Judges, 3

1. These are the nations which Yahweh allowed to remain, by their means to put all those Israelites to the test who had not experienced any of the Canaanite wars

1. Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had no experience of any war in Canaan;

2. (this was only to instruct the Israelites' descendants, to teach them the art of war, those at least who had not experienced it previously):

2. it was only that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, that he might teach war to such at least as had not known it before.

3. the five chiefs of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hittites who lived in the range of the Lebanon, from the uplands of Baal-Hermon to the Pass of Hamath.

3. These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sido'nians, and the Hivites who dwelt on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Ba'al-her'mon as far as the entrance of Hamath.

4. They were used to put Israel to the test and see if they would keep the orders which Yahweh had given their ancestors through Moses.

4. They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.

5. The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites and Amorites, the Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites;

5. So the people of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites;

6. they married their daughters, they gave their own sons to their daughters and they served their gods.

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

7. The Israelites did what is evil in Yahweh's eyes. They forgot Yahweh their God and served Baals and Asherahs.

7. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, forgetting the LORD their God, and serving the Ba'als and the Ashe'roth.

8. Then Yahweh's anger blazed out against Israel: he handed them over to Cushan-Rishathaim king of Edom, and the Israelites were enslaved to Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.

8. Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cu'shan-rishatha'im king of Mesopota'mia; and the people of Israel served Cu'shan-rishatha'im eight years.

9. The Israelites then cried to Yahweh and Yahweh raised for the Israelites a deliverer who rescued them, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

9. But when the people of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who delivered them, Oth'ni-el the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10. The spirit of Yahweh was on him; he became judge in Israel and set out for war. Yahweh delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Edom into his hands, and he triumphed over Cushan- Rishathaim.

10. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel; he went out to war, and the LORD gave Cu'shan-rishatha'im king of Mesopota'mia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cu'shan-rishatha'im.

11. The country then had peace for forty years. Othniel son of Kenaz then died.

11. So the land had rest forty years. Then Oth'ni-el the son of Kenaz died.

12. Again the Israelites began doing what is evil in Yahweh's eyes, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, since they were doing what is evil in Yahweh's eyes.

12. And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

13. Eglon in conjunction with the sons of Ammon and Amalek marched on Israel, beat them and captured the City of Palm Trees.

13. He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amal'ekites, and went and defeated Israel; and they took possession of the city of palms.

14. The Israelites were enslaved to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

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

15. The Israelites then cried to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised a deliverer for them, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite; he was left-handed. The Israelites appointed him to take their tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

15. But when the people of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

16. Ehud made himself a dagger -- it was double-edged and a foot long -- and strapped it under his clothes on his right thigh.

16. And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it on his right thigh under his clothes.

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

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

18. Having presented the tribute, Ehud sent away the men who had been carrying it;

18. And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people that carried the tribute.

19. but he himself, on reaching the Idols which are near Gilgal, went back and said, 'I have a secret message for you, O king.' The king commanded silence, and all his attendants withdrew.

19. But he himself turned back at the sculptured stones near Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And he commanded, "Silence." And all his attendants went out from his presence.

20. Ehud went up to him; he was sitting in his private room upstairs, where it was cool. Ehud said to him, 'I have a message from God for you, O king.' The latter immediately rose from his seat.

20. And Ehud came to him, as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And he arose from his seat.

21. Then Ehud, reaching with his left hand, drew the dagger he was carrying on his right thigh and thrust it into the king's belly.

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

22. The hilt too went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, since Ehud did not pull the dagger out of his belly again.

22. and the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

23. Ehud went out through the privies, having shut and bolted the doors of the upstairs room behind him.

23. Then Ehud went out into the vestibule, and closed the doors of the roof chamber upon him, and locked them.

24. When he had gone, the servants came back and looked; the doors of the upstairs room were bolted. They thought, 'He is probably covering his feet in the inner part of the cool room.'

24. When he had gone, the servants came; and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, "He is only relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber."

25. They waited until they became embarrassed, but still he did not open the doors of the upstairs room. Eventually, they took the key and opened the door; and there lay their master, dead, on the ground.

25. And they waited till they were utterly at a loss; but when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them; and there lay their lord dead on the floor.

26. Meanwhile, Ehud had got away, passed the Idols and made good his escape to safety in Seirah.

26. Ehud escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the sculptured stones, and escaped to Se-i'rah.

27. Once there, he sounded the horn in the highlands of Ephraim, and the Israelites came down from the hills with him at their head.

27. When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of E'phraim; and the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, having him at their head.

28. And he said to them, 'Follow me, because Yahweh has delivered your enemy Moab into your hands.' So they followed him, seized the fords of the Jordan against Moab and allowed no one to cross.

28. And he said to them, "Follow after me; for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand." So they went down after him, and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and allowed not a man to pass over.

29. On that occasion they beat the Moabites, some ten thousand men, all tough and seasoned fighters, and not one escaped.

29. And they killed at that time about ten thousand of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped.

30. That day Moab was humbled under the hand of Israel, and the country had peace for eighty years.

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

31. After him came Shamgar son of Anath. He routed six hundred of the Philistines with an ox-goad; he too was a deliverer of Israel.

31. After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred of the Philistines with an oxgoad; and he too delivered Israel.