1 N ow 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;

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, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

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

3 N amely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of 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 hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, 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 to be their 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 the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

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 T herefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim 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 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.

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 the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the Lord delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

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 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.

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 unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed 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 S o 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 B ut 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.

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 B ut 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.

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 present unto Eglon king of Moab: and 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 when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

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

19 B ut 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.

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 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.

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 A nd Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, 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, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

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 T hen Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

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

24 W hen 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.

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 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.

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 escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

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 mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, 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 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.

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 of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.

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

30 S o Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore 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, which slew of 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.