Judges 3 Parallel Bible Translations

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1 These are the nations the LORD left behind to test all the Israelites who had not experienced any war in Canaan. Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan
2 The LORD left them to teach Israel's descendants about war, at least those who had known nothing about it in the past. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):
3 He left the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon to the border of Hamath. These are the nations: 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 as far as Lebo-hamath. the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
4 These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out if they would obey the commands the LORD had given their ancestors through Moses. They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.
5 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
6 The Israelites allowed their sons and daughters to marry these people. Israel also served their gods. And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7 The people of Israel did what the LORD considered evil. They forgot the LORD their God and served other gods and goddesses-the Baals and the Asherahs. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
8 The LORD became angry with the people of Israel. He used King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram Naharaim to defeat them. So Israel served Cushan Rishathaim for eight years. Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.
9 Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help. The LORD sent a savior to rescue them. It was Othniel, son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz. But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.
10 When the LORD's Spirit came over him, he became the judge of Israel. He went out to war. The LORD handed King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram Naharaim over to him, and Othniel overpowered him. The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.
11 So there was finally peace in the land for 40 years. Then Othniel, son of Kenaz, died. So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
12 Once again, the people of Israel did what the LORD considered evil. So the LORD made King Eglon of Moab stronger than Israel, because Israel did what the LORD considered evil. And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD. Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel.
13 Eglon got the Ammonites and the Amalekites to help him, and they defeated the Israelites and occupied the City of Palms. He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.
14 The Israelites served King Eglon of Moab for 18 years. And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
15 Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help. The LORD sent a savior to rescue them. It was Ehud, a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin. (Ehud was the son of Gera.) The people sent him with their tax payment to King Eglon of Moab. Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
16 Ehud made a two-edged dagger for himself. He fastened it to his right side under his clothes. And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing.
17 Then he brought the tax payment to King Eglon. (Eglon was a very fat man.) And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.
18 When Ehud had finished delivering the payment, he sent back the men who had carried it. And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it.
19 However, Ehud turned around at the stone idols near Gilgal [and returned to Eglon]. He said, |Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.| The king replied, |Keep quiet!| Then all his advisers left the room. But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence. But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.
20 Ehud came up to him as he sat alone in his room on the roof. He said to the king, |I have a message from God for you.| As the king rose from his throne, And Ehud came to him as 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. Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat,
21 Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right side, and plunged it into Eglon's belly. And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly.
22 Even the handle went in after the blade. Eglon's fat covered the blade because Ehud didn't pull the dagger out. The blade stuck out in back. And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it.
23 Ehud left the room. (He had closed and locked the doors of the room before he left.) Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them. Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.
24 After Ehud went out, Eglon's advisers came in. They were surprised that the doors were locked. |He must be using the toilet,| they said. When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.”
25 They waited and waited, but Eglon didn't open the doors. So they took the key and opened the door. They were shocked to see their ruler lying on the floor, dead. And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor. They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.
26 While they had been waiting, Ehud escaped. He went past the stone idols and escaped to Seirah. Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah.
27 When he arrived there, he blew a ram's horn in the mountains of Ephraim [to summon the troops]. So the troops of Israel came down from the mountains with him, and he led them. When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.
28 He told them, |Follow me! The LORD will hand your enemy Moab over to you.| They followed him and captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River that led to Moab and refused to let anyone cross. And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over.
29 At that time they killed about ten thousand of Moab's best fighting men. Not one of them escaped. And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped.
30 The power of Moab was crushed by Israel that day. So there was finally peace in the land for 80 years. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years. That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.
31 After Ehud came Shamgar, son of Anath. He killed 600 Philistines with a sharp stick used for herding oxen. So he, too, rescued Israel. After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel. After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.
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