Chapter 3

  Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to prove Israel by them, even as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan;  

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  only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it:  

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  [namely], the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.  

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  They were [left], to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the commandments of Yahweh, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.  

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  The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:  

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

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  The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.  

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  Therefore the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.  

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  When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.  

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  The Spirit of Yahweh came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Yahweh delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan- rishathaim.  

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

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  The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh.  

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  He gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees.  

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  The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.  

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  But when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.  

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  Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh.  

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  He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man.  

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  When he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute.  

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  But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to you, king. He said, Keep silence. All who stood by him went out from him.  

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  Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. He arose out of his seat.  

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  Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body:  

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  and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn't draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.  

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  Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.  

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  Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber.  

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  They waited until they were ashamed; and, behold, he didn't open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened [them], and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.  

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  Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.  

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  It happened, when he had come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill-country, and he before them.  

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  He said to them, Follow after me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. They went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn't allow a man to pass over.  

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  They struck of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man.  

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

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  After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Israel.  

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