1Now these are the nations that Yahweh left, to test Israel by them—all those who had not known any of the wars of Canaan—
2only so that the generations of the sons of Israel might know war, to teach it to them—only those who had not known such things formerly.
3the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwell in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.
4They were there to test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of Yahweh, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5So the sons of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
6They took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and they served their gods.
7And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh; they forgot Yahweh their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
8Then the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, king of Aram-naharaim; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
9And the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel, and he delivered them: Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
10The Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel; he went out to war, and Yahweh gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into his hand, and his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.
11And the land had rest forty years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died.
12The sons of Israel again did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh.
13He gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek, and went and struck Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.
14So the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
15Then the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man bound in his right hand; and by his hand the sons of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
16Ehud made for himself a sword; it had two edges, a gomed in length, and he strapped it under his garments on his right thigh.
17He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab; now Eglon was a very fat man.
18When he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute.
19But he himself turned back from the idols that were near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret word for you, O king.” And he said, “Silence!” And all who were standing beside him went out from him.
20Then Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool upper chamber, and Ehud said, “I have a word of God for you.” And he rose from his seat.
21And Ehud reached out with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.
22And even the hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly, and it came out at the rear.
23Then Ehud went out to the vestibule, and shut the doors of the upper chamber behind him and locked them.
24When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked. So they said, “Surely he is relieving himself in the cool inner chamber.”
25They waited until they were embarrassed, but behold, he did not open the doors of the upper chamber. So they took the key and opened them, and behold, their lord had fallen to the ground, dead.
26But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah.
27And when he arrived, he blew the shofar in the hill country of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, he being at their head.
28And he said to them, “Pursue after me, for Yahweh has given your enemies, Moab, into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.
29At that time they struck down about ten thousand men of Moab, every robust one and every valiant man; and not a man escaped.
30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest eighty years.
31And after him came Shamgar son of Anath, and he struck down six hundred Philistine men with an oxgoad; and he also delivered Israel.
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