Chapter 3

  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;  

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  Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it;)  

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  Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt on mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.  

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  And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken to the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.  

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  And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:  

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  And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.  

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  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served Baalim, and the groves.  

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  Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.  

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  And when the children of Israel cried to 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.  

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  And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.  

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  And the land had rest forty years: and Othniel the son of Kenaz died.  

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  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.  

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  And he gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm-trees.  

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  So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.  

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  But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjaminite, a man left-handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a present to Eglon king of Moab.  

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  But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.  

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  And he brought the present to Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.  

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  And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bore the present.  

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  But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.  

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  And Ehud came to him; and he was sitting in a summer-parlor, which he had for himself alone: and Ehud said, I have a message from God to thee. And he arose from his seat.  

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  And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:  

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  And the haft also entered 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.  

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  Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them.  

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  When he had gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer-chamber.  

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  And they tarried till they were ashamed: and behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor, therefore they took a key and opened them: and behold, their lord lay dead on the earth.  

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  And Ehud escaped while they tarried; and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirath.  

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  And it came to pass when he had 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.  

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  And he said to them, Follow 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 towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.  

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  And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor: and there escaped not a man.  

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  So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel: and the land had rest eighty years.  

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  And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad; and he also delivered Israel.  

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