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Judges 3 |
1 |
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; |
2 |
Only that the generations of the children of Israel might
know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing
thereof; |
3 |
Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the
Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in
mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of
Hamath. |
4 |
And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they
would hearken unto 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,
Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and
Jebusites: |
6 |
And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave
their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. |
7 |
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD,
and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the
groves. |
8 |
Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and
he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of
Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim
eight years. |
9 |
And when the children of Israel cried unto 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. |
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 Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand
prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. |
11 |
And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of
Kenaz died. |
12 |
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. |
13 |
And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek,
and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm
trees. |
14 |
So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab
eighteen years. |
15 |
But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD
raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a
man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present
unto Eglon the king of Moab. |
16 |
But Ehud made him a dagger 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 present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon
was a very fat man. |
18 |
And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent
away the people that bare the present. |
19 |
But he himself 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 by him went out from
him. |
20 |
And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer
parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a
message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. |
21 |
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from
his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: |
22 |
And the haft also went in 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. |
23 |
Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of
the parlour upon him, and locked them. |
24 |
When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw
that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said,
Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. |
25 |
And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he
opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key,
and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on
the earth. |
26 |
And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the
quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. |
27 |
And it came to pass, when he was 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. |
28 |
And he said unto them, Follow after 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 toward Moab, and
suffered not a man to pass over. |
29 |
And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men,
all lusty, and all men of valour; 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. |