Judges 3
Idolatry Leads to Servitude
1 aNow these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not ▼▼ Lit known
experienced any of the wars of Canaan; 2only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might ▼▼ Lit know, to teach them
be taught war, ▼▼ Lit only
those who had not ▼▼ Lit known
experienced it formerly). 3These nations are: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and fthe Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as ▼▼ Or the entrance of Hamath
Lebo-hamath. 4They were for ▼▼ Lit testing by them
,
itesting Israel, to find out if they would ▼▼ Lit hear
obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers ▼▼ Lit by the hand of
through Moses. 5 lThe sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; 6and mthey took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 7The sons of Israel did nwhat was evil in the sight of the Lord, and oforgot the Lord their God and pserved the Baals and the ▼▼ I.e. wooden symbol of a female deity
Asheroth. 8Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of ▼▼ Heb Aram-naharaim
Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. The First Judge Delivers Israel
9When the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, sOthniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 tThe Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of ▼▼ Heb Aram
Mesopotamia into his hand, so that ▼▼ Lit his hand was strong
he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11Then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 12Now the sons of Israel again wdid evil in the sight of the Lord. So xthe Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 13And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and ▼▼ Lit smote
defeated Israel, and they possessed zthe city of the palm trees. 14The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. Ehud Delivers from Moab
15But when the sons of Israel aacried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by ▼▼ Lit his hand
him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak. 17He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18It came about when he had finished presenting the tribute, that he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he said, “Keep silence.” And all who attended him left him. 20Ehud came to him while 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. 21Ehud stretched out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly. 22The handle 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 refuse came out. 23Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them. 24When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, ac“He is only ▼▼ Lit covering his feet
relieving himself in the cool room.” 25They waited until they ▼▼ Lit were ashamed
became anxious; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the ▼▼ Lit earth
floor dead. 26Now Ehud escaped while they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27It came about when he had arrived, that aghe blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them. 28He said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands.” So they went down after him and seized ahthe fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross. 29They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped. 30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was undisturbed for eighty years. Shamgar Delivers from Philistines
31After him came aiShamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.
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