NHEBJE - Judges - 3

3:1  Now these are the nations which Jehovah left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

3:2  only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it:

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

3:4  They were left, to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the commandments of Jehovah, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.

3:5  The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

3:6  and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.

3:7  The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgot Jehovah their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.

3:8  Therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled 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.

3:9  When the children of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

3:10  The Spirit of Jehovah came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Jehovah delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim.

3:11  The land had rest forty years. Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

3:12  The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah.

3:13  He gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.

3:14  The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

3:15  But when the children of Israel cried to Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

3:16  Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh.

3:17  He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man.

3:18  When he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute.

3:19  But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, king." The king said, "Keep silence!" All who stood by him went out from him.

3:20  Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, "I have a message from God to you." He arose out of his seat.

3:21  Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body:

3:22  and the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn't draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.

3:23  Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.

3:24  Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, "Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room."

3:25  They waited until they were ashamed; and behold, he did not open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened them, and behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

3:26  Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.

3:27  It happened, when he had come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he before them.

3:28  He said to them, "Follow after me; for Jehovah has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand." They went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and did not allow a man to pass over.

3:29  They struck of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man.

3:30  So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. The land had rest eighty years.

3:31  After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck of the Philistines six hundred men with an oxgoad: and he also saved Israel.