The Nations Left to Test Israel |
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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;
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only that the generations of the children of Israel might know to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
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namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sido'nians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Ba'al–her'mon unto the entering in of Hamath.
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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.
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And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Per'izzites, and Hivites, and Jeb'usites:
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and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
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Othniel Delivers Israel from Chushan–rishathaim |
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¶ And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Ba'alim and the groves.
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Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chu'shan–rishatha'im king of Mesopota'mi-a: and the children of Israel served Chu'shan–rishatha'im eight years.
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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 Oth'ni-el the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
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And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chu'shan–rishatha'im king of Mesopota'mi-a into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chu'shan–rishatha'im.
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And the land had rest forty years: and Oth'ni-el the son of Kenaz died.
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Ehud Delivers Israel from Moab |
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¶ 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.
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And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Am'alek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
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So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
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¶ 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 left-handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
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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.
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And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
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And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
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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.
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And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
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And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
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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.
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Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them.
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¶ When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
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And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
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¶ And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Se-i'rath.
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And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of E'phra-im, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
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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.
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And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man.
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So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
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Shamgar Delivers Israel from the Philistines |
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¶ And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an oxgoad: and he also delivered Israel.
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