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 prove Israel by them, [even] as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of 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. Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

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. [Namely], five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in 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. And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

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

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

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 be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and 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 children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

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 hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim 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. And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, [even] Othniel 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. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

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

11. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel 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 children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done 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. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

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

14. So the children 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 children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto 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. But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

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

17. And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon [was] a very fat man.

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

18. And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

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 again from the quarries that [were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.

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 unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of [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 put forth his left hand, and took the dagger 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 haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger 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 forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour 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 was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour [were] locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer 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 tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened [them]: and, behold, their lord [was] fallen down dead on the earth.

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

26. And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

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. And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

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 unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered 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 slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.

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 fourscore 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. And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.