Chapter 3
1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left , to test Israel by them , even as many as had not known all the wars of Canaan ;
2 only that the generations of the children of Israel might know , to teach them war , at least those who knew nothing of it before :
3 the five lords of the Philistines , all the Canaanites , the Sidonians , and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon , from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath .
4 They were left to test Israel by them , to know whether they would listen to the LORD ’s commandments , which he commanded their fathers by Moses .
5 The children of Israel lived amongst the Canaanites , the Hittites , the Amorites, the Perizzites , the Hivites , and the Jebusites .
6 They took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.
7 The children of Israel did that which was evil in the LORD ’s sight , and forgot the LORD their God , and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
8 Therefore the LORD ’s anger burnt 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 When the children of Israel cried to the LORD , the LORD raised up a saviour to the children of Israel , who saved them , even Othniel the son of Kenaz , Caleb ’s younger brother.
10 The LORD ’s Spirit came on him , and he judged Israel ; and he went out to war , and the LORD delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand . His hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim.
11 The land had rest forty years , then Othniel the son of Kenaz died .
12 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD ’s sight , and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel , because they had done that which was evil in the LORD ’s sight .
13 He gathered the children of Ammon and Amalek to himself; and he went and struck Israel , and they possessed the city of palm trees .
14 The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years .
15 But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD , the LORD raised up a saviour for them : Ehud the son of Gera , the Benjamite , a left-handed man . The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab .
16 Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges , a cubit in length ; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh .
17 He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab . Now Eglon was a very fat man.
18 When Ehud had finished offering the tribute , he sent away the people who carried the tribute .
19 But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were by Gilgal , and said , " I have a secret message for you , O king ." The king said , " Keep silence !" All who stood by him left him .
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 .
21 Ehud put out his left hand , and took the sword from his right thigh , and thrust it into his body .
22 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 .
23 Then Ehud went out onto the porch , and shut the doors of the upper room on him , and locked them .
24 After he had gone , his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked . They said , " Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room ."
25 They waited until they were ashamed; and behold , he didn’t open the doors of the upper room . Therefore they took the key and opened them , and behold , their lord had fallen down dead on the floor.
26 Ehud escaped while they waited, passed beyond the stone idols , and escaped to Seirah .
27 When he had come , 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 led them .
28 He said to them , " Follow me ; for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand ." They followed him , and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites , and didn’t allow any man to pass over .
29 They struck at that time about ten thousand men of Moab , every strong man and every man of valour . No man escaped .
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel . Then 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 . He also saved Israel .