Judges 3
3
Idolatry Leads to Servitude
1Now these are the nations which the Lord left [in order] to test Israel by them (that is, all [the people of Israel] who had not [previously] experienced any of the wars in Canaan; 2only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, at least those who had not experienced it previously). 3The remaining nations are: the five lords (governors) of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath. 4They were [allowed to remain] for the testing of Israel, to determine whether Israel would listen to and obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers (ancestors) through Moses. 5And the Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites; 6and they took their daughters for themselves as wives and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their [pagan] gods.
7And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the #Various Canaanite goddesses of fertility and warfare.Asheroth. 8So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of #Heb Aram-naharaim; Aram of Two Rivers.Mesopotamia; and the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
The First Judge Rescues Israel
9But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help], the Lord raised up a #Lit deliverer.man to rescue the people of Israel, #Othniel was the first of the twelve people God appointed to rescue and lead Israel. In addition to specific judicial duties, the judges served as both civil and military leaders.Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11And the land was at rest [from oppression for] forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12Now the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, since they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 13And Eglon gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and went and struck down Israel [in defeat], and they took possession of the City of Palm Trees (Jericho). 14And the Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
Ehud Rescues Israel from Moab
15But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help], the Lord raised up a #Lit deliverer.man to rescue them, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, #Lit bound in his right hand.a left-handed man. And the Israelites sent a gift of tribute by him to Eglon king of Moab. 16Now Ehud made for himself a sword a #I.e. about eighteen inches.cubit long, which had two edges, and he bound it on his #If a bodyguard searched Ehud he would have focused on his left side, where a right-handed man would hide a sword.right thigh under his robe. 17And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18And when Ehud had finished presenting the #The tribute apparently required a company of people to transport and may have consisted of such things as valuable commodities, precious metals, and domestic animals.tribute, he sent away the people who had carried it. 19But Ehud himself turned back from the #These stones may have been either boundary markers or idols.sculptured stones at Gilgal, [and he returned to Eglon] and said [to him], “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon said “Keep silence.” And all who attended him left him. 20Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his [private] cool upper chamber, and Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And the king got up from his seat. 21Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, because Ehud did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out. 23Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the upper chamber behind him, and locked them.
24When Ehud departed, Eglon’s servants came. And when they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, they said, “He is only #Lit covering his feet (with his garment)—a euphemism for defecating, probably because of the squatting position taken.relieving himself in the cool room.” 25They waited [a very long time] until they became embarrassed and uneasy, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. So [finally] they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor, dead.
26Now Ehud escaped while they lingered, and he passed beyond the sculptured stones and escaped to Seirah. 27When he had arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them. 28And he said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has handed over your enemies the Moabites to you.” So they went down after him and seized the #I.e. narrow or shallow places where a river may be crossed by wading.fords of the Jordan opposite Moab and did not allow anyone to cross. 29They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabite men, all strong, courageous men; not a man escaped. 30So Moab was subdued and humbled that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was at rest for eighty years.
Shamgar Rescues from Philistines
31After Ehud came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistine men with an #I.e. a rod with a pointed end or fitted with a spike.oxgoad. He too saved Israel.
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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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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.