Chapter 3
- 3:1
- Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of
Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
- 3:2
- Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at
the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
- 3:3
- Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and
the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of
Hamath.
- 3:4
- And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the
commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
- 3:5
- And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and
Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
- 3:6
- And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons,
and served their gods.
- 3:7
- And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their
God, and served Baalim and the groves.
- 3:8
- Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand
of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served
Chushanrishathaim eight years.
- 3:9
- And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to
the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger
brother.
- 3:10
- And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and
the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand
prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.
- 3:11
- And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
- 3:12
- And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD
strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the
sight of the LORD.
- 3:13
- And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel,
and possessed the city of palm trees.
- 3:14
- So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
- 3:15
- But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a
deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of
Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
- 3:16
- But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it
under his raiment upon his right thigh.
- 3:17
- And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
- 3:18
- And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the
present.
- 3:19
- But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a
secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went
out from him.
- 3:20
- And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself
alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
- 3:21
- And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust
it into his belly:
- 3:22
- And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he
could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
- 3:23
- Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and
locked them.
- 3:24
- When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of
the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
- 3:25
- And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the
parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen
down dead on the earth.
- 3:26
- And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto
Seirath.
- 3:27
- And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of
Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
- 3:28
- And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the
Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward
Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
- 3:29
- And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of
valour; and there escaped not a man.
- 3:30
- So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore
years.
- 3:31
- And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred
men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.