Nations Left to Test Israel

1These are the nations that the LORD {YHWH} left to test all the Israelites (God prevails) who had not known any of the wars in Canaan (lowland), 2if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel (he wrestles with God), especially to those who had not known it formerly: 3the five rulers of the Philistines (immigrants), all the Canaanites (merchants), the Sidonians, and the Hivites (villagers) who lived in the mountains of Lebanon (whiteness) from Mount Baal-hermon (lord of destruction) to Lebo-hamath (fortress).

4These nations were left to test the Israelites (God prevails), to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD {YHWH}, which He had given their fathers through Moses (drawn out). 5Thus the Israelites (God prevails) continued to live among the Canaanites (merchants), Hittites, Amorites (sayers), Perizzites (villagers), Hivites, and Jebusites (Jerusalemites). 6And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Othniel

7So the Israelites (God prevails) did evil in the sight of the LORD {YHWH}; they forgot the LORD their God {YHWH Elohehem} and served the Baals (lord) and the Asherahs (goddess). 8Then the anger of the LORD {YHWH} burned against Israel (he wrestles with God), and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim (twice-wicked Cushan) king of Aram-naharaim (Aram of the two rivers),a and the Israelites served him eight years.

9But when the Israelites (God prevails) cried out to the LORD {YHWH}, He raised up Othniel (lion of God) son of Caleb’s (dog) younger brother Kenaz (hunter) as a deliverer to save them. 10The Spirit of the LORD {Ruach YHWH} came upon him, and he became Israel’s (he wrestles with God) judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim (twice-wicked Cushan) king of Aram (exalted) into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.

11So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel (lion of God) son of Kenaz (hunter) died.

Ehud

12Once again the Israelites (God prevails) did evil in the sight of the LORD {YHWH}. So He gave Eglon (calf-like) king of Moab (of his father) power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13After enlisting the Ammonites (tribal) and Amalekites (dwellers in a valley) to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel (he wrestles with God), taking possession of the City of Palms (Jericho).b

14The Israelites (God prevails) served Eglon (calf-like) king of Moab (of his father) eighteen years. 15And again they (he wrestles with God) cried out to the LORD {YHWH}, and He raised up Ehud (I will give thanks) son of Gera (a grain) (son of the right hand), a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon (calf-like) king of Moab (of his father).

16Now Ehud (I will give thanks) had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long <18 in / 45.7 cm>.c He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak 17and brought the tribute to Eglon (calf-like) king of Moab (of his father), who was an obese man.

18After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it. 19But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal (a wheel), he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

“Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him.

20Then Ehud (I will give thanks) approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God {Elohim} for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.

21And Ehud (I will give thanks) reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied. 23Then Ehud (I will give thanks) went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him.

24After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said. 25So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor.

26Ehud, however (I will give thanks), had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah (the shaggy).

27On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim (doubly fruitful). The Israelites (God prevails) came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader. 28“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD {YHWH} has delivered your⁺ enemies the Moabites (of his father) into your⁺ hand.”

So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan (flowing down) leading to Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over. 29At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites (of his father), all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped.

30So Moab (of his father) was subdued under the hand of Israel (he wrestles with God) that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.

Shamgar

31After Ehud came Shamgar (sword) son of Anath (answer). And he too saved Israel (he wrestles with God), striking down six hundred Philistines (immigrants) with an oxgoad.