Nations Left to Test Israel

1And these are the nations that YHWH left, that He might test by them Israel, all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan, 2only so that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught to know war, only those who formerly had not known it: 3Five princes of the Philistines, and all the Canaanite, and the Sidonian, and the Hivite that dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.

4And they were to test by them Israel, to know whether they would heed the commandments of YHWH, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5And the sons of Israel dwelt among the Canaanite, the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 6And they took their daughters to be their wives, and they gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods.

Othniel

7And the sons of Israel did evil in the eyes of YHWH, and they forgot YHWH their God, and they served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8And the anger of YHWH was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim,† and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

9And the sons of Israel cried out to YHWH, and YHWH raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel, and he delivered them—Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb—from it. 10And the Spirit of YHWH came upon him, and he judged Israel and he went out to war. And YHWH delivered into his hand Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram, and his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

11And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

12And the sons of Israel again did evil in the eyes of YHWH, and YHWH strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because that they had done evil in the eyes of YHWH. 13And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and they went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.†

14And the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. 15And the sons of Israel cried out to YHWH, and YHWH raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud son of Gera the Benjamite, a man impeded in his right hand. And the sons of Israel sent by his hand tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

16And Ehud made himself a dagger, and it had two edges a cubit in length.† And he fastened it under his cloak on his right thigh. 17And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. And Eglon was a very fat man.

18And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19And he himself turned back from the stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

And He said, “Silence!” And all attending him went out from him.

20And Ehud came to him, and he was sitting in the cool upper chamber, which was private to him. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from the throne.

21And Ehud reached with his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22And the hilt even went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly. And his excrement came out. 23And Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24And he had gone out, and Eglon’s servants came and looked. And behold, the doors of the upper room were locked. And they said, “He is only covering his feet in the cool inner chamber.” 25And they waited until they felt ashamed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. And they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master was fallen on the floor dead.

26And Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the stone images and escaped to Seirah.

27And it came to pass when he arrived, that he blew on the shofar in the hill country of Ephraim, and went down with him the sons of Israel from the hills, and he was before their faces. 28And he said to them, “Follow after me, for YHWH has delivered your⁺ enemies the Moabites into your⁺ hands.”

And they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to pass over. 29And they struck down at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout and men of valor, and not a man escaped.

30And Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

Shamgar

31And after him was Shamgar son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an oxgoad. And he also delivered Israel.