Judges 3

1These are the nations that Yahweh left to test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan:

2only so that the generations of the sons of Israel might know, to teach them war—only those who formerly had not known it.

3the five rulers of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the hill country of Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

4And they were there to test Israel, to know whether they would listen to the commandments of Yahweh, which he commanded their fathers through Moses.

5And the sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

6They took their daughters for themselves as wives, and they gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods.

7And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and they forgot Yahweh their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

8So the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim. And the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

9Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

10The Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to battle, and Yahweh gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into his hand, and his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

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

12And the sons of Israel again did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh.

13He gathered to himself the Ammonites and Amalek, and he went and struck Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.

14And the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

15Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite, a man hindered in his right hand. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by his hand to Eglon king of Moab.

16Ehud made himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and strapped it on under his clothes on his right thigh.

17He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

18And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who were carrying the tribute.

19But he himself turned back from the carved images that were near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he said, “Silence.” Then all who were standing by him went out from his presence.

20Then Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber, and Ehud said, “I have a word from God for you.” So he rose from his seat.

21Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.

22The hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, because he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out.

23Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “Surely he is relieving himself in the cool inner room.”

25And they waited until they were embarrassed, and behold, he still was not opening the doors of the upper room. So they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor, dead.

26But Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the carved images and escaped to Seirah.

27And when he arrived, he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was before them.

28And he said to them, “Follow after me, for Yahweh has given your enemies, Moab, into your hand.” So they went down after him and captured the fords of the Jordan against Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over.

29And at that time they struck down about ten thousand men of Moab, every stout man and every man of valor; not a man escaped.

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

31After him was Shamgar son of Anath, and he struck down six hundred Philistines with an ox goad; he too saved Israel.