The Book of Judges (WEB)
3:1 Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel
as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 3:2only that the generations of the children of Israel might
know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it: 3:3namely, the five lords of
the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount
Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath. 3:4They were left, to prove Israel by
them, to know whether they would listen to the commandments of Yahweh, which he commanded
their fathers by Moses. 3:5The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the
Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: 3:6and they took their daughters to
be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods. 3:7The children of
Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served
the Baals and the Asheroth. 3:8Therefore the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he
sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel
served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. 3:9When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh
raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz,
Caleb's younger brother. 3:10The Spirit of Yahweh came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went
out to war, and Yahweh delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand: and his
hand prevailed against Cushan- rishathaim. 3:11The land had rest forty years. Othniel the son of
Kenaz died. 3:12The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and
Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which
was evil in the sight of Yahweh. 3:13He gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and
he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees. 3:14The children of Israel
served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 3:15But when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh,
Yahweh raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. The
children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. 3:16Ehud made him a sword which
had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh. 3:17He
offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man. 3:18When he had made
an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute. 3:19But he himself
turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to you, king. He
said, Keep silence. All who stood by him went out from him. 3:20Ehud came to him; and he was
sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. He
arose out of his seat. 3:21Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and
thrust it into his body: 3:22and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade,
for he didn't draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind. 3:23Then Ehud went forth into
the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them. 3:24Now when he was
gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked;
and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber. 3:25They waited until they were
ashamed; and, behold, he didn't open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and
opened them, and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. 3:26Ehud escaped while
they waited, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah. 3:27It happened, when he had
come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down
with him from the hill-country, and he before them. 3:28He said to them, Follow after me; for
Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. They went down after him, and
took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn't allow a man to pass over. 3:29They
struck of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and
there escaped not a man. 3:30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. The land had
rest eighty years. 3:31After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck of the Philistines six
hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Israel.
World English Bible