Judges Chapter 3

            ¹ Yahveh left those nations to the test the Israelites that hadn’t experienced war in Canaan. [ ² ] ³ The nations were

the five lords of the Philistines,

all the Canaanites,

Sidonians,

the Hivites on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.

⁴ They served to test whether Israel would obey Yahveh’s commandments to their ancestors by Moses. ⁵ So the Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ⁶ They intermarried with them and served their gods.

Othniel Judges Israel

⁷ Israel forgot Yahveh its God and served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. ⁸ He was angry and sold Israel to Cushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, for 8 years. ⁹ When they appealed to Yahveh, he raised up Othniel Ben-Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, to deliver them. ¹⁰ The Spirit of Yahveh stirred him up to judge Israel. He went out to war, and Yahveh delivered Cushan-rishathaim to him. ¹¹ The land had peace for 40 years. Then Othniel died. Jud 3:1-11

Ehud Judges Israel

¹² The people sinned again, and Yahveh strengthened Eglon, king of Moab. ¹³ He gathered the Amorites and Amalekites, defeated Israel, and took the City of Palms. ¹⁴ Israel served him for 18 years.

¹⁵ But when Israel appealed to Yahveh, he raised up Ehud Ben-Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man. Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon. ¹⁶ Ehud made a double-edged sword 18ins long and fastened it under his right thigh under his clothes. ¹⁷ He presented the tribute to Eglon, an obese man. ¹⁸ When he’d presented it, he sent away the people that carried it. ¹⁹ At the idols near Gilgal, he turned back and said, “I have a private message for you, King.” He said, “Just a minute.” His attendants went out. ²⁰ Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof room. He said, “I have a message from God for you.” He got up from his seat. ²¹ Ehud reached with his left hand, took his sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into Eglon’s belly. ²² The hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade. He didn’t pull it out, and the refuse came out. ²³ Ehud went out to the anteroom, closed the doors to the roof room, and locked them.                                                                                                             

Jud 3:12-23

²⁴ When he’d gone, the servants came and saw the doors locked, and thought he was relieving himself in the cool room. ²⁵ They waited till they were completely confused. When he still didn’t come out, they took the key and opened the doors. There he was, on the floor, dead.

²⁶ While they delayed, Ehud escaped past the idols to Seirah. ²⁷ When he arrived, he blew the ram’s horn in the hill country of Ephraim. The people went down from the hill country with him leading. ²⁸ He told them, “Follow me. Yahveh will deliver the Moabites to you.” They went down and seized the fords of the Jordan from the Moabites and wouldn’t let anybody cross. ²⁹ They killed about 10,000 Moabites, strong, able-bodied men. No one escaped. ³⁰ Israel subdued Moab that day. The land had peace for 80 years.

Shamgar Judges Israel

³¹ After him came Shamgar Ben-Anath, who killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad and delivered Israel. Jud 3:24-31