁸ And when he had made an end to offer the minchah, he sent away the people that carried the minchah (tribute).

¹⁹ But he himself turned back at the pesilim near Gilgal, and said, I have a devar seter (secret message) for thee O melech; he said, Keep silence! And all that stood by attending him went out from him.

²⁰ And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in an aliyyat hamekerah (upper room for cooling), which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a devar Elohim unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

²¹ And Ehud put forth his semol (left hand), and drew the cherev from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly;

²² And even the hilt went in after the blade; and the chelev closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the cherev out of his belly; it came out the back.

²³ Then Ehud went forth through the front hall, and shut the daletot of the aliyyah behind him, and locked them.

²⁴ When he was gone out, his avadim came; and when they saw that, hinei, the daletot of the aliyyah were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet [i.e. relieves himself] in the chedar hamekerah (inner cool room).

²⁵ And they tarried till bosh (embarrassed); and, hinei, he opened not the daletot of the aliyyah; therefore they took a mafte’ach (key), and unlocked them; and, hinei, their adon was fallen on the floor dead.

²⁶ And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the pesilim, and escaped unto Seirah.

²⁷ And it came to pass, when he arrived, that he blew a shofar in the har Ephrayim, and the Bnei Yisroel went down with him from the har, and he before them.

²⁸ And he said unto them, Follow after me; for Hashem hath delivered your enemies Moav into your yad. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Yarden toward Moav, and allowed not an ish to pass over.

²⁹ And they struck down Moav at that time about ten thousand ish, all strong ish chayil; and there escaped not an ish.

³⁰ So Moav was subdued that day under the yad Yisroel. And HaAretz had rest fourscore shanah.

³¹ And after him was Shamgar ben Anat, which struck down of the Pelishtim (Philistines) six hundred ish with an ox goad; and he also saved Yisroel.