| 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; |
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| 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; |
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| 3:
Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites,
and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from
mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath. |
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| 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. |
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| 5: And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites,
Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: |
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| 6: And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave
their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. |
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| 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. |
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| 8: Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he
sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and
the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years. |
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| 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. |
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| 10: And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged
Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim
king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against
Chushan-rishathaim. |
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| 11: And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of
Kenaz died. |
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| 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. |
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| 13: And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek,
and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. |
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| 14: So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab
eighteen years. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 17: And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon
was a very fat man. |
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| 18: And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent
away the people that bare the present. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 21: And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from
his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: |
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| 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. |
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| 23: Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of
the parlour upon him, and locked them. |
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| 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. |
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| 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.
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| 26: And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the
quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 30: So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And
the land had rest fourscore years. |
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| 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. |
