﻿Judges.
Chapter 3.
These are the nations the LORD left to test Israel through them—all those who had not known any of the wars of Canaan. 
He did this only so that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, teaching it to those who had not known it before: 
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the hill country of Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath. 
They were left to test Israel, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he had commanded their ancestors through Moses. 
The people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 
They took their daughters as wives and gave their own daughters to their sons, and they served their gods. 
The people of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. 
The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim. The people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. 
Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 
The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into his hand. His hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim. 
The land had rest forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died. 
The people of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. The LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 
Eglon gathered the Ammonites and Amalekites to himself. He went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. 
The people of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. 
Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute through him to Eglon king of Moab. 
Ehud made himself a double-edged dagger about a foot long and strapped it under his clothing on his right thigh. 
He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Eglon was a very fat man. 
When Ehud finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried it. 
But he himself turned back from the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” The king said, “Silence!” And all his attendants went out from his presence. 
Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And the king rose from his seat. 
Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into the king’s belly. 
The hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the dagger out of his belly. And the excrement came out. 
Ehud went out to the porch, closed the doors of the upper room behind him, and locked them. 
After he had gone out, the king’s servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “Surely he is relieving himself in the cool chamber.” 
They waited until they were embarrassed, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. So they took the key and opened them, and there was their lord lying dead on the floor. 
Ehud escaped while they delayed. He passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. 
When he arrived, he blew the ram’s horn in the hill country of Ephraim. The people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he went ahead of them. 
He said to them, “Follow me, for the LORD has given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand.” They went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab. They did not let anyone cross. 
At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all strong and valiant men. Not one escaped. 
So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest eighty years. 
After him came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too delivered Israel. 
