Judges 3
3
1These are the nations the Lord did not force to leave. He wanted to test the Israelites who had not fought in the wars of Canaan. 2(The only reason the Lord left those nations in the land was to teach the descendants of the Israelites who had not fought in those wars how to fight.) 3These are the nations: the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the people of Sidon, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 4Those nations were in the land to test the Israelites—to see if they would obey the commands the Lord had given to their ancestors by Moses.
5The people of Israel lived with the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 6The Israelites began to marry the daughters of those people, and they allowed their daughters to marry the sons of those people. Israel also served their gods.
Othniel, the First Judge
7The Israelites did what the Lord said was wrong. They forgot about the Lord their God and served the idols of Baal and Asherah. 8So the Lord was angry with Israel and allowed Cushan-Rishathaim king of Northwest Mesopotamia to rule over the Israelites for eight years. 9When Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord sent someone to save them. Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, saved the Israelites. 10The Spirit of the Lord entered Othniel, and he became Israel’s judge. When he went to war, the Lord handed over to him Cushan-Rishathaim king of Northwest Mesopotamia. 11So the land was at peace for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Ehud, the Judge
12Again the people of Israel did what the Lord said was wrong. So the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power to defeat Israel because of the evil Israel did. 13Eglon got the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join him. Then he attacked Israel and took Jericho, the city of palm trees. 14So the people of Israel were ruled by Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
15When the people cried to the Lord, he sent someone to save them. He was Ehud, son of Gera from the people of Benjamin, who was left-handed. Israel sent Ehud to give Eglon king of Moab the payment he demanded. 16Ehud made himself a sword with two edges, about eighteen inches long, and he tied it to his right hip under his clothes. 17Ehud gave Eglon king of Moab the payment he demanded. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18After he had given Eglon the payment, Ehud sent away the people who had carried it. 19When he passed the statues near Gilgal, he turned around and said to Eglon, “I have a secret message for you, King Eglon.”
The king said, “Be quiet!” Then he sent all of his servants out of the room. 20Ehud went to King Eglon, as he was sitting alone in the room above his summer palace.
Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king stood up from his chair, 21Ehud reached with his left hand and took out the sword that was tied to his right hip. Then he stabbed the sword deep into the king’s belly! 22Even the handle sank in, and the blade came out his back. The king’s fat covered the whole sword, so Ehud left the sword in Eglon. 23Then he went out of the room and closed and locked the doors behind him.
24When the servants returned just after Ehud left, they found the doors to the room locked. So they thought the king was relieving himself. 25They waited for a long time. Finally they became worried because he still had not opened the doors. So they got the key and unlocked them and saw their king lying dead on the floor!
26While the servants were waiting, Ehud had escaped. He passed by the statues and went to Seirah. 27When he reached the mountains of Ephraim he blew the trumpet. The people of Israel heard it and went down from the hills with Ehud leading them.
28He said to them, “Follow me! The Lord has helped you to defeat your enemies, the Moabites.” So Israel followed Ehud and captured the crossings of the Jordan River. They did not allow the Moabites to cross the Jordan River. 29Israel killed about ten thousand strong and able men from Moab; not one escaped. 30So that day Moab was forced to be under the rule of Israel, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.
Shamgar, the Judge
31After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath saved Israel. Shamgar killed six hundred Philistines with a sharp stick used to guide oxen.
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Judges 3: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Judges 3
3
1Now these are the nations that Adonai left, to test all Israel who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan.
2It was only in order that the generations of Bnei-Yisrael might learn from war, which they had not experienced before.
3These nations included the five Philistine lords, and all the Canaanites, Zidonians and the Hivites living in the hill country of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.
4They were for testing Israel, to know whether they would obey the mitzvot of Adonai, which He had commanded their fathers by Moses’ hand.
5But Bnei-Yisrael settled among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites,
6and took their daughters for themselves as wives, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshipped their gods.
7Bnei-Yisrael did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes, forgot Adonai their God and worshipped the Baalim and the Asherahs.
Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar
8So Adonai’s anger burned against Israel, and He sold them over into the hand of King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim, and Bnei-Yisrael served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.
9When Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai, Adonai raised up a deliverer for Bnei-Yisrael to deliver them—Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger kinsman.
10The Spirit of Adonai came upon him as he judged Israel. When he went out to war, Adonai gave King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram into his hand so that he had the upper hand over Cushan-rishathaim.
11Then the land had peace 40 years. When Othniel son of Kenaz died,
12Bnei-Yisrael again did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes. So Adonai strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in Adonai’s eyes.
13So he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, then went and defeated Israel and took possession of the City of Palms.
14Bnei-Yisrael became subject to King Eglon of Moab for 18 years.
15But when Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai, Adonai raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud son of Gera the Benjamite—a left-handed man. Now Bnei-Yisrael sent tribute with him to King Eglon of Moab.
16Ehud made himself a double-edged sword, a cubit in length, which he girded on his right thigh under his cloak.
17Then he presented the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Eglon was a very fat man.
18Now when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried the tribute,
19but he himself turned back, at the idols that were near Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Keep silence!” he replied, so all his attendants left him.
20Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in a roof chamber where it was cool, and said, “I have a message from God for you,” so he arose from his throne.
21Then Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly.
22Even the handle went in after the blade and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not withdraw the sword out of his belly—and the filth came out.
23Then Ehud went out by the porch, shut the doors of the roof chamber on him, and locked them.
24After he had gone out, his courtiers came and looked, but behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked. So they said, “He is only relieving himself in the cool chamber.”
25So they waited till they were embarrassed, but behold, he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber. So they took the key and opened them—and behold, their master was lying dead on the floor.
26But Ehud escaped while they were lingering, passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah.
27When he arrived, he blew the shofar in the hill country of Ephraim, so Bnei-Yisrael went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them.
28He said to them, “Follow me, for Adonai has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and allowed no one to cross over.
29Then they struck down at that time about 10,000 men of Moab—all stout men of valor—not a man escaped.
30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had peace for 80 years.
31After him came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down 600 Philistine men with an ox-goad. So he also delivered Israel.
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