Judges 3

The Nations Left in Canaan

3These are the nations that the LORD left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan.H1471H3068H3240H5254H3478H3045H4421H36672He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.H7535H1755H1121H3478H3045H3925H4421H6440H30453These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.H2568H5633H6430H3669H6722H2340H3427H2022H3844H2022H1179H935H25744These people were left to test the Israelites—to see whether they would obey the commands the LORD had given to their ancestors through Moses.H5254H3478H3045H8085H4687H3068H6680H1H3027H48725So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,H1121H3478H3427H7130H3669H2850H567H6522H2340H29836and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods.H3947H1323H802H5414H1323H1121H5647H430

Othniel Becomes Israel’s Judge

7The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles.H1121H3478H6213H7451H5869H3068H7911H3068H430H5647H1168H8428Then the LORD burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim

. And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.H639H3068H2734H3478H4376H3027H3573H4428H763H1121H3478H5647H3573H8083H81419But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother, Kenaz.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H1121H3478H3467H6274H1121H7073H3612H6996H25110The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel's judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the LORD gave Othniel victory over him.H7307H3068H8199H3478H3318H4421H3068H5414H3573H4428H763H3027H3027H5810H357311So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.H776H8252H705H8141H6274H1121H7073H4191

Ehud Becomes Israel’s Judge

12Once again the Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight, and the LORD gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil.H1121H3478H6213H7451H3254H5869H3068H3068H2388H5700H4428H4124H3478H6213H7451H5869H306813Eglon enlisted the Ammonites and Amalekites as allies, and then he went out and defeated Israel, taking possession of Jericho, the city of palms.H622H1121H5983H6002H3212H5221H3478H3423H5892H8558H589914And the Israelites served Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.H1121H3478H5647H5700H4428H4124H8083H6240H814115But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tribute money to King Eglon of Moab.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H164H1121H1617H1145H376H334H3225H3027H1121H3478H7971H4503H5700H4428H412416So Ehud made a double-edged dagger that was about a foot

long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing.H164H6213H2719H8147H6366H1574H753H2296H4055H3225H340917He brought the tribute money to Eglon, who was very fat.H7126H4503H5700H4428H4124H5700H3966H1277H37618After delivering the payment, Ehud started home with those who had helped carry the tribute.H3615H7126H4503H7971H5971H5375H450319But when Ehud reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He came to Eglon and said, "I have a secret message for you." So the king commanded his servants, "Be quiet!" and he sent them all out of the room.H7725H6456H1537H559H5643H1697H4428H559H2013H5975H331820Ehud walked over to Eglon, who was sitting alone in a cool upstairs room. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you!" As King Eglon rose from his seat,H164H935H3427H4747H5944H164H559H1697H430H6965H367821Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled out the dagger strapped to his right thigh, and plunged it into the king's belly.H164H7971H8040H3027H3947H2719H3225H3409H8628H99022The dagger went so deep that the handle disappeared beneath the king's fat. So Ehud did not pull out the dagger, and the king's bowels emptied

.H5325H935H310H3851H2459H5462H1157H3851H8025H2719H990H6574H331823Then Ehud closed and locked the doors of the room and escaped down the latrine

.H164H3318H4528H5462H1817H5944H527424After Ehud was gone, the king's servants returned and found the doors to the upstairs room locked. They thought he might be using the latrine in the room,H3318H5650H935H7200H1817H5944H5274H559H5526H7272H4747H231525so they waited. But when the king didn't come out after a long delay, they became concerned and got a key. And when they opened the doors, they found their master dead on the floor.H2342H954H6605H1817H5944H3947H4668H6605H113H5307H4191H77626While the servants were waiting, Ehud escaped, passing the stone idols on his way to Seirah.H164H4422H4102H5674H6456H4422H816727When he arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Ehud sounded a call to arms. Then he led a band of Israelites down from the hills.H935H8628H7782H2022H669H1121H3478H3381H2022H644028"Follow me," he said, "for the LORD has given you victory over Moab your enemy." So they followed him. And the Israelites took control of the shallow crossings of the Jordan River across from Moab, preventing anyone from crossing.H559H7291H310H3068H5414H341H4124H3027H3381H310H3920H4569H3383H4124H5414H376H567429They attacked the Moabites and killed about 10,000 of their strongest and most able-bodied warriors. Not one of them escaped.H5221H4124H6256H6235H505H376H8082H376H2428H4422H37630So Moab was conquered by Israel that day, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.H4124H3665H3117H3027H3478H776H8252H8084H8141

Shamgar Becomes Israel’s Judge

31After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath rescued Israel. He once killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.H310H8044H1121H6067H5221H6430H8337H3967H376H1241H4451H3467H3478