Judg 3 | NASB2020 | STEP | Now these are the nations that the Lord left , to test Israel by them ( that is, all the Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan ;

Judges 3

Idolatry Leads to Servitude

1 ^aNow these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all the Israelites who had not ^{▼▼Lit known}experienced any of the wars of Canaan; 2 only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might ^{▼▼Lit know, to teach them}be taught war, ^{▼▼Lit only those}those who had not ^{▼▼Lit known}experienced it previously). 3 These nations are: the five governors of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians, and ^fthe Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as ^{▼▼Or the entrance of Hamath}Lebo-hamath. 4 They were left to ^htest Israel by them, to find out if they would ^{▼▼Lit listen to}obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers ^{▼▼Lit by the hand of}through Moses. 5 ^kThe sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; 6 and ^lthey took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 So the sons of Israel did ^mwhat was evil in the sight of the Lord, and they ⁿforgot the Lord their God and ^oserved the Baals and the ^{▼▼I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)}Asheroth. 8 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim, king of ^{▼▼Heb Aram-naharaim}Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

The First Judge Frees Israel

9 But the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to set them free, ^rOthniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 And ^sthe Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went to war, the Lord handed over to him Cushan-rishathaim king of ^{▼▼Heb Aram}Mesopotamia, so that ^{▼▼Lit his hand was strong}he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11 Then the land was at rest for forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 Now the sons of Israel again ^vdid evil in the sight of the Lord. So ^wthe Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and ^{▼▼Lit struck}defeated Israel, and they took possession of ^ythe city of the palm trees. 14 And the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.

Ehud Kills Eglon

15 But when the sons of Israel ^zcried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by ^{▼▼Lit his hand}him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he strapped it on his right thigh under his cloak. 17 Then he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And it came about, when he had finished presenting the tribute, that Ehud sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And the king said, “Silence!” And all who were attending him left him. 20 Then Ehud came to him while he was sitting in his cool roof chamber alone. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he got up from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22 The hilt of the sword also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade because he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and ^{▼▼Meaning of the Heb uncertain, but perhaps excrement}the refuse came out. 23 Then Ehud went out into the ^{▼▼Meaning uncertain}vestibule, and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them.

24 When he had left, ^{▼▼Lit his}the king’s servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, “ ^aeUndoubtedly he is ^{▼▼Lit covering his feet; a euphemism referring to a squatting position}relieving himself in the cool room.” 25 So they waited ^{▼▼Lit until shaming}until it would have been shameful to wait longer; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. So they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the ^{▼▼Lit earth}floor dead.

26 Now Ehud escaped while they were hesitating, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 And ^{▼▼Lit it happened}when he arrived, ^ajhe blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was ^{▼▼Lit before them}leading them. 28 Then he said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has handed your enemies the Moabites over to you.” So they went down after him and took control of ^althe crossing places of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross. 29 They struck and killed about ten thousand Moabites at that time, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was at rest for eighty years.

Shamgar Saves Israel

31 Now after him came ^amShamgar the son of Anath, who struck and killed six hundred Philistines with an ^{▼▼I.e., a spiked stick for driving livestock}oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.