Judges Chapter 3

Judges Chapter 3
1 These now are the nations which the
Lord left, that he might prove Israel by
them ( even as many of Israel as had not
known all the wars of Canaan, 2 Only to
make the generations of the children of
Israel to know, and to teach them war,
which doubtless their predecessors
knew not)
3 Five princes of the Philistines, and all
the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and
the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon,
from mount Baal-hermon until one come
to Hamath.
4 And these remained to prove Israel by
them, to wit, whether they would obey
the commandments of the Lord, which he
commanded their fathers by the hand of
Moses.
5 And the children of Israel dwelt among
the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the
Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the
Hivites, and the Jebusites, 6 And they
took their daughters to be their wives,
and gave their daughters to their sons,
and served their gods.
7 So the children of Israel did wickedly
in the sight of the Lord, and forget the
Lord their God, and served Baalim, and
Asheroth.
8 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was
kindled against Israel, and he sold them
into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king
of Aram-naharaim, and the children of
Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight
years.
9 And when the children of Israel cried
unto the Lord, the Lord stirred up a
savior to the children of Israel, and he
saved them , even Othniel the son of
Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
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 Aram into his hand,
and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.
11 So the land had rest forty years, and
Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 12 Then
the children of Israel again committed
wickedness in the sight of the Lord: and
the Lord strengthened Eglon king of
Moab against Israel, because they had
committed wickedness before the Lord.
13 And he gathered unto him the children
of Ammon, and Amalek, and went and
smote Israel, and they possessed the city
of palm trees.
14 So the children of Israel served
Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. 15
But when the children of Israel cried
unto the Lord, the Lord stirred them up a
savior, Ehud the son of Gera the son of
Jemini, a man lame of his right hand: and
the children of Israel sent a present by
him unto Eglon king of Moab.
16 And Ehud made him a dagger with
two edges of a cubit length, and he did
gird it under his raiment upon his right
thigh,
17 And he presented the gift unto Eglon
king of Moab (and Eglon was a very fat
man)
18 And when he had now presented the
present, he sent away the people that
bear the present,
19 But he 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
about him, went out from him.
20 Then Ehud came unto him. (and he sat
alone in a summer parlor, which he had)
and Ehud said, I have a message unto
thee from God. Then he arose out of his
throne,
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and
took the dagger from his right thigh, and
thrust it into his belly,
22 So that the haft went in after the
blade, and the fat closed about the blade,
so that he could not draw the dagger out
of his belly, but the dirt came out. 23
Then Ehud gat him out into the porch,
and shut the doors of the parlor upon
him, and locked them.
24 And when he was gone out, his
servants came: who seeing that the doors
of the parlor were locked, they said,
Surely he doth his easement in his
summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were
ashamed: and seeing he opened not the
doors of the parlor, they took the key,
and opened them, and behold, their lord
was fallen dead on the earth.
26 So Ehud escaped (while they tarried)
and was passed the quarries, and
escaped unto Seirah.
27 And when he came home, he blew a
trumpet in mount Ephraim, and the
children of Israel went down with him
from the mountain, and he went before
them.
28 Then said he unto them, Follow me:
for the Lord hath delivered your enemies
, even Moab into your hand. So they
went down after him, and took the
passages of Jordan toward Moab, and
suffered not a man to pass over. 29 And
they slew of the Moabites the same time
about ten thousand men, all fed men, and
all were warriors, and there escaped not
a man. 30 So Moab was subdued that
day, under the hand of Israel: and the
land had rest fourscore years.
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.