English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan.

1These are the nations the LORD left in order to test all those in Israel who had experienced none of the wars in Canaan.

2It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.

2This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites how to fight in battle, especially those who had not fought before.

3These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

3These nations included the five rulers of the Philistines and all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanese mountains from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath.

4They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

4The LORD left them to test Israel, to determine if they would keep the LORD's commands he had given their fathers through Moses.

5So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

5But they settled among the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

6And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.

6The Israelites took their daughters as wives for themselves, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.

7And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.

7The Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight; they forgot the LORD their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.

8Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

8The LORD's anger burned against Israel, and he sold them to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.

9But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

9The Israelites cried out to the LORD. So the LORD raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's youngest brother, as a deliverer to save the Israelites.

10The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

10The Spirit of the LORD came on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the LORD handed over King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him.

11So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

11Then the land had peace for forty years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died.

12And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

12The Israelites again did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He gave King Eglon of Moab power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the LORD's sight.

13He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms.

13After Eglon convinced the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join forces with him, he attacked and defeated Israel and took possession of the City of Palms.

14And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

14The Israelites served King Eglon of Moab eighteen years.

15Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

15Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjaminite, as a deliverer for them. The Israelites sent him with the tribute for King Eglon of Moab.

16And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes.

16Ehud made himself a double-edged sword eighteen inches long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes

17And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

17and brought the tribute to King Eglon of Moab, who was an extremely fat man.

18And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute.

18When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it.

19But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence.

19At the carved images near Gilgal he returned and said, "King Eglon, I have a secret message for you." The king said, "Silence!" and all his attendants left him.

20And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat.

20Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his upstairs room where it was cool. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you," and the king stood up from his throne.

21And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.

21Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon's belly.

22And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out.

22Even the handle went in after the blade, and Eglon's fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And the waste came out.

23Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them.

23Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him.

24When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.”

24Ehud was gone when Eglon's servants came in. They looked and found the doors of the upstairs room locked and thought he was relieving himself in the cool room.

25And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor.

25The servants waited until they became embarrassed and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upstairs room. So they took the key and opened the doors--and there was their lord lying dead on the floor!

26Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah.

26Ehud escaped while the servants waited. He passed the Jordan near the carved images and reached Seirah.

27When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader.

27After he arrived, he sounded the ram's horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hill country, and he became their leader.

28And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over.

28He told them, "Follow me, because the LORD has handed over your enemies, the Moabites, to you." So they followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.

29And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped.

29At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all stout and able-bodied men. Not one of them escaped.

30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

30Moab became subject to Israel that day, and the land had peace for eighty years.

31After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.

31After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath became judge. He also delivered Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with a cattle prod.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.