Juízes 3

¹ Now these are the nations which Jehovah left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan

² (only so that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it),

³ namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

⁴ And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of Jehovah, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

⁵ Thus 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 they served their gods.

⁷ And the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of Jehovah. They forgot Jehovah their God, and served the Baals and groves.

⁸ Therefore the anger of Jehovah burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.

⁹ And when the children of Israel cried out unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

¹⁰ And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and Jehovah delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim.

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

¹² And the children of Israel again did evil in the eyes of Jehovah. So Jehovah strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the eyes of Jehovah.

¹³ And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek, went and struck Israel, and took possession of the City of Palm Trees.

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

¹⁵ And when the children of Israel cried out unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man with his right hand impeded. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

¹⁶ Now Ehud made himself a sword (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and girded it under his clothes on his right thigh.

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

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

¹⁹ But he himself turned back from the graven images that were at Gilgal, and said, I have a secret matter for you, O king. He said, Keep silence. And all who were standing by him went out from him.

²⁰ And Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool roof chamber). And Ehud said, I have a word from God for you. So he arose from his seat.

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

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

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

²⁴ And when he had gone out, his servants came to look, and behold, the doors of the upper room were locked. And they thought, Surely he is covering his feet in the cool chamber.

²⁵ So they waited till they were ashamed, and behold he was not opening the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And behold, their master was fallen dead on the floor.

²⁶ And Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the graven images and slipped away to Seirah.

²⁷ And it happened, when he arrived, that he blew the shofar in the mountains of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel came down with him from the mountains, with him before them.

²⁸ And he said to them, Follow me, for Jehovah has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.

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

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

³¹ After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.