Judges 3
Some Nations Remain in the Land
1These are the nations that Yahweh left, to test Israel by them (that is, to test all those who ⌞had not experienced⌟ ▼▼Literally “did not know”
any of the wars of Canaan, 2in order that the generations of Israel would know war, to teach those ⌞who had not experienced it⌟ ▼▼Literally “who had not known it”
before): 3the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, ▼▼Hebrew “Canaanite”
the Sidonians, ▼▼Hebrew “Sidonian”
and the Hivites ▼▼Hebrew “Hivite”
living on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon up to Lebo-Hamath. 4They were left for testing Israel, to know whether they would keep the commands of Yahweh that he commanded their ancestors ▼▼Or “fathers”
through the hand of Moses. 5And the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
lived in the midst of the Canaanites, ▼▼Hebrew “Canaanite”
the Hittites, ▼▼Hebrew “Hittite”
the Amorites, ▼▼Hebrew “Amorite”
the Perizzites, ▼▼Hebrew “Perizzite”
the Hivites, ▼▼Hebrew “Hivite”
and the Jebusites. ▼▼Hebrew “Jebusite”
6And they took their daughters as wives for themselves, and they gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods. ▼▼Or “worshiped their gods”
Othniel
7The ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. They forgot Yahweh their God, and they served the Baals and the Asheroth. ▼▼Asheroth are cultic poles set up next to an altar symbolizing the goddess Asherah
8And ⌞the anger of Yahweh was kindled⌟ ▼▼Literally “the nose of Yahweh became hot”
against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram Naharaim; and the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. 9The ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a deliverer for the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
who delivered them, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10And the 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 ⌞he prevailed over⌟ ▼▼Literally “his hand was strong over”
Cushan-Rishathaim. 11So the land rested forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died. Ehud
12And again the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. So Yahweh strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. 13He gathered to himself the ⌞Ammonites and Amalekites⌟, ▼▼Literally “sons of Ammon and Amalek” or “children of Ammon and Amalek”
and he went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the city of palms. 14And the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. 15And the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite and ⌞a left-handed man⌟. ▼▼Literally “a man bound by his right hand”
And the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
sent a tribute to Eglon king of Moab ⌞through him⌟. ▼▼Literally “in his hand”
16Ehud made for himself a short, ⌞two-edged⌟ ▼▼Literally “with two mouths”
sword (a cubit in length), and he fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. 17Then he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18When Ehud ▼▼That is, Eglon
had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. 19But he turned back from the sculptured stones ▼▼Or “Pesilim”; some translations translate the phrase as a proper name
that were near Gilgal, and he said, “I have ⌞a secret message⌟ ▼▼Literally “a word of secrecy”
for you, O king.” And he ▼▼Hebrew “he”
said, “Silence!” So all those standing in his presence went out, 20and Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool upper room. And Ehud said, “I have a ⌞message from God⌟ ▼▼Literally “word of God”
for you.” So he got up from his seat. 21Then Ehud reached with his left hand for the sword on his right thigh, and he thrust it into his ▼▼That is, Eglon’s
stomach. 22And the handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade because he did not draw back the sword from his stomach; and it went protruding out the back. ▼▼The Hebrew is uncertain; some translations have “and the dirt/entrails came out”
23And Ehud went out the vestibule, and he closed the doors of the upper room and locked them behind him. 24After he left, his servants returned. When they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, ⌞they thought⌟, ▼▼Hebrew “they said”
“Surely he is ⌞relieving himself⌟ ▼▼Literally “covering his feet”
in the cool inner room.” 25And they waited so long they became embarrassed because he did not open the doors of the upper room. So they took the key and opened the doors, and there their lord was lying on the ground dead. 26And Ehud escaped while they delayed. He passed by the sculptured stones ▼▼Or “Pesilim;” some translations to translate the phrase as a proper name
and escaped to Seirah. 27And when he arrived he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the ⌞Israelites⌟ ▼▼Literally “sons/children of Israel”
went down from the hill country with him leading them. 28And he said to them, “Follow after me! Yahweh has given Moab your enemies into your hand.” So they went down after him, and they captured the fords of the Jordan toward Moab; and they did not allow anyone to cross over. 29And they struck Moab at that time, about ten thousand men, ⌞all strong and able men⌟; ▼▼Literally “all fat and men of strength”
no one escaped. 30And Moab was subdued on that day under the hand of Israel. And the land rested eighty years. ▼▼Hebrew “year”
Shamgar
31And Shamgar son of Anath came after him, and he killed six hundred Philistines with the goad of an ox; he also delivered Israel.
Copyright information for
LEB