Shared Word Translation
Judges 3
Nations Left to Test Israel
These are the nations that the LORD left in order to test Israel by them—all in Israel who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan— only so that the generations of the children of Israel might know war, at least those who had not known it before: the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-Hermon to Lebo-Hamath. They were for testing Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD that he had commanded their ancestors by the hand of Moses. So the children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They took their daughters for themselves as wives, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
Othniel Delivers Israel
The children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram-Naharaim. The children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. Then the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel who saved 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, and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. Then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Ehud and Eglon
Again the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the eyes of the LORD. Eglon gathered to himself the children of Ammon and Amalek. He went and struck Israel, and they possessed the City of Palms. The children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. Then the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite, a man restricted in his right hand. The children of Israel sent tribute by his hand to Eglon king of Moab. Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and strapped it under his clothing on his right thigh. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.
When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. But he himself turned back from the carved stones near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” The king said, “Silence!” And all who stood around him went out from him. Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a word from God for you.” And he rose from his seat. Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into Eglon’s belly. 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. Then Ehud went out through the vestibule, closed the doors of the upper room behind him, and locked them.
Moab Is Defeated
After he had gone out, Eglon’s servants came. They saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, and they said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the cool room.” They waited until they were embarrassed, but look, he did not open the doors of the upper room. So they took the key and opened them, and look, their lord was fallen dead on the floor. Ehud escaped while they delayed. He passed beyond the carved stones and escaped to Seirah. When he arrived, he blew the ram’s horn in the hill country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, with him at their head. He said to them, “Follow me, for the LORD has given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan against Moab, and allowed no one to cross. They struck down about ten thousand Moabites at that time, all strong and able men, and not one escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest eighty years.
Shamgar
After him came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.