1 AJudg 1:1; 2:21, 22Now these are the nations which the Loʀᴅ left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not 1Lit knownexperienced any of the wars of Canaan; 2 only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might 1Lit know, to teach thembe taught war, 2Lit onlythose who had not 3Lit knownexperienced it formerly). 3 These nations are: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and AJosh 9:7; 11:19the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as 1Or the entrance of HamathLebo-hamath. 4 They were for 1Lit testing by themADeut 8:2testing Israel, to find out if they would 2Lit hearobey the commandments of the Loʀᴅ, which He had commanded their fathers 3Lit by the hand ofthrough Moses. 5 APs 106:35The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; 6 and AEx 34:15, 16; Deut 7:3, 4; Josh 23:12they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 The sons of Israel did AJudg 2:11what was evil in the sight of the Loʀᴅ, and BDeut 4:9forgot the Loʀᴅ their God and CJudg 2:13served the Baals and the 1I.e. wooden symbol of a female deityAsheroth. 8 Then the anger of the Loʀᴅ was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of 1Heb Aram-naharaimMesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

9 When the sons of Israel cried to the Loʀᴅ, the Loʀᴅ raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, AJudg 1:13Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 ANum 11:25-29; 24:2The Spirit of the Loʀᴅ came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the Loʀᴅ gave Cushan-rishathaim king of 1Heb AramMesopotamia into his hand, so that 2Lit his hand was stronghe prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11 Then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 Now the sons of Israel again AJudg 2:11did evil in the sight of the Loʀᴅ. So BJudg 2:14the Loʀᴅ strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Loʀᴅ. 13 And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and 1Lit smotedefeated Israel, and they possessed ADeut 34:3; Judg 1:16the city of the palm trees. 14 The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

15 But when the sons of Israel APs 78:34cried to the Loʀᴅ, the Loʀᴅ raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by 1Lit his handhim to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 It came about when he had finished presenting the tribute, that he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he said, “Keep silence.” And all who attended him left him. 20 Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. 21 Ehud stretched out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly. 22 The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out. 23 Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them.

24 When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, “A1 Sam 24:3He is only 1Lit covering his feetrelieving himself in the cool room.” 25 They waited until they 1Lit were ashamedbecame anxious; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the 2Lit earthfloor dead.

26 Now Ehud escaped while they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 It came about when he had arrived, that AJudg 6:34; 1 Sam 13:3he 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 in front of them. 28 He said to them, “Pursue them, for the Loʀᴅ has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands.” So they went down after him and seized AJudg 7:24; 12:5the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross. 29 They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was undisturbed for eighty years.

31 After him came AJudg 5:6Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.