Judges 3 New American Standard Bible

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New American Standard Bible

Idolatry Leads to Servitude

1Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them (that is, all the Israelites who had not [a]experienced any of the wars of Canaan; 2only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might [b]be taught war, [c]those who had not [d]experienced it previously). 3These nations are: the five governors of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as [e]Lebo-hamath. 4They were left to test Israel by them, to find out if they would [f]obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers [g]through Moses. 5The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; 6and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7So the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the [h]Asheroth. 8Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, king of [i]Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

The First Judge Frees Israel

9But the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to set them free, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went to war, the LORD handed over to him Cushan-rishathaim king of [j]Mesopotamia, so that [k]he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11Then the land was at rest for forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and [l]defeated Israel, and they took possession of the city of the palm trees. 14And the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.

Ehud Kills Eglon

15But when the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by [m]him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16Now Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he strapped it on his right thigh under his cloak. 17Then he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18And it came about, when he had finished presenting the tribute, that Ehud sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And the king said, “Silence!” And all who were attending him left him. 20Then Ehud came to him while he was sitting in his cool roof chamber alone. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he got up from his seat. 21Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22The hilt of the sword also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade because he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and [n]the refuse came out. 23Then Ehud went out into the [o]vestibule, and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them.

24When he had left, [p]the king’s servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, “Undoubtedly he is [q]relieving himself in the cool room.” 25So they waited [r]until it would have been shameful to wait longer; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. So they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the [s]floor dead.

26Now Ehud escaped while they were hesitating, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27And [t]when he arrived, he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was [u]leading them. 28Then he said to them, “Pursue them, for the LORD has handed your enemies the Moabites over to you.” So they went down after him and took control of the crossing places of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross. 29They struck and killed about ten thousand Moabites at that time, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped. 30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was at rest for eighty years.

Shamgar Saves Israel

31Now after him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck and killed six hundred Philistines with an [v]oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.

[a] 1 Lit known
[b] 2 Lit know, to teach them
[c] 2 Lit only those
[d] 2 Lit known
[e] 3 Or the entrance of Hamath
[f] 4 Lit listen to
[g] 4 Lit by the hand of
[h] 7 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
[i] 8 Heb Aram-naharaim
[j] 10 Heb Aram
[k] 10 Lit his hand was strong
[l] 13 Lit struck
[m] 15 Lit his hand
[n] 22 Meaning of the Heb uncertain, but perhaps excrement
[o] 23 Meaning uncertain
[p] 24 Lit his
[q] 24 Lit covering his feet; a euphemism referring to a squatting position
[r] 25 Lit until shaming
[s] 25 Lit earth
[t] 27 Lit it happened
[u] 27 Lit before them
[v] 31 I.e., a spiked stick for driving livestock

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