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Now these are the Goyim which Hashem let remain, to test Yisroel by them, even as many of Yisroel who had not known all the milchamot Kena’an;

Only so that the dorot of the Bnei Yisroel might have da’as, to teach them milchamah, such as before knew nothing thereof;

Namely, five rulers of the Pelishtim (Philistines), and all the Kena’ani, and the Tzidoni, and the Chivi that dwelt in Har HaLevanon, from Har Baal-Chermon unto the entrance of Chamat.

And they were to test Yisroel by them, to know whether they would pay heed unto the Mitzvot Hashem, which He commanded their Avot by the yad Moshe.

And the Bnei Yisroel dwelt among the Kena’ani, Chitti, and Emori, and Perizzi, and Chivi, and Yevusi;

And they took their banot to be their nashim, and gave their banot to their banim, and served their elohim.

And the Bnei Yisroel did evil in the sight of Hashem, and forgot Hashem Eloheihem, and served Baalim and the Asherot.

Therefore the Af Hashem was hot against Yisroel, and He sold them into the yad Chushan Rishataim Melech Aram Naharayim [i.e., Upper Mesopotamia]; and the Bnei Yisroel served Chushan Rishataim eight years.

And when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto Hashem, Hashem raised up a Moshia (Deliverer, Savior) to the Bnei Yisroel, who saved them, even Otniel ben Kenaz, Kalev’s younger brother.

10 And the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem came upon him, and he judged Yisroel, and went out to milchamah; and Hashem delivered Chushan Rishataim Melech Aram into his yad; and his yad prevailed against Chushan Rishataim.

11 And the land had rest arba’im shanah. And Otniel ben Kenaz died.

12 And the Bnei Yisroel did rah again in the sight of Hashem; and Hashem strengthened Eglon Melech Moav against Yisroel, because they had done rah in the sight of Hashem.

13 And he gathered unto him the Bnei Ammon and Amalek, and went and attacked Yisroel, and possessed the Ir HaTemarim.

14 So the Bnei Yisroel served Eglon Melech Moav eighteen years.

15 But when the Bnei Yisroel cried unto Hashem, Hashem raised them up a Moshi’a, Ehud ben Gera, from the tribe of Binyamin, a man left-handed; and by him the Bnei Yisroel sent a minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav.

16 But Ehud made him a cherev which had two edges of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

17 And he brought the minchah unto Eglon Melech Moav; and Eglon was an ish bari me’od (very fat man).

18 And when he had made an end to offer the minchah, he sent away the people that carried the minchah (tribute).

19 But he himself turned back at the pesilim near Gilgal, and said, I have a devar seter (secret message) for thee O melech; he said, Keep silence! And all that stood by attending him went out from him.

20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in an aliyyat hamekerah (upper room for cooling), which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a devar Elohim unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

21 And Ehud put forth his semol (left hand), and drew the cherev from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly;

22 And even the hilt went in after the blade; and the chelev closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the cherev out of his belly; it came out the back.

23 Then Ehud went forth through the front hall, and shut the daletot of the aliyyah behind him, and locked them.

24 When he was gone out, his avadim came; and when they saw that, hinei, the daletot of the aliyyah were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet [i.e. relieves himself] in the chedar hamekerah (inner cool room).

25 And they tarried till bosh (embarrassed); and, hinei, he opened not the daletot of the aliyyah; therefore they took a mafte’ach (key), and unlocked them; and, hinei, their adon was fallen on the floor dead.

26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the pesilim, and escaped unto Seirah.

27 And it came to pass, when he arrived, that he blew a shofar in the har Ephrayim, and the Bnei Yisroel went down with him from the har, and he before them.

28 And he said unto them, Follow after me; for Hashem hath delivered your enemies Moav into your yad. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Yarden toward Moav, and allowed not an ish to pass over.

29 And they struck down Moav at that time about ten thousand ish, all strong ish chayil; and there escaped not an ish.

30 So Moav was subdued that day under the yad Yisroel. And HaAretz had rest fourscore shanah.

31 And after him was Shamgar ben Anat, which struck down of the Pelishtim (Philistines) six hundred ish with an ox goad; and he also saved Yisroel.

These are the nations the Lord left to test(A) all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): the five(B) rulers of the Philistines,(C) all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites(D) living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon(E) to Lebo Hamath.(F) They were left to test(G) the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.

The Israelites lived(H) among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,(I) Hivites and Jebusites.(J) They took their daughters(K) in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.(L)

Othniel

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord(M) their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.(N) The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold(O) them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim(P) king of Aram Naharaim,[a](Q) to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. But when they cried out(R) to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer,(S) Othniel(T) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him,(U) so that he became Israel’s judge[b] and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim(V) king of Aram(W) into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace(X) for forty years,(Y) until Othniel son of Kenaz(Z) died.

Ehud

12 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,(AA) and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab(AB) power over Israel. 13 Getting the Ammonites(AC) and Amalekites(AD) to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.[c](AE) 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab(AF) for eighteen years.

15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer(AG)—Ehud(AH), a left-handed(AI) man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute(AJ) to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud(AK) had made a double-edged sword about a cubit[d] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute(AL) to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.(AM) 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. 19 But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.

20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace[e](AN) and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose(AO) from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword(AP) from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch[f]; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself(AQ) in the inner room of the palace.” 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment,(AR) but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

26 While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet(AS) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

28 “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab,(AT) your enemy, into your hands.(AU)” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan(AV) that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. 29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. 30 That day Moab(AW) was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace(AX) for eighty years.

Shamgar

31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath,(AY) who struck down six hundred(AZ) Philistines(BA) with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:8 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  2. Judges 3:10 Or leader
  3. Judges 3:13 That is, Jericho
  4. Judges 3:16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  5. Judges 3:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 24.
  6. Judges 3:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.