Judges 3
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1These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan1Here's a list of nations that the LORD caused to remain in order to test Israel (that is, everyone who had not gained any battle experience in Canaan)
2(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):2only so that successive Israeli generations, who had not known war previously, might come to know it by experience.
3the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.3These nations included the five lords of the Philistines, all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.
4They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD's commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.4They remained there to test Israel, to reveal if they would obey the commands of the LORD that he issued to their ancestors through Moses.
5The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.5The Israelis continued to live among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites,
6They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.6taking their daughters as wives for themselves, giving their own daughters to their sons, and serving their gods.
7The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.7The Israelis kept on practicing evil in full view of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served Canaanite male and female deities.
8The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.8Then in his burning anger against Israel, the LORD delivered them to domination by King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. So the Israelis served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.
9But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them.9When the Israelis cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up Othniel son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz, to deliver them, and he did.
10The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.10The Spirit of the LORD was on him, and he governed Israel. When Othniel went out to battle, the LORD handed king Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim into his control, and Othniel's domination of Cushan-rishathaim was strong.
11So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.11As a result, the land was quiet for 40 years. Then Kenaz' son Othniel died.
12Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel.12The Israelis again practiced evil in full view of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab in his control over Israel, because they had practiced evil in full view of the LORD.
13Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.13Eglon assembled together the Ammonites and the Amalekites, proceeded to attack Israel, and captured the cities of palms.
14The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.14So the Israelis served king Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.
15Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer--Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.15But when the Israelis cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up Gera's son Ehud, a left-handed descendant of Benjamin, as a deliverer for them. The Israelis paid tribute through him to king Eglon of Moab.
16Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing.16Ehud forged a double-edged sword that was one cubit long, tied it to his right thigh under his cloak,
17He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.17and went to present the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon happened to be a very obese man.
18After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it.18As he finished presenting the tribute, Ehud sent away the people who had been carrying it.
19But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, "Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you." The king said to his attendants, "Leave us!" And they all left.19He had turned away from the idols that were at Gilgal. So he told Eglon, "I have a secret message for you, king." King Eglon responded "Silence!" and all of his attendants left him.
20Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat,20Ehud approached him while he was sitting by himself in the cool roof chamber of his palace. He said, "I have a message from God for you!" So when Eglon got up from his seat,
21Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly.21Ehud used his left hand to take the sword from his right thigh and then plunged it into Eglon's abdomen.
22Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it.22The hilt also penetrated along with the sword blade, and Eglon's fat closed in over the blade. Because he did not withdraw the sword from Eglon's abdomen, the sword point exited from Eglon's entrails.
23Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.23Then Ehud left the cool chamber in the direction of the vestibule, shutting and locking the doors behind him.
24After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace."24After he left, Eglon's attendants came to look, but the doors to the cool chamber were locked! So they said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner part of the cool chamber."
25They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.25They waited until they were embarrassed, since he never opened the doors to the chamber. Eventually they took a key, opened the doors, and found their master dead on the ground.
26While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah.26Meanwhile, Ehud escaped while they were delayed, passed by the idols, and escaped in the direction of Seirah.
27When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.27When he arrived there, he sounded a trumpet in the mountainous region of Ephraim. While the Israeli army accompanied Ehud from the mountainous regions,
28"Follow me," he ordered, "for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over.28he told them, "Attack them, because the LORD has given your enemies—the Moabites—into your control." So the Israeli army followed after him, seized the fords of the Jordan River opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.
29At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped.29At that time they attacked about 10,000 Moabites, all of whom were strong and valiant men. Not one man escaped.
30That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.30As a result, Moab was subdued under the control of Israel, and the land remained quiet for 80 years.
31After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.31After Ehud, Anath's son Shamgar attacked 600 Philistines with a cattle prod. He also delivered Israel.
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Judges 2
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