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. 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. 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.
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. So the people of Israel lived among the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the
Hivites, and the Jebusites. And their daughters they took to
themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their
sons, and they served their gods.
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. 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. 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. 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. So the land
had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
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. He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and
went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of
palms. And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab
eighteen years.
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. 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. And he presented the tribute to Eglon king
of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. And when Ehud had finished
presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the
tribute. 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. 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. And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword
from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 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. Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the
roof chamber behind him and locked them.
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.” 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.
Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols
and escaped to Seirah. 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. 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. And they killed at that time about
10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man
escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And
the land had rest for eighty years.
After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the
Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.
