International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Here's a list of nations that the LORD caused to remain in order to test Israel (that is, everyone who had not gained any battle experience in Canaan)

1Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan;

2only so that successive Israeli generations, who had not known war previously, might come to know it by experience.

2only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly).

3These nations included the five lords of the Philistines, all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.

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

4They remained there to test Israel, to reveal if they would obey the commands of the LORD that he issued to their ancestors through Moses.

4They were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.

5The Israelis continued to live among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites,

5The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites;

6taking their daughters as wives for themselves, giving their own daughters to their sons, and serving their gods.

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

7The Israelis kept on practicing evil in full view of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served Canaanite male and female deities.

7The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.

8Then in his burning anger against Israel, the LORD delivered them to domination by King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. So the Israelis served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

8Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

9When the Israelis cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up Othniel son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz, to deliver them, and he did.

9When the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10The Spirit of the LORD was on him, and he governed Israel. When Othniel went out to battle, the LORD handed king Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim into his control, and Othniel's domination of Cushan-rishathaim was strong.

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

11As a result, the land was quiet for 40 years. Then Kenaz' son Othniel died.

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

12The Israelis again practiced evil in full view of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab in his control over Israel, because they had practiced evil in full view of the LORD.

12Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

13Eglon assembled together the Ammonites and the Amalekites, proceeded to attack Israel, and captured the cities of palms.

13And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of the palm trees.

14So the Israelis served king Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

14The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

15But when the Israelis cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up Gera's son Ehud, a left-handed descendant of Benjamin, as a deliverer for them. The Israelis paid tribute through him to king Eglon of Moab.

15But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

16Ehud forged a double-edged sword that was one cubit long, tied it to his right thigh under his cloak,

16Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak.

17and went to present the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon happened to be a very obese man.

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

18As he finished presenting the tribute, Ehud sent away the people who had been carrying it.

18It came about when he had finished presenting the tribute, that he sent away the people who had carried the tribute.

19He had turned away from the idols that were at Gilgal. So he told Eglon, "I have a secret message for you, king." King Eglon responded "Silence!" and all of his attendants left him.

19But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And he said, "Keep silence." And all who attended him left him.

20Ehud approached him while he was sitting by himself in the cool roof chamber of his palace. He said, "I have a message from God for you!" So when Eglon got up from his seat,

20Ehud came to him while 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.

21Ehud used his left hand to take the sword from his right thigh and then plunged it into Eglon's abdomen.

21Ehud stretched out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly.

22The hilt also penetrated along with the sword blade, and Eglon's fat closed in over the blade. Because he did not withdraw the sword from Eglon's abdomen, the sword point exited from Eglon's entrails.

22The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out.

23Then Ehud left the cool chamber in the direction of the vestibule, shutting and locking the doors behind him.

23Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them.

24After he left, Eglon's attendants came to look, but the doors to the cool chamber were locked! So they said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner part of the cool chamber."

24When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, "He is only relieving himself in the cool room."

25They waited until they were embarrassed, since he never opened the doors to the chamber. Eventually they took a key, opened the doors, and found their master dead on the ground.

25They waited until they became anxious; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor dead.

26Meanwhile, Ehud escaped while they were delayed, passed by the idols, and escaped in the direction of Seirah.

26Now Ehud escaped while they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.

27When he arrived there, he sounded a trumpet in the mountainous region of Ephraim. While the Israeli army accompanied Ehud from the mountainous regions,

27It came about when he had arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them.

28he told them, "Attack them, because the LORD has given your enemies—the Moabites—into your control." So the Israeli army followed after him, seized the fords of the Jordan River opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.

28He said to them, "Pursue them, for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands." So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.

29At that time they attacked about 10,000 Moabites, all of whom were strong and valiant men. Not one man escaped.

29They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped.

30As a result, Moab was subdued under the control of Israel, and the land remained quiet for 80 years.

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

31After Ehud, Anath's son Shamgar attacked 600 Philistines with a cattle prod. He also delivered Israel.

31After him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org