Judges 3 (GLT) · Opened

1Now those nations which Yahweh allowed to remain in order to test Israel by them, all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan,These are the nations that the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan,

2only for the sake of the generations of the sons of Israel knowing, to teach them warfare, only who formerly had not experienced them,if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly:

3the five governors of the Philistines, and all of the Canaanite, the Sidonian, and the Hivite dwelling in the mountain of Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon as far as Lebo Hamath.the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.

4They were to test Israel by them, to know whether they would heed the commandments of Yahweh, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses.

5So the sons of Israel settled in the midst of the Canaanite, the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

6Then their daughters they took for themselves as wives, and their daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7So the sons of Israel did this evil in the eyes of Yahweh and they forgot Yahweh their God. They served the baals and the asherahs.So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

8Therefore, the anger of Yahweh blazed against Israel, so he sold them into the hand of Cushan- Rishathaim, the king of Aram Naharaim. The sons of Israel served Cushan- Rishathaim eight years.Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.

9When the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel, and he delivered them: Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb younger than him.But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them.

10The spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went forth to battle and Yahweh gave Cushan- Rishathaim, the king of Aram, into his hand. Thus his hand prevailed over Cushan- Rishathaim.The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.

11So the land had tranquility forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

12Then the sons of Israel started again to do this evil in the eyes of Yahweh. So Yahweh strengthed Eglon, the king of Moab against Israel, because they did this evil in the eyes of Yahweh.Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

13Then he mobilized to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek and he went and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the city of the palm trees.After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.

14So the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

15When the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man impeded in his right hand. The sons of Israel sent tribute by his hand to Eglon, the king of Moab.And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

16Then Ehud made for himself a sword and it had two edges, a span was its length. He bound it on from beneath his clothing on his right thigh.Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak

17Then he bought the tribute near to Eglon, the king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man.

18Now it happened that when he had completed bringing over the tribute, he sent away the people, the bearers of the tribute.After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it.

19But he himself turned back from the quarries which were near the Gilgal, and he said,“I have a private message for you, O king.” He said,“Silence!” So all those who were standing around him went out from around him.But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him.

20So Ehud came to him. Now he was sitting in the roof chamber in the coolness, which was for him alone. Ehud said,“I have a message from God for you,” and he rose up from upon the seat.Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.

21Then Ehud stretched out his left hand and took the sword from upon his right thigh, and he thrust it into his belly.And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.

22Also the handle went in following the blade, and the fat closed up over the handle because he did not pull the sword out of his belly. Then he proceeded to the vestibule,Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied.

23and Ehud went out to the porch and he closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them.Then Ehud went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him.

24After he had gone out, his servants came. They inspected and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked. So they said,“Surely he is covering his feet in the chamber in the coolness.”After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said.

25They waited until it was inappropriate, but behold, he was not opening the doors of the roof chamber. So they took the key and they opened them, and behold, their majestic lord had fallen to the floor, dead.So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor.

26Meanwhile Ehud had escaped during their tarrying and he passed beyond the quarries, then he fled to Seirah.Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.

27Now it happened that at his coming in, he blew on the shofar in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was before them.On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.

28Then he said to them,“Follow after me, for Yahweh has given your enemies, Moab, into your hand.” So they went down after him and they captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab. Thus they did not allow anyone to cross over.“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over.

29So they routed Moab at that time, about ten thousand men. All were robust and all were men of strength, but not anyone escaped.At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped.

30Moab was subdued on that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was tranquil eighty years.So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.

31After him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, and he smote Philistines, 600 men with a cattle prod. Thus he also delivered Israel.After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.

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Judges 3

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