| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan | 1These were the nations the LORD permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel--he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites. |
| 2(this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), | 2He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war. |
| 3namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. | 3These were the nations: the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo-Hamath. |
| 4And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. | 4They were left to test Israel, so the LORD would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses. |
| 5Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. | 5The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. |
| 6And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods. | 6They took the Canaanites' daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; they worshiped their gods as well. |
| 7So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs. | 7The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. They forgot the LORD their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. |
| 8Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot 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. | 8The LORD was furious with Israel and turned them over to King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram-Naharaim. They were Cushan-Rishathaim's subjects for eight years. |
| 9When the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. | 9When the Israelites cried out for help to the LORD, he raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. |
| 10The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. | 10The LORD's spirit empowered him and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the LORD handed over to him King Cushan-Rishathaim of Aram and he overpowered him. |
| 11So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. | 11The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died. |
| 12And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. | 12The Israelites again did evil in the LORD's sight. The LORD gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because they had done evil in the LORD's sight. |
| 13Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. | 13Eglon formed alliances with the Ammonites and Amalekites. He came and defeated Israel, and they seized the City of Date Palm Trees. |
| 14So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. | 14The Israelites were subject to King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years. |
| 15But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. | 15When the Israelites cried out for help to the LORD, he raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment. |
| 16Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. | 16Ehud made himself a sword--it had two edges and was eighteen inches long. He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh. |
| 17So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.) | 17He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.) |
| 18And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. | 18After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it. |
| 19But he himself turned back from the stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” He said, “Keep silence!” And all who attended him went out from him. | 19But he went back once he reached the carved images at Gilgal. He said to Eglon, "I have a secret message for you, O king." Eglon said, "Be quiet!" All his attendants left. |
| 20So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he arose from his seat. | 20When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated upper room all by himself. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." When Eglon rose up from his seat, |
| 21Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. | 21Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into Eglon's belly. |
| 22Even the hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out. | 22The handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the blade, for Ehud did not pull the sword out of his belly. |
| 23Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. | 23As Ehud went out into the vestibule, he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. |
| 24When he had gone out, Eglon’s servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “He is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber.” | 24When Ehud had left, Eglon's servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the well-ventilated inner room." |
| 25So they waited till they were embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor. | 25They waited so long they were embarrassed, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. Finally they took the key and opened the doors. Right before their eyes was their master, sprawled out dead on the floor! |
| 26But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the stone images and escaped to Seirah. | 26Now Ehud had escaped while they were delaying. When he passed the carved images, he escaped to Seirah. |
| 27And it happened, when he arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and he led them. | 27When he reached Seirah, he blew a trumpet in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites went down with him from the hill country, with Ehud in the lead. |
| 28Then he said to them, “Follow me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. | 28He said to them, "Follow me, for the LORD is about to defeat your enemies, the Moabites!" They followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan River opposite Moab, and did not let anyone cross. |
| 29And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. | 29That day they killed about ten thousand Moabites--all strong, capable warriors; not one escaped. |
| 30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years. | 30Israel humiliated Moab that day, and the land had rest for eighty years. |
| 31After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel. | 31After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath; he killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad and, like Ehud, delivered Israel. |
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