Judges 3 Parallel Bible Translations

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1 Here's a list of nations that the LORD caused to remain in order to test Israel (that is, everyone who had not gained any battle experience 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 only so that successive Israeli generations, who had not known war previously, might come to know it by experience. 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 These nations included the five lords of the Philistines, all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-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 They remained there to test Israel, to reveal if they would obey the commands of the LORD that he issued to 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 The Israelis continued to live among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the 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 taking their daughters as wives for themselves, giving their own daughters to their sons, and serving 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 Israelis kept on practicing evil in full view of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served Canaanite male and female deities. 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 Then in his burning anger against Israel, the LORD delivered them to domination by King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. So the Israelis 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 When the Israelis cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up Othniel son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz, to deliver them, and he did. 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 The Spirit of the LORD was on him, and he governed Israel. When Othniel went out to battle, the LORD handed king Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim into his control, and Othniel's domination of Cushan-rishathaim was strong. 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 As a result, the land was quiet for 40 years. Then Kenaz' son Othniel 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 The Israelis again practiced evil in full view of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab in his control over Israel, because they had practiced evil in full view of the LORD. 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 assembled together the Ammonites and the Amalekites, proceeded to attack Israel, and captured the cities 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 So the Israelis served king Eglon of Moab for eighteen 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 But when the Israelis cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up Gera's son Ehud, a left-handed descendant of Benjamin, as a deliverer for them. The Israelis paid tribute through him 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 forged a double-edged sword that was one cubit long, tied it to his right thigh under his cloak, 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 and went to present the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon happened to be a very obese 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 As he finished presenting the tribute, Ehud sent away the people who had been carrying 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 He had turned away from the idols that were at Gilgal. So he told Eglon, |I have a secret message for you, king.| King Eglon responded |Silence!| and all of his attendants left him. 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 approached him while he was sitting by himself in the cool roof chamber of his palace. He said, |I have a message from God for you!| So when Eglon got up from his seat, 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 used his left hand to take the sword from his right thigh and then plunged it into Eglon's abdomen. 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 The hilt also penetrated along with the sword blade, and Eglon's fat closed in over the blade. Because he did not withdraw the sword from Eglon's abdomen, the sword point exited from Eglon's entrails. 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 Then Ehud left the cool chamber in the direction of the vestibule, shutting and locking the doors behind him. 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 he left, Eglon's attendants came to look, but the doors to the cool chamber were locked! So they said, |He must be relieving himself in the inner part of the cool chamber.| 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 until they were embarrassed, since he never opened the doors to the chamber. Eventually they took a key, opened the doors, and found their master dead on the ground. 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 Meanwhile, Ehud escaped while they were delayed, passed by the idols, and escaped in the direction of 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 sounded a trumpet in the mountainous region of Ephraim. While the Israeli army accompanied Ehud from the mountainous regions, 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, |Attack them, because the LORD has given your enemies—the Moabites—into your control.| So the Israeli army followed after him, seized the fords of the Jordan River opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to 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 attacked about 10,000 Moabites, all of whom were strong and valiant men. Not one man 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 As a result, Moab was subdued under the control of Israel, and the land remained quiet 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, Anath's son Shamgar attacked 600 Philistines with a cattle prod. He also delivered 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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