Judges 3:5-31 ▼

5 Thus the Israelites (God prevails) continued to live among the Canaanites (merchants), Hittites, Amorites (sayers), Perizzites (villagers), Hivites, and Jebusites (Jerusalemites).

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

7 So the Israelites (God prevails) did evil in the sight of the LORD {YHWH}; they forgot the LORD their God {YHWH Elohehem} and served the Baals (lord) and the Asherahs (goddess).

8 Then the anger of the LORD {YHWH} burned against Israel (he wrestles with God), and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim (twice-wicked Cushan) king of Aram-naharaim (Aram of the two rivers), and the Israelites served him eight years.

9 But when the Israelites (God prevails) cried out to the LORD {YHWH}, He raised up Othniel (lion of God) son of Caleb’s (dog) younger brother Kenaz (hunter) as a deliverer to save them.

10 The Spirit of the LORD {Ruach YHWH} came upon him, and he became Israel’s (he wrestles with God) judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim (twice-wicked Cushan) king of Aram (exalted) into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.

11 So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel (lion of God) son of Kenaz (hunter) died.

12 Once again the Israelites (God prevails) did evil in the sight of the LORD {YHWH}. So He gave Eglon (calf-like) king of Moab (of his father) power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

13 After enlisting the Ammonites (tribal) and Amalekites (dwellers in a valley) to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel (he wrestles with God), taking possession of the City of Palms (Jericho).

14 The Israelites (God prevails) served Eglon (calf-like) king of Moab (of his father) eighteen years.

15 And again they (he wrestles with God) cried out to the LORD {YHWH}, and He raised up Ehud (I will give thanks) son of Gera (a grain) (son of the right hand), a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon (calf-like) king of Moab (of his father).

16 Now Ehud (I will give thanks) had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long <18 in / 45.7 cm>. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak

17 and brought the tribute to Eglon (calf-like) king of Moab (of his father), who was an obese man.

18 After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it.

19 But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal (a wheel), 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.

20 Then Ehud (I will give thanks) approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God {Elohim} for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.

21 And Ehud (I will give thanks) reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.

22 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.

23 Then Ehud (I will give thanks) went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him.

24 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.

25 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.

26 Ehud, however (I will give thanks), had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah (the shaggy).

27 On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim (doubly fruitful). The Israelites (God prevails) came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.

28 “Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD {YHWH} has delivered your⁺ enemies the Moabites (of his father) into your⁺ hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan (flowing down) leading to Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over.

29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites (of his father), all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped.

30 So Moab (of his father) was subdued under the hand of Israel (he wrestles with God) that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.

31 After Ehud came Shamgar (sword) son of Anath (answer). And he too saved Israel (he wrestles with God), striking down six hundred Philistines (immigrants) with an oxgoad.