1 T hese 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.

¶ Now these are the Gentiles which the LORD left, to prove Israel with them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

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

he left them only that the generations of the sons of Israel might know, and to teach them war, only for those that had known nothing before:

3 T hese 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.

namely, five cardinals 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.

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

These, therefore, were left to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

5 T he people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.

And as the sons of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,

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

they took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to their sons and served their gods.

7 T he 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.

And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baalim and the groves.

8 S o 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.

¶ Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia, and the sons of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

9 B ut 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.

And when the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a saviour to the sons of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

10 T he 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.

And 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.

11 T he land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died.

12 T he 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.

¶ And the sons 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.

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

And he gathered unto him the sons of Ammon and of Amalek and went and smote Israel and took the city of palm trees.

14 T he people of Israel worked for Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.

So the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

15 B ut 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.

But when the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a saviour, Ehud, the son of Gera, a son of Jemini, a man, who had his right hand impeded, and by him the sons of Israel sent a present unto Eglon, the king of Moab.

16 E hud 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.

But Ehud had made himself a two-edged sword of a cubit length, and he girded it under his clothing upon his right thigh.

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

And he brought the present unto Eglon, king of Moab, and Eglon was a very fat man.

18 W hen Ehud had finished paying the taxes, he sent away the people who had carried the taxes.

And when he had offered the present, he sent away the people that had brought the present.

19 B ut 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.

But he, himself turned again from the graven images that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word for thee, O king, who then said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.

20 E hud 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.

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 word from God unto thee. Then he arose out of his seat.

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

But Ehud put forth his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglon’s belly;

22 T he 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.

in such a manner that 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 excrement came out.

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

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

24 W hen 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.”

When he was gone out, his slaves came; and when they saw that the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Peradventure he covers his feet in his summer chamber.

25 T hey 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.

And having waited until they were confounded and he had not opened the doors of the parlour; therefore, they took a key and opened them; and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

26 E hud got away while they were waiting. He passed the stone gods and got away to Seirah.

But while they had waited, Ehud escaped and passed beyond the graven images and escaped unto Seirath.

27 W hen 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.

And as he entered in, he blew the shofar in the mountain of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

28 H e 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.

Then he said unto them, Follow after me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hands. And they went down after him and took the fords of the Jordan towards Moab and did not let anyone pass.

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

And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all fat, and all men of war, and there escaped not a man.

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

So Moab was subjected that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.

31 A fter 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.

¶ And after him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad, and he also saved Israel.