1 A nd these the nations which Jehovah left, to try Israel by them, all who have 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 ( only for the sake of the generations of the sons of Israel's knowing, to teach them war, only those who formerly have not known them) --

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

3 f ive princes of the Philistines, and all the Canaanite, and the Zidonian, and the Hivite inhabiting mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-Hermon 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 are to prove Israel by them, to know whether they obey the commands of Jehovah that 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 sons of Israel have dwelt in the midst of the Canaanite, the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,

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

6 a nd take their daughters to them for wives, and their daughters have given to their sons, and they serve their gods;

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

7 a nd the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and forget Jehovah their God, and serve the Baalim and the shrines.

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 burneth against Israel, and He selleth them into the hand of Chushan-Rishathaim king of Aram-Naharaim, and the sons of Israel serve 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 sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah, and Jehovah raiseth a saviour to the sons of Israel, and he saveth them -- Othniel 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 is upon him, and he judgeth Israel, and goeth out to battle, and Jehovah giveth unto his hand Chushan-Rishathaim king of Aram, and strong is his hand 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 resteth forty years. And Othniel son of Kenaz dieth,

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

12 a nd the sons of Israel add to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah; and Jehovah strengtheneth Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because that they have done the evil thing in the eyes 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 gathereth unto him the Bene-Ammon and Amalek, and goeth and smiteth Israel, and they possess the city of palms;

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 sons of Israel serve Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

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

15 A nd the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah, and Jehovah raiseth to them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite (a man -- shut of his right hand), and the sons of Israel send by his hand a present 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 maketh for himself a sword, and it hath two mouths (a cubit its length), and he girdeth it under his long robe on 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 bringeth near the present to Eglon king of Moab, and Eglon 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 cometh to pass, when he hath finished to bring near the present, that he sendeth away the people bearing the present,

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

19 a nd he himself hath turned back from the graven images which at Gilgal, and saith, `A secret word I have unto thee, O king;' and he saith, `Hush!' and go out from him do all those standing by 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 hath come unto him, and he is sitting in the upper chamber of the wall which he hath for himself, and Ehud saith, `A word of God I have unto thee;' and he riseth from off the throne;

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 putteth forth his left hand, and taketh the sword from off his right thigh, and striketh 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 goeth in after the blade, and the fat shutteth on the blade, that he hath not drawn the sword out of his belly, and it goeth out at the fundament.

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 goeth out at the porch, and shutteth the doors of the upper chamber upon him, and hath bolted;

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

24 a nd he hath gone out, and his servants have come in, and look, and lo, the doors of the upper chamber are bolted, and they say, `He is only covering his feet in the inner chamber of the wall.'

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 stay till confounded, and lo, he is not opening the doors of the upper chamber, and they take the key, and open, and lo, their lord is fallen to the earth -- dead.

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 during their tarrying, and hath passed by the images, and is escaped to Seirath.

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

27 A nd it cometh to pass, in his coming in, that he bloweth with a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim, and go down with him do the sons of Israel 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 saith unto them, `Pursue after me, for Jehovah hath given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand;' and they go down after him, and capture the passages of the Jordan towards Moab, and have not permitted 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 smite Moab at that time, about ten thousand men, all robust, and every one a man of valour, and not a man hath 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 is humbled in that day under the hand of Israel; and the land resteth 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 hath been Shamgar son of Anath, and he smiteth the Philistines -- six hundred men -- with an ox-goad, and he saveth -- he also -- 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.