1 A nd these are the nations that Jehovah left, to prove Israel by them, all that had not known all the wars of Canaan;

These are the nations the Lord left to test Israel. They were left to test all those who had not fought in any of the wars in Canaan.

2 o nly that the generations of the children of Israel might know war by learning it, at the least those who before had known nothing thereof:

So the children of the people of Israel who had not fought in wars might be taught about war.

3 f ive lord ships of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwell on mount Lebanon; from mount Baal-Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

These nations are: the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

4 A nd they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of Jehovah, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

They were left to test Israel, to find out if Israel would obey the Laws the Lord gave their fathers through Moses.

5 A nd the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites: Hittites and Amorites and Perizzites and Hivites and Jebusites;

The people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.

6 a nd they took their daughters as wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

They married their daughters. They gave their own daughters to their sons, and they worshiped their gods.

7 A nd the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgot Jehovah their God, and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

The people of Israel did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.

8 A nd the anger of Jehovah 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.

So the anger of the Lord was against Israel. He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. The people of Israel worked for Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

9 A nd the children of Israel cried to Jehovah; and Jehovah raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

But the people of Israel cried to the Lord. And the Lord gave the people of Israel someone who would save them. He gave them Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

10 A nd the Spirit of Jehovah was upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Jehovah gave Chushan-rishathaim king of Syria into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he led Israel. When he went out to war, the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. He was stronger than Cushan-rishathaim.

11 A nd the land had rest forty years; and Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

The land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 A nd the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they did evil in the sight of Jehovah.

The people of Israel sinned in the eyes of the Lord again. So the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab strength against Israel, because they had sinned in the eyes of the Lord.

13 A nd he gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek and went and smote Israel, and they took possession of the city of palm-trees.

Eglon gathered together with the people of Ammon and Amalek. They went and won the war against Israel. And they took the city of Jericho.

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

The people of Israel worked for Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.

15 A nd the children of Israel cried to Jehovah, and Jehovah raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a man left-handed. And by him the children of Israel sent a gift to Eglon king of Moab.

But when the people of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord gave them someone to save them. He gave them Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent taxes by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

16 A nd Ehud made him a sword having two edges, it was of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right hip.

Ehud made a sword for himself with two sharp sides, almost as long as an arm. He tied it to the top part of his right leg, under his coat.

17 A nd he brought the gift to Eglon king of Moab; now Eglon was a very fat man.

Then he brought the taxes to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

18 A nd it came to pass when he had ended offering the gift, he sent away the people that had borne the gift.

When Ehud had finished paying the taxes, he sent away the people who had carried the taxes.

19 B ut he turned from the graven images that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word unto thee, O king. And he said, Be silent! And all that stood by him went out from him.

But he himself turned around at the stone gods of Gilgal and returned to Eglon, saying, “I have secret news for you, O king.” Eglon said, “Keep quiet.” And all who stood by him went away from him.

20 A nd Ehud came to him; now he was sitting in the cool upper-chamber, which was for him alone. And Ehud said, I have a word from God unto thee. And he arose from the seat.

Ehud came to him while Eglon was sitting alone in his summer room. And Ehud said, “I have news from God for you.” The king got up from his seat.

21 T hen Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right hip, and thrust it into his belly;

Ehud put out his left hand, took the sword from his right leg, and pushed it into Eglon’s stomach.

22 a nd the haft also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade; for he did not draw the sword out of his belly, and it came out between the legs.

The whole sword went into his stomach and the fat closed over it. For he did not pull the sword out of his stomach. The insides of Eglon’s stomach ran out.

23 A nd Ehud went out into the portico, and shut the doors of the upper-chamber upon him, and bolted them.

Then Ehud went out the back way. He closed the doors of the summer room behind him, and locked them.

24 A nd when he was gone out, the servants of the came and saw, and behold, the doors of the upper-chamber were bolted. And they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the summer chamber.

When Ehud had gone out, Eglon’s servants came. They saw that the doors of the summer room were locked. So they said, “He is only resting in there away from the heat.”

25 A nd they waited till they were ashamed; and behold, he opened not the doors of the upper-chamber, and they took the key, and opened, and behold, their lord lay dead on the earth.

They waited until they were afraid because Eglon did not open the doors of the summer room. So they opened the lock and looked in the doors. And they found their owner lying dead on the floor.

26 A nd Ehud had escaped while they lingered, and passed beyond the graven images, and escaped to Seirah.

Ehud got away while they were waiting. He passed the stone gods and got away to Seirah.

27 A nd it came to pass when he was 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.

When he got there, he blew the horn in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country. Ehud went in front of them.

28 A nd he said to them, Follow after me, for Jehovah has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan toward Moab, and suffered no one to pass over.

He said to them, “Go after them. For the Lord has given into your hands the Moabites who hate you.” So they went down after him. They took over the crossing places of the Jordan beside Moab. And they did not let anyone cross.

29 A nd they slew the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand men, all fat, and all men of valour, and not a man escaped.

At that time they killed about 10, 000 Moabites, all strong men with strength of heart. No one got away.

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

So Moab was crushed under the power of Israel that day. And the land had rest for eighty years.

31 A nd after him was Shamgar the son of Anath; and he smote the Philistines, six hundred men, with an ox-goad. And he also delivered Israel.

After Ehud, Shamgar the son of Anath became the leader. He killed 600 Philistines with a stick used to push cattle, and he also saved Israel.